Dr. Shamim Ibrahim is a psychologist, educator, and community activist. She is a pioneer in actively working for the well-being and uplift of the Muslim, South Asian, and Middle Eastern communities in Los Angeles and nationwide. She founded the Niswa Association, a Family Resource Center, in 1990 to fill a void in services available to local immigrant and minority communities. Niswa's mission is to encourage optimum family functioning. Niswa is committed to helping underserved Muslims and other minority communities by providing culturally and linguistically competent case management, referral, crisis intervention, domestic violence shelter, and preventative health education. Although Niswa was established to help the Muslim community, aid is extended to all individuals who qualify, regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity.

Dr. Shamim Ibrahim immigrated to the U.S. in 1971 with her family and settled in Southern California. While applying for jobs, she volunteered at Harbor UCLA Child Psychiatry Clinic but left for Nevada before obtaining any job funding. She accepted the position of counselor for students and Assistant Foreign Student advisor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She returned to Souther California after getting a job offer as a School Psychologist at LAUSD. She worked in the position for 25 years and, after retirement, was rehired as Coordinator of the California Department of Education, Healthy Start Program. The general mission of the Healthy Start program was to help improve the academic achievement of California students. By collaborating with community agencies, school staff, and parents, she designed a program with a focus on the whole child, addressing mental health students and parents were able to avail of free counseling on campus- physical health, gang prevention, and parent education were some components. Her concern for youth led her to found another non-profit organization, Aasra which helps students from elementary to college levels, with tuition, scholarship book expenses, clothing, food, and other needs.

Shamim is an optimist and an activist in the service of the community. She keeps busy reaching out and building bridges between communities for better understanding.