Meymuna Hussein-Cattan

Tiyya Foundation

Founder & CEO

Meymuna Hussein-Cattan is the founder and CEO of the Tiyya Foundation, a Southern California-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting refugees, asylum seekers and low-income immigrants through housing, employment and community integration services. Drawing from her own early experience as a refugee, she has spent over a decade building programs that fill critical service gaps after government aid ends, enabling displaced families not just to survive but thrive. Under Hussein-Cattan’s leadership, Tiyya has become known for its innovative, culturally responsive programs, including Flavors from Afar, a social enterprise restaurant staffed by refugee chefs that earned a third Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024. Her work emphasizes empowerment, healing and cultural pride while shifting public narratives around refugee communities. Her efforts have earned her national accolades such as the 2024 L’Oréal Paris Woman of Worth award and a feature in Orange Coast Magazine’s Kickass Women list. In 2025, Hussein-Cattan expanded Tiyya’s partnerships with over a dozen foundations, deepening its countywide reach and impact.