Janan Najeeb is a pioneering Muslim community leader, advocate, and educator, widely recognized for her work at the intersections of faith, justice, and civic engagement. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition (MMWC), which operates Our Peaceful Home, a culturally specific domestic violence and family strengthening program, and the Islamic Resource Center, Wisconsin’s first Muslim library and cultural hub.
Najeeb has founded several groundbreaking initiatives, including the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance, the Milwaukee Muslim Film Festival, and the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine. She also serves on the Governor’s Council on Domestic Abuse and holds board positions with the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Public Radio, and the Wisconsin Historical Society. She chairs both the Religious Leaders Caucus of MICAH and the City of Milwaukee Commission on Community Wellness and Safety. For more than two decades, she has also co-chaired and emceed Milwaukee’s citywide Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.
A frequent media voice and public speaker, Najeeb has delivered more than 2,000 presentations across the country on Muslim identity, civil rights, women’s rights, refugees, and interfaith dialogue. Her published works include contributions to The Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies and The Journal of Disability & Religion, as well as book chapters and training manuals for statewide agencies. She is frequently featured in major outlets including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The New York Times, Islamic Horizons, and Wisconsin Public Radio.
Her trailblazing leadership has earned her numerous awards, including the 2024 Milwaukee Magazine Woman of Distinction Award, the 2023 Lucille Berrien Humanitarian Award, the 2022 Milwaukee Rotary Person of the Year Award, and the 2019 Frank Zeidler Award for Social Justice and Activism, among many others.
Najeeb is married to Dr. Waleed Najeeb and is the proud mother and grandmother of five.