Najah Bazzy

Najah Bazzy
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
(Honoris Causa)
Oakland University
William Beaumont School of Medicine
Founder & CEO, Zaman International

Najah Bazzy is a humanitarian leader, nurse, author, and internationally recognized advocate for women, children, and families experiencing poverty. She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zaman International, a Michigan-based humanitarian organization she launched in the late 1990s after witnessing firsthand how systems routinely fail the most vulnerable.

Under her leadership, Zaman International has grown from a grassroots effort into a nationally respected nonprofit that has now served more than 6 million people globally and over 600,000 individuals across Southeast Michigan. Zaman is known for its innovative, wrap-around model that addresses poverty at its roots by integrating emergency assistance, workforce development, education, health access, and social enterprise.

Najah is widely regarded for her innovative and systems-level thinking. Rather than treating poverty as a temporary crisis, she designs sustainable solutions that restore dignity and long-term stability. Her leadership has resulted in the creation of award-winning social enterprises and programs that meet urgent needs while building economic independence, particularly for women and families navigating generational poverty.

A registered nurse by training, Najah’s approach to humanitarian work is deeply informed by ethics, compassion, and lived experience. Her early career in healthcare exposed her to profound injustices surrounding end-of-life care, infant loss, and marginalized communities—experiences that became catalysts for her lifelong mission. She is known for bridging professional expertise with moral courage, often stepping beyond institutional norms to advocate for what is right.

Najah’s work and voice have been recognized nationally and internationally. She is a CNN Hero, has been named one of USA Today’s Women of the Year, inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame, and recognized as a Top Muslim Woman Thought Leader. Her work has been featured in People Magazine, Glamour, The New York Times, and the PBS documentary Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet, which continues to be shown in universities and outlets worldwide.

In addition to her humanitarian leadership, Najah is a sought-after public speaker, educator, and mentor. She lectures at universities, faith institutions, and global forums on compassionate leadership, poverty alleviation, ethical decision-making, and the human cost of systemic neglect. She is currently authoring a memoir exploring leadership, faith, and service at the margins.

At the heart of Najah’s work is a simple but radical belief: poverty is not a lack of character—it is a failure of systems. Through Zaman International, she continues to reimagine what is possible when innovation, faith, integrity, and human dignity are placed at the center of service.