Hagir S. Elsheikh (born January 9, 1977) is an American entrepreneur, human rights advocate, healthcare professional, author, poet, and public speaker. She is the Chairwoman and CEO o
Hagir Network LLCand the founder of multiple organizations, includin
Tomorrow's Smile, Inc.Kareem’s MissionHSE Staffing Agency LLC
an
KMission TV LLC
A survivor of political persecution and gender-based violence in Sudan
Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
, Elsheikh has dedicated her career to advancing refugee rights, autism support, and domestic violence prevention.
In 2025, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters fro
Central Penn College
for her humanitarian advocacy.
Early life and education
Hagir Elsheikh was born and raised in Sudan
Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
. Growing up during periods of political unrest, she became active in the pro-democracy movement from a young age, advocating for democratic reforms against the Al-Bashir regime. Her activism led to her arrest and experiences of torture, ultimately prompting her asylum in the United States in 1998.
In the U.S., Elsheikh pursued higher education at Harrisburg Area Community College
HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, (HACC) is a public community college in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. HACC is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. HACC serves 17,000 degree-seeking students, as well as more ...
, earning an Associate Degree in Nursing.Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University (GCU) is a Private university, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit Christian university in Phoenix, Arizona. The university offers degrees in over 200 areas of study and is administrativel ...
.
Life and career
After completing her nursing education, Elsheikh began her career in healthcare and expanded her work into human rights advocacy and nonprofit leadership.
In 2018, she founde
Tomorrow’s Smile, Inc.
a nonprofit organization supporting survivors of domestic violence. In response to the need for culturally sensitive autism services, she establishe
Kareem’s Mission
to support families affected by autism.
Elsheikh further expanded her impact by launchin
KMission TV LLC
a media platform creating inclusive content focused on autism acceptance, refugee experiences, and human rights advocacy. She is also the host of ''The Hagir Show,'' where she interviews public figures, advocates, and leaders on topics related to democracy, social justice, and disability rights.
HSE Staffing Agency LLC
a non-medical healthcare staffing company, and Autism Care Solutions LLC, specializing in autism-focused home care services. She later established the Kareem’s Mission Autism Support Community Center to provide educational, therapeutic, and community services to children with autism.
Throug
Hagir Network LLC
Elsheikh continues to amplify underrepresented voices, mentor emerging leaders, and produce advocacy-based media content.
Boards and memberships
Elsheikh serves on the Board of Trustees for:
Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition
(TASSC) International
Church World Service
(CWS)
World Affairs Council of Harrisburg
Harrisburg Area Community College
(HACC)
Kareem’s Mission Organization
Tomorrow’s Smile, Inc.
She collaborates with organizations such as:
* United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...
(UNDP)
* Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
* Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC)
Grand Canyon University
Johns Hopkins University
University of Pennsylvania
Dickinson College
Central Penn College
Recognitions and awards
* 2017: "Woman of Influence" – Central Penn Business Journal
Public speaking and media appearances
Elsheikh speaks frequently on human rights, refugee advocacy, autism awareness, domestic violence prevention, and women's empowerment. Her public speaking engagements include appearances at Central Penn College, Rotary Clubs, autism conferences, and women's leadership events across the United States.
She has been featured on media networks including Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is an international broadcasting network funded by the federal government of the United States that by law has editorial independence from the government. It is the largest and oldest of the American internation ...
(VOA), BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
, France 24
France 24 ( in French) is a French state-owned publicly funded international news television network based in Paris. Its channels, broadcast in French, English, Arabic and Spanish, are aimed at the overseas market.
Based in the Paris suburb ...
, Alhurra TV, ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to:
* ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
* ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company
ABC News may a ...
, CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
, TRT World
TRT Global, previously named TRT World, is a Turkish public broadcaster which broadcasts in English 24 hours a day and is operated by the TRT and based in the Ulus quarter of Ankara. It provides worldwide news and current affairs focusing on ...
, Al Arabiya
Arabiya (, transliterated: '; meaning "The Arabic One" or "The Arab One") is a Saudi state-owned international Arabic news television channel. It is based in Riyadh and is a subsidiary of MBC Group.
The channel is a flagship of the media c ...
, Alaraby TV, ART America, WITF-Smart Talk, and others.
Publications
* ''Through Tragedy and Triumph: A Life Well Traveled'' (Memoir, 2020), available on Amazon.
Proceeds from the book support domestic violence survivors through Tomorrow’s Smile and the HSE Second Chance Scholarship at HACC.
Personal life
Elsheikh is the mother of Kareem, whose autism diagnosis inspired her advocacy for neurodiverse children and families. She resides in Pennsylvania and continues to lead initiatives in human rights, refugee advocacy, healthcare access, and social justice education
References
[{{Cite web , title=Simply the Best Community Awards 2019 , url=https://www.cpbj.com/simply-the-best-2019 , website=Central Penn Business Journal , access-date=2025-04-26]
American human rights activists
American women human rights activists
Living people
Sudanese human rights activists
1977 births
Sudanese women activists