Our Founding Story

Abdullahi Abdulle Founder & CEO

Humanize MN was founded by Abdullahi Abdulle, a multilingual transportation planner, military veteran, and accomplished public leader recognized for his ability to meaningfully engage underserved communities in policy, planning, and project delivery. As the first person of color elected to the New Brighton City Council, Abdullahi has built a career on ensuring that the voices of those most impacted by government decisions are heard, respected, and centered.

Abdullahi’s passion for human-centered public service is deeply rooted in his own lived experience. After immigrating to the United States as a young man, he navigated the complexities of government systems while relying heavily on public transit, long commutes, and the generosity of others. These early challenges revealed how profoundly transportation—and the lack of access to it—shapes opportunity, dignity, and quality of life for immigrant, low-wealth, and overburdened communities. This understanding ultimately propelled him into a career in transportation and urban planning, where he could help reshape systems to better serve people.

Before founding Humanize MN, Abdullahi led major statewide equity efforts for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, including spearheading the Advancing Transportation Equity Initiative. His leadership helped define what transportation equity means in Minnesota, established agency-wide commitments, and brought long-neglected community experiences and systemic harms to the forefront of state planning.

Humanize MN was created to carry this work forward. Abdullahi founded the firm to help public agencies design services and engagement processes that center on human dignity, especially for communities that have historically been excluded from decision-making conversations. His mission is simple and enduring: to ensure that government decisions reflect the lived experiences of those with the least power, and to help build transportation and public systems that truly work for everyone.

In 2020, Abdullahi became the first person of color elected to the New Brighton City Council. His leadership has been recognized with honors, including the Community Service Legacy Award, the Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award, and the History Makers at Home Award, among others.