Dr. Dilara Sayeed

“My life and professional experiences have fueled my purpose to fight for equity, quality of life and accountability for all people, but particularly for those in vulnerable and developing communities,” says Dr. Dilara Sayeed, WMC board member.

Born and raised in Chicago, Dilara’s commitment to educating and improving the lives of others has informed her entire career path. She is a former award-winning elementary school teacher (and DuPage County’s first tenured American Muslim teacher), a respected entrepreneur, and a nonprofit leader.

Currently, she is the CEO of vPeer.com, which she founded in 2012.

“To succeed in life, we need access to education, resources, and great mentors that help us get there. vPeer.com is an online peer-to-peer mentoring platform that helps people across the globe ‘match-meet-mentor’ and ultimately have a more profound impact on their profession and their communities,” says Dilara, who has won several accolades for her innovative tech start-up.

Between working as a Chicago area educator and starting her own company, Dilara has also used her skills in a variety of areas. 

“I have learned so much working with the Children’s Defense Fund to disrupt cradle-to-prison pipelines; I have thoroughly enjoyed training teachers and principals in the U.S. and across the globe; and I love staying in teaching by being an adjunct professor at Northwestern University,” she says. “Additionally being a member of WMC's board allows me to support critical issues that everyone faces and where women can lead the change on these issues.”

Oh, and did we mention that Dilara ran as a candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives in March 2018?

“I ran for elected office to shine a light on education, economic security, and gun violence in our state. Although I didn’t win, I am honored that I had the privilege to run, and that I came in second out of four candidates in this historic race. I encourage any woman who has political aspirations to go for it!”