Our team
Meet our team
staff
Raihanna Shamsudin
Volunteer
Raihanna is a junior at Montville Township High School in NJ. She joined ACAA to proudly represent her Uzbek heritage and give a voice to her community. She has worked as a volunteer for over a year and is currently spending her summer as an intern. At school, Raihanna is an active member of the Speech & Debate team, where she competes in Public Forum (PF) debate alongside her friends. She is also passionate about running, and is a varsity runner for her school’s cross country team. In her free time, she enjoys playing guitar, reading, and hanging out with her friends!
Ayde Amir
Founding Executive Director of ACAA
Ayde Amir is the Founding Executive Director of ACAA. She received her Bachelor's degree from Princeton University in Neuroscience. Ayde was born in Kyrgyzstan but grew up in NYC. As a student, she felt the lack of representation and support for Central Asians in education, so through ACAA, Ayde aims to let Central Asian students know they are seen and that there is an organization that promotes their interests. Her goal is to build a future where Central Asians are represented and looked after just like any other ethnic group. As the executive director, Ayde is involved and helps out in every department and project. With six years of experience in clinical and neuroscience research, Ayde leads the production and publication of the first-ever community assessment of Central Asians in the U.S.
Annabel Amir
Co-founder, Director of Social Work and Mental Health
Annabel Amir, founder of Annabel Counseling Services. Annabel Amir is a licensed clinical social worker who has served as a social worker for eight years, a psychotherapist for six years, and an applied behavioral analyst for three years. As the only Russian, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, and Uzbek-speaking mental health provider in the New York City metropolitan area, Annabel works extensively with vulnerable populations from Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Brooklyn's mental health and legal professionals frequently seek her cultural expertise and services. Annabel specializes in helping with issues faced by the LGBTQIA community, immigrants, and victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and political persecution. At ACAA, Annabel provides cultural consulting, social work case management, and free psychotherapy services.
Adam Bakyt
Accounting Consultant
Adam Bakyt, a student at Brooklyn College in the Accounting department, provides financial advising and accounting services. He also participates in campus outreach at his college to spread awareness of the availability of ACAA's resources and programs.
Myat Khaing
Case Manager, Research Intern
Myat Khaing, a recent Hunter graduate with a degree in cognitive psychology, helps two of our social workers with case management through administrative work and research. Myat also aids one of our Staff members, Muzhda Nazrieva, in filing legal applications. Myat is passionate about mental health and making it accessible to anybody in need.
Maxwell Kohutich
Volunteer
Maxwell Kohutich received a Bachelor of Science in Finance at the Stevens Institute of Technology. Upon graduation, he worked as a Cost Consultant in New York City on commercial interior renovations, among other construction projects. Outside work, he has supported the 'Free Kazakhs,' a group developing documents and arguments to support United States federal policies on Kazakh-US relations. At ACAA, Max supports internal organizational operations, including secretary duties, marketing, grant writing, and strategy.
Madina Bagdatova
Volunteer
Madina Bagdatova, currently lives in NY and was born and raised in Kazakhstan. She works in operational risk management at CIBC Bank USA. Enjoys dancing and doing yoga. She is passionate about helping people. At ACAA, she supports internal organizational operations, including secretary duties, marketing, and event management.
Akmaral Mussayeva
Volunteer
Akmaral Mussayeva, is a finance specialist with more than 10 years of experience and a diverse background in law, economics, and information technology. Akmaral is a community leader and at ACAA, she supports internal organizational operations, including community engagement.
board
Muzhda Nazrieva
Board member
Muzhda Nazrieva was born and grew up in Tajikistan. After personally experiencing domestic violence, she helped found ACAA to support women within her community facing a similar situation. Her aim is to raise cultural awareness of women's rights and domestic violence within the Central Asian community. She received her education in linguistics and is a trained paralegal. She is the owner of a travel service called, Luft Travel Inc. She is an active leader and event organizer within the Tajik community. She helps out ACAA by providing paralegal services free of charge.
Rohan Gupta
Board member
Rohan Gupta is a Princeton graduate in molecular biology with a master's in Drug and Development from Drexel University. In college, Rohan learned about Central Asians by participating in the Society of Russian Language and Culture. Since then, he has been interested in learning more and helping the community.
Bakhtiyori Khuseynzoda
Board member
Bakhtiyori Khuseynzoda has an education in economics. He grew up in Kazakhstan and is well-connected to the community. Bakht is the owner of Baxter Cargo. INC. He is passionate about helping people, so he tries to use his resources to contribute to the community.