Highly dedicated, innovative, and goal-driven, Anab Gulaid is a spearheading Public Health/Community Development Leader and Entrepreneur with over 25 years of professional experience. As the Founder and President of AG Consulting & Media, she leverages her extensive and diverse background within the public, higher education, and nonprofit sectors to cultivate positive transformational impacts within individuals and for society as a whole.

Currently based in Minnesota, Anab was born and raised in Somalia and was the youngest of 11 children. During the Civil War, she and her family migrated to Toronto, Canada, and the cultural adaptation and country transition processes were certainly a challenging time in her life.

However, her commitment, resilience, integrity, and boldness are what positioned her to succeed through it. With this perseverant mindset, Anab not only improved her own life but devoted herself to support others in reaching their personal and professional objectives, a drive instilled by her parents.

Fast forward to today, Anab earned a Public Health and Occupational Health degree from Ryerson University in 1998, a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs in 2010, received her Certificate of Disability Policy and Services from the University of Minnesota, was awarded a prestigious Bush Leadership Fellowship, and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. from University of Minnesota. In addition, she is the first Somali woman to hold the highest office in the current State Administration in Minnesota and serves on the board of Park-Nicollet Foundation, which is one of the largest health organizations in the state.

With her educational foundation and rooted passion, Anab has built an impressive resume for herself, shaping her to become the empowering Somalis leader that she is today.

Prior to becoming the Founder and President of AG Consulting, Anab Founded and performed as the Executive Director of the nonprofit organization, Eftin, worked as a Health Educator at Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health, and later became a Researcher, Communications, and Community Engagement Director for the MN ADDM Project, Institute on Integration at the University of Minnesota.

After that, she held the role as the Former Deputy Assistant Commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Though she has led and developed several community advancements, some of her highlighted accomplishments include playing an integral role in the first-ever Autism Prevalence study in the Somali community, leading federal funding efforts to continue this work and extend its reach.

Along with this, Anab also held a leadership role to help reduce vaccine hesitancy in the Somali community during the Measles outbreak and is currently leading messaging and education movements related to the COVID-19 vaccine through Dakota County.

Though Anab’s successes to date are exceptional reflections of why she has become a nationally sought-after consultant, her professional pursuits did not end there.

She has done a large amount of speaking and publishing work throughout her career and has a prevalent history of presenting at national conferences and televised platforms. She was a community faculty for the MN LEND project and co-taught two classes as a lecturer at the School of Public Health Summer Institute.

Simultaneously, Anab co-authored numerous articles, a book chapter, curriculums, and several technical reports, and looks forward to continuing her speaking and publishing efforts for the foreseeable future. Nothing makes Anab happier than leveraging her experiences, perspectives, and voice to make lasting differences on a global scale.

She has a true passion for her career and her community contributions and demonstrates that through her continuous professional, qualified, and empathetic services that have been recognized by reputable media organizations such as MPR, Associated Press, and Sahal Journal. Overall, Anab has orchestrated impeccable movements and influencing shifts throughout her life and career and has no plans on stopping any time soon.

Though Anab loves what she does and is strongly inspired by her four children to keep pushing and advocating, when she is not working, you can often find her spending time with her kids and husband whom she married in the year 2000, enjoying the company of her friends, walking, watching movies, and in the kitchen trying out new recipes.

Current and Former Community Advisory and Activities

• Park Nicollet Foundation (2019-Present)
• Founding Member and previous Chair of Somali Health Coalition
• AUCD Multicultural Communities Member and ICI representative (2016-2018)
• Skills Uniquely Marketable in Technology (Fall of 2017)
• National Advisory Committee for the Diversity and Inclusion Training Action Plan (2016-2017)
• Reinventing Quality 2016 Conference Strand Chair (2015 and 2017)
• Minnesota Department of Health Somali Public Health Advisor (2014-2017)
• Minnesota Department of Education, Special Education Electronic System Work Group (2013)
• Minnesota Department of Education Somali Parent Engagement Conference Planning Committee (2013-2014)
• Community Advisory Committee (CAC), Cancer Related Health Disparities, Education and Career
• Development Program, National Cancer Institute (2012-2017)
• Community Health Improvement Plan for Hennepin County Residents Leadership Group, Steering Committee (2012)