All About Hadiyah Fain

Hadiyah is a passionate and strategic development professional with over 20 years of experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. She began her career in advertising and has worked for Google, DDB Worldwide, and Plug and Play, one of the world’s largest international tech investment firms, among others. Her passion for understanding complex communication and diverse markets has translated into a deep desire to explore all forms of communication, especially in the service of diverse communities.

For nearly a decade, Hadiyah has also supported nonprofits, including serving on the executive leadership team at CityTeam, a national nonprofit focused on homelessness, and launching her own fund for women founders worldwide, called FoundHer, and the Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF). She further honed that passion in a full-time role at Life Services Alternatives, where she has advocated for the IDD population for almost a decade. Her connection to the mission became deeply personal after the birth and loss of her own son with IDD four years ago.

Today, Hadiyah works with corporations, policymakers, elected officials, mass media, and community organizations to drive local, county, and statewide initiatives that change legislation, advocate for inclusive housing, and increase capacity for those who seek to call our community home. Earlier this year, she launched a nationwide campaign dubbed #LeadUsHome, which garnered global media attention for her philanthropic efforts.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County. Earlier this year, Hadiyah was inducted as a Chief member after graduating from the Women Unlimited leadership program, a highly sought-after program for the who’s who of women leaders in Silicon Valley. She is also continuing her education and is currently pursuing credentials through the Wharton School of Business in entrepreneurship, finance, AI, and governance.

Driven by her passion for communication, Hadiyah has recently been learning American Sign Language as a hobby to discover new ways to connect with her team. In her spare time, she enjoys vigorous exercise, light hand-to-hand combat, ministerial service alongside her husband of nearly 20 years, time with their two living children, and community service through their local church. She is also a Pilates instructor at an exclusive club and teaches additional hours at the YMCA.

Hadiyah also produces community events designed for all fitness levels, including a summer series called Pilates, Karate, and Dance in the Park, based in lower-income communities within San Jose city limits. She recently joined the Aspen Advocacy Academy cohort to further her education in policymaking, leadership, and government, while continuing to elevate youth, women, and marginalized communities in leadership through her blog, leadherguide.com, and several podcasts. One of these podcast series, #ABetterMan, focuses on life, love, loss, and grief with her husband.

This spring, Hadiyah will launch her third webinar series starring herself and her husband as they present a love letter to the city they cherish—for the love of God, people, and community—with an emphasis on unity. The series, #LandMarks, will go live in late spring in the hope of inspiring people to #buylocal and help boost the local economy.

Beyond all of her philanthropic and community outreach efforts, Hadiyah’s driving force is rooted in a deep spiritual pursuit of faith in God and her love for Jesus Christ. She and her husband graduated from an international ministerial program, and she is currently pursuing her pastoral credentials through her church, which she is slated to complete in the second half of this year.

Her career began with a simple message: “Go ye into all the world...”