Tasreen Khamisa

Tasreen Khamisa is the Executive Director for the Tariq Khamisa Foundation (TKF). TKF is a San Diego nonprofit with a mission to educate and inspire children in the restorative principles of accountability, compassion, forgiveness, peacemaking and support for safer schools and community. For over twenty-five years, TKF has partnered with over 400 schools and numerous public and private community organizations to successfully reach more than 1,000,000 children to guide them in making healthy, nonviolent choices. TKF’s innovative services promote learning through forgiveness and are proven effective in positively impacting youth’s behaviors, increasing their educational opportunities, and improving school climate.

In 1995, Tasreen’s life was forever changed when her younger brother Tariq, a twenty-year-old student at San Diego State University, was murdered during a gang-involved robbery. In an act of deep compassion, her family chose to forgive the fourteen year-old assailant, Tony Hicks who was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Her father, Azim Khamisa, saw there were victims on both ends of the gun and he began the foundation in an effort to stop youth violence. Tasreen relocated from Seattle, WA in 1998 to join her father in creating an organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children. Tasreen played a vital part in the release of Tony from prison.

Tasreen is a respected administrator and social justice leader with a BA is Sociology from the University of Washington. She has twenty years of administrative experience in program management, daily operational oversight, staffing and supervision, fiscal control, and board development. She is highly skilled in resource development strategies including donor outreach and management, fundraising, public relations, and donation database systems. As an educator, Tasreen is a dynamic public speaker and facilitator. She has excellent presentation skills with experience in conducting seminars, workshops, and training activities with children and adults. She has been instrumental in the development of educational programming designed to teach and support healthy social-emotional development especially with vulnerable youth populations.

In 2016, Tasreen presented with the Coalition for Restorative Schools at the White House and is driven to introduce and expand effective restorative practice programs in schools across the state.  She is a member of the San Diego District Attorney’s Community Advisory Board, Compassionate San Diego, San Diego Rotary where she chairs the Peace Committee. She was recently named one of the Daily Transcripts Influential Women and is a Moxie Award winner.

Tasreen is a proud mom of 3 kids, Shahin, Khalil and Miya.  Through her commitment, perseverance, and leadership qualities, Ms. Khamisa has led TKF in becoming a nationally acclaimed and recognized organization. Being true to her brother Tariq’s philosophy of “living by giving,” Tasreen has found her path of forgiveness, joy, love and peace by living her passionate purpose to serve children.