THE NIYA TEAM

Saira Rasheed - Co-Founder

Salaam Everyone! I’m an ER nurse, currently pursuing my Nurse Practitioner degree, Personal trainer, and Program Director for a local Muslim community organization. My journey to health was not easy —I struggled with being overweight and undisciplined with little motivation to change, but I decided to take control of my life by diving into research and education about fitness and wellness. Through that self-discovery, I developed a deep love for living a healthy, balanced lifestyle which included becoming physically and mentally stronger.

For me, health is no longer just a part of my life; it’s the foundation of everything I do. From hiking Mountains to weightlifting, boxing, running, and competing in volleyball tournaments I’ve learned that wellness is a holistic journey that touches every aspect of life. Nutrition plays a huge role in this, and I aim to incorporate health in every food choice I make.

What drives me more than anything is my love for community work and giving back. NIYA was born from this desire—to create a space where we can grow, learn, and support each other as women on this wellness journey. My hope is to help you feel empowered to live with intention, build strength inside and out, and rise alongside a strong community of sisters.

Abeer Bilqees - Co-Founder

Salam ya’ll! I’m a Pakistani, first-generation immigrant born in Karachi and raised in Rogers Park, Chicago. I graduated in healthcare administration and currently work as a full-time healthcare consultant while also being involved with multiple community-building and non-profit fundraising initiatives. 

My love for staying active began way back in elementary and high school when I joined my first cross country, track, and tennis sports teams. The feeling of competing, challenging myself to break personal records, and cheering on my fellow teammates was irreplaceable, and I continued playing different sports recreationally throughout undergrad in intramural and community league teams. 

Although I’ve stayed active since I was young, I always fell short on my nutrition and dietary habits avoiding most fruits and vegetables at all costs. These habits slowly began to catch up, causing several issues such as a lack of energy, slow metabolism, and constant mood swings. I knew it was time to make a lifestyle change and what helped me most during this process was reshifting my intentions and realizing my body is an amanah (responsibility) from Allah and I should nourish and keep it at its optimal state in every way. 

I began to care more about how my body felt rather than the way it looked and this transformative mindset, one that’s helped me stay consistent and disciplined with my healthy habits, is what I hope to spread and have women in the NIYA community adopt to unlock the best, healthiest versions of themselves.