Dr. Mark Kabban is a community organizer, social entrepreneur, and educator with over thirteen years of experience. Dr. Kabban founded Yalla SD, an NGO whose mission is to provide liberatory education for refugee youth in the US. To date, Yalla graduates have earned just over $5 million in college scholarships and served approximately 2500 students-88% of whom have been accepted into four-year universities.
Dr. Kabban has received recognition for his leadership. Do Something.org named him one of the top five best young world-changers, and in 2012, CNN Heroes recognized Dr. Kabban as an International Hero; he has spoken at TEDx twice, been featured on the BBC, UNHCR, NPR, Disney, and ESPN.
During the past several years, Dr. Kabban advised Sesame Workshop on their 200-million dollar Sesame Seeds Refugee initiative, which works to give millions of children in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq the support they need to learn, grow and thrive. Dr. Kabban also helped design a comprehensive, cradle-to-career Montessori school for 900 children in Barrio Logan. Dr. Kabban has earned a master’s in technology and innovation and a doctorate in education leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.