Meet Umar Hakim-Dey, board chair for LA Voice, a PICO California federation in the Faith in Action network and founder of Inkerij, a social enterprise that provides advisory services for social impact organizations. Originally from, and still residing in, Compton, California, Umar is an innovative community organizer, committed bridge-builder, and deep-hearted advocate for social justice.
What faith(s), if any, do you practice? How does your tradition and/or spiritual practice inspire or influence you as an innovator?
I practice the Islamic faith. I’ve been a Muslim since 1998. In 1997, I received my first Quran and read it over the next six months. Then, on July 3, 1998, I took my declaration, what is called a shahada. I made the choice to become Muslim for a couple of reasons. Coming from an Episcopal background, Islam gave me a broader picture of the historical context of religion. I was only getting it from a European perspective, and Islam helped give me more of a historical contextual picture for my African identity. I could still have my Episcopal values but now balanced with a Muslim context and perspective.
Islam is a way of life that covers all aspects of a person’s life, whether political, social, family. The Prophet, may peace and blessing be upon him, can be seen as a judge, as a community leader, as a general, as a businessman. I really relate to him as a businessman. I created Inkerij as a social business, which I feel is a totally different model than most other non-profit organizations in the sector. And my Islamic faith helps me to establish justice, to be morally right and fair, and to always look after people.
What are you currently working on?
Since 2016, I created a hashtag #inkerij, which is the pronunciation of the word “encourage.” In November 2022, I received 501c3 status for Inkerij, so it is now a 501c3 social enterprise. Inkerij is an advisory that helps purpose-driven organizations and individuals build their capacity through program development, audience insights, and personal one-to-one coaching. I consider myself an entrepreneur with a social mission. I’m now in the process of scaling this business as a viable social enterprise. Currently, I’m particularly excited about something I call Project 2192, which is based on a verse in the Quran, where God says, "I created you in one community, and I’m your Lord, so cherish me" (21:92). So to me, that means that mankind is one community. The work of Project 2192 is to bring more Muslims into the community organizing space and create multi-faith base solidarity with the existing leadership base.
What can we find you doing when you’re not working?
Sleeping, watching TV, trying to take care of my health, and tending to the needs of my young adult children and grandchildren.
What is piquing your curiosity these days?
What’s piquing my curiosity is how the United States and its populations are divided, especially in the faith-based sector. We can’t work in silos anymore. The world is changing politically, business-wise, and at a community level as well. We have to find common threads to work together.
Also, I’m curious about becoming self-determined, about growing my business at a time when inflation is bleeding the finances of the average American. For me, to become an entrepreneur and increase my purpose is important not only for myself but for those I want to help. Teachers should be getting paid more, nurses should be getting paid more. It’s very hard for the average worker. My interest centers around sustaining a more meaningful community life and how partnerships can generate jobs that will sustain our future.
What is something you’d like help on?
I’d like to connect with like-minds—those who are also interested in building the capacity of people, whether leaders or the common person—and anybody with technical skills in AI or graphic design. I also need connections to philanthropy for capacity building and operations. I have everything in place, so I’m looking to build a team of like-minded individuals.
What is something you can offer others in the innoFaith network?
I can offer direct connections to the Muslim community, in Los Angeles and across the country. I have a network of community organizers that is faith-based. I’ve also worked on serving the unhoused community in Los Angeles and other places, so I have a network of community-based organizations in California and across the country.
To connect with Umar, you can find him on Instagram or at inkerij.net.
Meet an innoFaither is our series to introduce the inspiring optimists in the innoFaith world and what they’re working on and thinking about. We hope it helps you find and engage with each other across the network to advance faith-rooted social innovation and interfaith collaboration for social impact. Or just meet some cool people. Find the full series at www.innofaith.org/meet-an-innofaither.
Photo Credit: Deshe Greene