Meet the Founders
Meet the Founders
Embedded Files
Fatima Khurram — Co-Founder
Fatima Khurram — Co-Founder
Fatima Khurram is a student at UCLA, originally from Pakistan and proudly part of the Mohajir community. Fluent in Urdu and deeply committed to cross-cultural justice, Fatima brings a strong passion for advocacy, particularly in the realm of immigration law and minority rights, both in South Asia and globally.
Her human rights work is rooted in a deep concern for the rule of law, press freedom, and democratic accountability in Pakistan, where she continues to stand in solidarity with movements that demand dignity, transparency, and equal rights for all citizens, especially students, women, and political dissidents.
With experience working with children and nonprofits, Fatima is driven by a desire to uplift the most vulnerable and ensure access to opportunity regardless of background or borders. Outside of her academic and advocacy work, she enjoys hiking, reading, and exploring films that challenge and inspire. Through Mizan, she hopes to create a space where students can lead with purpose and serve with compassion.
“Mizan is about centering those who have been silenced—about helping, healing, and holding the line for justice.”
Shabnam Nikzad — Co-Founder
Shabnam Nikzad — Co-Founder
Shabnam Nikzad is a UCLA graduate with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Persian Studies. Born in the Bay Area and raised in Los Angeles, she is the daughter of immigrants and a proud first-generation college student. Fluent in Farsi and deeply connected to her heritage, Shabnam finds strength in the traditions of Persian poetry, where themes of justice, resistance, and the human spirit have long shaped cultural memory. This passion is mirrored in her advocacy for human rights, particularly for women and minority communities in the Middle East and Central Asia.
Shabnam has worked across various social movements and cultural spaces in Los Angeles, where she has helped organize community programs, educational workshops, and refugee support initiatives. Whether collaborating with nonprofits or curating events that celebrate tradition while addressing inequity, she has consistently centered the voices of the displaced, the overlooked, and the systemically silenced.
Her work bridges the personal and the political, using culture as a tool for empowerment and activism. Through Mizan, Shabnam hopes to cultivate a platform where students, artists, and advocates can collectively imagine, and build, a more just, inclusive world.
“We created Mizan to turn our shared experiences into a force for collective justice—locally and globally.”
Join the Mizan Community
Join the Mizan Community
Be part of a movement built on advocacy, service, and solidarity
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