LEADERSHIP
Sakina Ibrahim
Sakina Ibrahim, MFA
Founder & Executive Director
Sakina Ibrahim is a Webby Award-winning producer, host, multidisciplinary artist, educator, and social entrepreneur dedicated to expanding access to arts education, wellness, and creative leadership. As the Founder and Executive Director of Dance Arts Academy Foundation, she has built a nonprofit that empowers young people, families, and emerging artists through culturally responsive arts programming, community partnerships, and innovative learning experiences.
Holding a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of California, Irvine, Sakina has spent more than 15 years working at the intersection of performance, education, media, and community impact. Her work demonstrates how the arts can strengthen mental wellness, inspire leadership, preserve culture, and create pathways to opportunity.
Sakina is an NAACP Image Award–nominated author of Big Words to Little Me, a social-emotional learning resource that encourages confidence and self-affirmation in children. She is also the Webby Award-winning producer, host, and co-creator of We're Doing the Wiz, an acclaimed documentary podcast recognized by the Tribeca Festival and nominated for a National Magazine Award for its exploration of race, education, culture, and community.
As a 2026 California Arts Council Established Artist Fellow, Sakina continues to champion the role of artists as educators, innovators, and civic leaders. Through DAAF's Creative Futures initiative, she is expanding partnerships that connect the performing arts with technology, innovation, and STEAM education, helping prepare the next generation of creative thinkers, entrepreneurs, and changemakers.
Her vision is simple yet transformative: every young person deserves access to the arts, the opportunity to discover their voice, and the tools to create a brighter future.