Our Team
Our collective mission is to preserve, produce, and promote Arabic Arts across the San Francisco Bay Area, striving to achieve intercultural solidarity, respect, and understanding through the universal languages of music and the arts.
“I just urge all of you to support the Arts, support the music, and... support the identity of our youth.”
Founders
Haya Shawwa ben Halim
Is a co-founder of Zawaya, having started the organization in 2003 alongside the late Nabila Mango to give the Bay Area Arab community a creative and musical voice. An artist and writer at heart, she is widely recognized as a dedicated torchbearer of Arab high culture. She studied fine arts, fashion, and jewelry design across prestigious local institutions, including UC Berkeley and the California College of the Arts. In addition to her foundational work building Zawaya, she has long shared her creative eye as an artistic advisor for San Francisco's Presidio Dance Theater. Her enduring commitment to cultural preservation and her deep passion for the fine arts continue to shape and inspire the soul of the Zawaya family.
Shaden Alamleh
Board of Directors
Brings over eight years of experience in human resources, talent operations, and culture building to the Zawaya Board. As a certified SHRM-CP professional, she loves creating inclusive spaces and using her organizational skills to champion creative expression and cultural heritage. Originally from Ramallah, Palestine, she studied political science and international relations at Montana State University-Bozeman. Her lifelong commitment to community engagement truly guides her leadership and advocacy within the arts, making her a perfect fit for the Zawaya family.
Ali
Brings a beautiful mix of scientific brilliance and musical passion to the Zawaya Board. Known to many in the Bay Area as a leading soloist for Aswat, Zawaya’s flagship ensemble, she has spent years sharing the warmth and heritage of Arabic music. When she isn't on stage, she works as a Scientist in Discovery Oncology at Genentech, holding a PhD from UC Berkeley and a Master's from the American University of Beirut. She is thrilled to help guide Zawaya’s mission, bridging her love for community, culture, and the arts.
Nabila Mango
(1944–2023)
Was the co-founder and eternal guiding light of Zawaya, which she started alongside Haya Shawwa ben Halim to celebrate and preserve Arab cultural identity. A proud Palestinian woman, she dedicated her life to humanizing Palestine and creating a safe, musical haven for Middle Eastern artists in the Bay Area. She wore many hats, pouring her wisdom into others as a psychotherapist, an Arabic language teacher, and a former academic librarian at Harvard. Her fierce love for her heritage also led her to help launch Zawaya's flagship Aswat Ensemble. Though she passed away in 2023, she leaves behind an extraordinary, lasting legacy as a beloved mentor, culture keeper, and community builder.
Duraid Musleh
Serves as the President of the Board for Zawaya, bringing a deep, lifelong dedication to the Bay Area's Arab-American cultural community. An American-Palestinian activist at heart, he worked closely alongside Zawaya's late co-founder Nabila Mango to establish a welcoming space for artistic preservation and immigrant solidarity. When he isn’t steering Zawaya's strategic mission or supporting the Aswat Ensemble, he leverages his extensive background as a software development manager and tech professional in San Francisco. He is incredibly proud to guide the Zawaya family, using his operational expertise to keep our creative heritage thriving for generations to come.
Rana Mroue
Brings a beautiful mix of scientific brilliance and musical passion to the Zawaya Board. Known to many in the Bay Area as a leading soloist for Aswat, Zawaya’s flagship ensemble, she has spent years sharing the warmth and heritage of Arabic music. When she isn't on stage, she works as a Scientist in Discovery Oncology at Genentech, holding a PhD from UC Berkeley and a Master's from the American University of Beirut. She is thrilled to help guide Zawaya’s mission, bridging her love for community, culture, and the arts.