ABOUT US
OUR GOALS
The Brigade of Mercy (BOM) is an impartial, neutral nonprofit that serves people of all races, nationalities, religions and genders. Our mission is to provide charitable humanitarian relief to the destitute, homeless, orphans, refugees, and victims of war and other calamities. Charitable humanitarian assistance includes: food, clothing, medicine, toiletries, toys, educational materials and other items as needed. BOM strives to empower all, including women and children, to lead a life with dignity and honor. We provide immediate relief to people who have limited or no access to resources to stay alive, safe, and healthy. We strive to have an impact locally and globally, as our work has no boundaries. We are here to change the world.
OUR STORY
BOM is the product of a vision that took a few decades to come to life. Our founder, Ambreen Rizvi, was born in Pakistan and later moved to Paris, France when she was two years old. Throughout her childhood and adulthood, she has travelled around the world, encountering people from different economic backgrounds. The people she has met have come with different stories that have touched her heart. As Ambreen settled in the U.S. after attending college, she began volunteering in her community and donating her time. She found meaning in helping people in distress regardless of race, religion, and gender. After making several personal decisions and realizing that her successful career lacked what she loved most, she started a new chapter in her life: The Brigade of Mercy.
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BOM invites you to join us on the journey to provide everyone with a life of hope and dignity.
OUR TEAM
Ambreen Rizvi
Founder & President
Ambreen Rizvi has over 20 years of experience in risk management and regulatory relations in financial services including Fannie Mae, Capital One and Navy Federal Credit Union. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Relations from Mount Holyoke College, and a Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate from Georgetown University. Ambreen grew up in Paris, France while her father was posted in Interpol. Ambreen is fluent in English, French and Urdu. She is also on the board of a few local charities and is a proud Rotarian/ Past President of her local Rotary club. She is an avid world traveler and a true humanitarian at heart.
Hadi Reza
Treasurer
Hadi Reza is a seasoned program management executive. He brings over 30 years of experience leading programs and projects in the financial services industry. His background includes assisting and providing consulting services to the top 20 firms in the Fortune 500. Leveraging technology to develop efficient solutions for financial clients is his passion. Over half of his industry experience is related to housing needs and community development needs in the U.S. Making the world free of poverty is his desire. Hadi is a graduate of San Diego State University's School of Business Administration and Information Systems.
Arshia Arastu
Secretary
​Arshia Arastu is a regulatory professional supporting large global clinical trial portfolios in infectious diseases for government clients, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her previous experience includes working as a Production Scientist and Quality Assurance liaison in the field of biotechnology. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Leadership and Organizational Studies at the University of Detroit Mercy. Arshia has a passion for service towards others. She has previously been involved in hosting educational sessions at emergency housing (for children in homes of crisis) and at primary schools in the disadvantaged areas of Detroit.
Dana Saif
Board Member
Dana Saif, EML is the founder and executive director at the International Language Academy of Washington D.C "ILA".Dana has more than 16 years of experience in leadership, academic management, accreditation compliance, writing, and broadcast journalism. She completed her Master's degree from Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business in Leadership with a special focus on female leadership.
Maleeha Hasan
Board Member
Maleeha Hasan works as a functional analyst at CACI, Inc. She was born in Pakistan and lived there for 19 years. After obtaining a Bachelor degree in Commerce and Economics, she moved to the U.S. in 1995. In 1999, she received a degree in Business Management with concentration in Marketing from San Jose State University in San Jose, California. She is fluent in English and Urdu. Maleeha loves to travel the world and explore different cultures. She strongly believes in changing the world one small step at a time.
Morris Thompson
Board Member
Morris Thompson brings over 35 years of experience in risk management and banking. His background includes working with the U.S. Treasury Department and Fortune 500 companies including KPMG and Capital One. He is currently the Founder and President of Source Capital Financial, a financing company offering financing options needed to meet all challenges of today's market. Morris has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Information Systems from Cleveland State University.
Dr. Suzanne Le Menestrel
Board Member
Dr. Suzanne Le Menestrel brings over 20 years of public- and private-sector experience as a developmental psychologist and program evaluation expert. Currently, Suzanne serves as senior program officer with the Board on Children, Youth, and Families at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine where her responsibilities have included directing four consensus studies focused on children and youth birth to age 18. Prior to her tenure at the National Academies, Suzanne was founding national program leader for youth development research at 4-H National Headquarters, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Before that, she served as research director in the Academy for Educational Development’s Center for Youth Development and Policy Research and was a research associate at Child Trends. Suzanne has published in numerous refereed journals and was a founder of Journal of Youth Development: Bridging Research and Practice and chaired its publications committee. Suzanne holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State University, a B.S. in Psychology from St. Lawrence University, and a nonprofit management executive certificate from Georgetown University. Suzanne is an active volunteer in the Washington, DC area community and at the national level and currently serves as the elected chair of the McLean Community Center Governing Board.