Maryam Abolfazli, activist and community leader

For more than two decades, native Tennessean Maryam Abolfazli has been a leader in economic development and the nonprofit sector.

Then in 2023, after the Covenant School shooting tragedy, she became a leading voice among gun safety organizers — so much so that she ran for Congress in 2024. Today we sit down with Abolfazli to learn what it’s like to run for office at the federal level and what single-parenting in the modern world is like for her. Plus, as founder of the non-profit Rise and Shine TN, she shares her thoughts about the future of her city, state and country.

Further Reading

• Maryam Abolfazli encourages hope, love in time of ‘bitter anger’ (WPLN)
• Opinion: Meet Maryam Abolfazli, Democratic nominee for Tennessee U.S. House, District 5 (Tennessean)
• Nashvillians of the Year: The Gun Safety Advocates (Nashville Scene)