Zaynah Qutubuddin

Zaynah joined the foundation in November 2021 as a digital engagement manager focusing on social media and digital content strategy. She also contributes writing to the foundation’s magazines and website. Prior to this role, Zaynah led creative development of training and communications for the environmental, health and safety team at Takeda Pharmaceuticals in Boston, where she lived for a decade. 

In the community, she serves as a program manager for the Highlights Foundation Muslim Storytellers Fellowship, is a co-founder, organizer and the marketing lead for Books for Palestine, a fundraising initiative within the literary community for emergency relief efforts, and is a co-founder and organizer of the RVA Muslim Young Professionals social and networking group. Her past work includes writing for both higher education institutions and design and branding companies. Zaynah brings experience from publishing and as a freelance writer and publicist.

Zaynah earned her M.F.A. in creative fiction writing at Emerson College. She also graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in English and minors in biology and chemistry. She lives in her hometown Richmond. In her spare time, she is working on a debut manuscript for a young adult fantasy novel and loves kickboxing, reading, and traveling.