Humaira Ghilzai

Humaira Ghilzai is a writer, speaker, producer and Afghanistan cultural advisor. Humaira co-founded the non-profit Afghan Friends Network and instituted the Sister City relationship between Hayward, California and Ghazni, Afghanistan where she has done extensive work for the past 18 years to improve education for girls, boys, and women.

Humaira is a sought-after cultural expert who has worked with notable professional theatres authors, playwrights, and artists, utilizing her extensive knowledge of Afghan people, culture, religion, and history to bring authenticity to their creative work relating to Afghanistan and the Islamic world. Humaira made her Broadway debut in 2022 with the production of the Kite Runner.

Humaira was born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan but her family fled the country right after the Russian invasion in 1979 and they made the Bay Area their new home. Humaira has traveled to six continents, 37 countries—including a pilgrimage to Mecca. Humaira attended Mills College and San Jose State University and has a degree in International Business. She started her career in high tech giants Sun Microsystems and Oracle Corporation but took a turn towards philanthropy and the arts mid-career. Humaira is a member of MENA Theatre Makers Alliance and the anti-racist cohort, Making Good Trouble, focused on advocating for equity of BIPOC representation in the arts.