Jesse Maroney accepted Islam while serving an 8-year sentence in prison. Upon release, he continued his Islamic studies and became a public speaker. Having 12 years of experience conducting classes within the free community and throughout American penal institutions, Jesse’s goal is to cultivate the underserved and reverse the stigmas surrounding the population.

From Irvine, CA, Amin received a degree in history and political science from UCLA. Having over 10 years of experience working at a Fortune 500 utility company as a senior analyst and team lead, Amin was inspired to utilize his skills to help build Link Outside’s one-of-a-kind inmate programming. Amin feels that through this work, one kind find a deeper appreciation for their own life.

While serving 2 life sentences without the possibility of parole (for a crime he did not commit), Tobias chose to arm himself every day. Not with a weapon but with love. Tobias became an expert in conflict resolution, irrigation/gardening, philosophy, and jurisprudence, to name a few. Tobias has been a vital part of helping Link Outside structure our rehabilitation model and establishing communal and government relationships.

From small town Newtown, CT, Muadh experienced the Sandy Hook Tragedy and since has been passionate about the intersection of digital storytelling and communal development. For the past 2 years at Link Outside, Muadh has helped bring international recognition to the plights of the underserved and mass incarceration within the U.S. by curating and distributing unique content across socials and digital mediums.

Zaid Shakir is a prominent American Muslim scholar and a professor emeritus and board observer of Zaytuna College. He has taught courses in Arabic, Islamic spirituality, contemporary Muslim thought, Islamic history and politics, and Shafi’i fiqh at the College. He speaks and writes on a wide range of topics, and he travels frequently across the United States to support institution-building projects in the Muslim community. In 2007, he was a signatory of the 2007 letter “A Common Word Between Us and You,” an appeal for peace and cooperation between Christians and Muslims, and in 2016, he presided over the public memorial for Muhammad Ali.

Eman has served over 15 years as a highly accomplished community leader, receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Jordan, Amman. She founded the Al-Hedaya Islamic Center in Newtown, CT, and played an instrumental role in building bridges in the community. Eman is also a member of the town’s Interfaith Council. In 2017, Eman was awarded the Ijlal Mohammad Humanitarian Award, “Honoring Positive Examples in The Community.” In 2018 she received the Parental Involvement Recognition Award presented by the State Education Resource Center (SERC) in collaboration with Connecticut Commission on Women and Children and was the guest speaker of the ceremony.