Meet the Creative Team

Black and white portrait of a Syed Yaqeen, the founder of the American Muslim Experience organization.

Our Founder, Syed Yaqeen

Syed Yaqeen is a Bangladeshi-born American documentary photographer and the visionary behind the American Muslim Experience.

He grew up in Queens, NY and has more than 15 years of professional experience. Syed’s initial professional focus was on editorials and fashion photography. In 2018 he diversified into documentary projects and nonprofit promotions. Creating images resulting in social impacts, Syed’s early notable projects included documenting an emergency medical team in Nepal, creating portraits for the “Muslims for American Progress” project by ISPU, and documenting the humanitarian efforts of NYC nonprofits aiding vulnerable communities during the pandemic.

Syed’s portrait work earned him a month-long solo exhibition at the NYPL Mulberry St and his editorial work got him recognition as one of NYC’s “Best 10 Editorial Photographers”. His portrait images have been exhibited at prestigious institutions like Rutgers University and the Ford Performing Arts Center and featured in multiple publications.

In 2020, he was inspired to explore the nuances of Muslim communities in the USA through his "American Muslim Experience" photo-documentary. In 2024, he launched the nonprofit as an expansion of the photo documentary and broadened the scope of work to feature more artists, creatives, and documentarians. In the summer of 2024, the work was selected as one of a limited body of work featured in the prestigious Photoville Festival.

Mentors

  • Jim and Ed anderson ranch arts center

    Anderson Ranch Mentors

    JAMES ESTRIN & ED KASHI

    Famed photojournalists and editors James Estrin and Ed Kashi have been co-mentors to AME through the Anderson Ranch Arts Center’s 3-year intensive Advanced Mentored Studies: Visual Storytelling and Documentary Photography Projects.

  • Black and white portrait of Wildfire Media board chair John Anderson

    Wildfire Media Mentor

    JOHN ANDERSON

    Visual media editor and entrepreneur John Anderson has been a mentor for AME on nonprofit and storytelling development. John is the board chair of Wildfire Media, which is the fiscal sponsorship of AME.

  • Parris Wittingham

    Parris Whittingham has been a supporter and collaborator of AME since the early days. Parris is a Creative Director and Interdisciplinary Artist and owner of DREAM! Studio.

  • Erum Rizvi

    Award-winning photographer and educator Erum Rizvi was one of the first supporters and editors of the AME body of work. Erum is also a StellaPro Lights and Aftershoot AI Ambassador.

Supporters & Collaborators

  • Photoville

    AME was selected as a featured exhibit for the annual photography festival in 2024. More than 1,000,000 visitorsengaged with our free and public exhibitions in the five boroughs, showcasing the incredible work of over 200 artists, collaborating with partners including The New York Times, National Geographic, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Alice Austen House, Doctors Without Borders, Magnum Foundation, Pulitzer Center, and more.

  • Wildfire Media

    Wildfire Media is an Oregon-based 501c3 charity dedicated to transforming lives through documentary media. Their mission involves collaboration towards a more empowered, informed, and equitable world with individuals and nonprofits alike. AME proudly has a fiscal sponsorship from Wildfire and all donations through them go to support our efforts. Wildfire’s EIN is 47-5438716.

  • Momenta Creative

    The consulting team at Momenta Creative is assisting us in developing and expanding our programs to include more educational and publication-focused offerings. Likewise, their team has been working in tandem with Wildfire Media to support the build and creation of fundraising and grant writing support materials.

Join our movement.

We are always looking for passionate storytellers, dedicated volunteers, and educational partners to help us share the diverse stories of American Muslims and foster greater cultural understanding.

Email us to learn how you can use your skills on our team and make a meaningful impact with your talents!

Portrait of Lourdes Loyola also know as @muslim_sarge in US Army uniform wearing hijab, standing in forested area.
Young Muslim teenage girl sits near her Milwaukee tool boxes and robotics set up.
Portait of a black American Muslim man with glasses wearing a blue suit and patterned shirt

Support our mission with a tax deductible donation.

A young women, wearing glasses and a headscarf, hold a metal bucket full of grain near a haystack in her field with a cow in the frame.

  • Yes! We have nonprofit status through a fiscal sponsorship from Wildfire Media, an Oregon-based 501c3 charity (EIN is 47-5438716).

    Wildfire Media is dedicated to transforming lives through documentary media, inviting collaboration towards a more empowered, informed, and equitable world.

  • Donations support the creation of photographic, audio, and multimedia products as well as our educational programs, publications, and outreach efforts.

  • Please use this form to donate through our nonprofit fiscal sponsor, Wildfire Media, to make a tax-deductible donation that will go precisely to support our programs. In the memo, please list The American Muslim Experience.