Mawlana Yousuf Ghouse who was born into the first-world country of the United States, often wondered how starkly different other lived. Mired in poverty with little hope for the future, these people existed in a world apart. Yousuf always knew he wanted to do something to help, he just did not know how or what.

In high school and college, he bandied some of his close friends together, Ali Siddiqui and Bilal Fatani, determined to make some difference. They planned, designed, and networked, but nothing much transpired. He shared long calls with his cousin Fayaaz Mohammed, exchanging somber, stories of poverty and exhilarating stories of good-doers, but remained unsure of how to proceed.

After finishing his undergrad at University of Illinois at Chicago in Math and Economics, he spent a number of years studying Islam at Darul Uloom Zakariyya in Johannesburg, South Africa. This brought him face to face with people from all around the world, many of them impoverished – proving formative in understanding the lived experience of poverty. After returning, he found himself inundated with requests for assistance from many of those he studied with. His mother’s رحمها الله cancer diagnosis and unyielding desire to leave a positive mark proved to be the catalyst, through the grace of Allah. This sparked Brighter Futures Foundation, instantly becoming the conduit that connected the deep-seated desire to help with those who need it.

Mawlana Yousuf currently overseas the operations of Brighter Futures alongside teaching at DarusSalam Seminary in Lombard, IL.

Fayaaz grew up in Atlanta, GA, and completed his hifz at Darul Uloom Atlanta in 2012. Thereafter, he began studying the Islamic studies with local scholars privately while also completing his Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems from Kennesaw State University.

Currently, he is a student at Darul Uloom Online completing his final year of the Dars al-Nizaami curriculum and works as a consultant for a supply chain software company. He is also a founding member of the newly initiated Taybah Academy, an Atlanta-based institute of seeking sacred, Islamic knowledge.

Since joining the Brighter Futures team in 2019, Fayaaz oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization.

Ali has over 11 years of experience leading and consulting cross-functional teams and business partners to develop award-winning learning online products for clients including NASA, the UN, the Gates Foundation, and Google. He has a master's in Education and is currently completing his MBA at the University of Illinois UC.

Ali’s expertise lies in his ability to integrate his degrees in Education and Business Administration with his experiences in Instructional Design and Product Management to create learning solutions and products that have strong, differentiated market value.

When he’s not at work, he enjoys hiking in US National Parks, crafting ceramics, and competing in live storytelling competitions on stages such as NPR’s The Moth.

Since joining the Brighter Futures team in 2019, Ali has been a guiding force in the organization’s direction, outreach, and marketing.

Bilal was born and raised in the Chicagoland area. After graduating high school, he completed his Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and Finance from DePaul University, and since then, he has worked for several Chicago-based companies.

Since joining the Brighter Futures team in 2019, Bilal has overseen the finance and accounting of the organization.