Values

Helping Others

A Path to Equity and Opportunity

Helping others has always been a constant in Tazeen Ahmad’s life. Strengthening the community and making it more inclusive, supportive, and prosperous remains at the heart of everything she does. She is not new to the work of organizing and advocating, Tazeen has spent decades as a grassroots organizer, community advocate, and nonprofit leader, focused on issues such as food insecurity, affordable housing, women’s rights, and economic justice.

Through her experience in both the nonprofit and business worlds, Tazeen understands that economic growth is central to Maryland’s ability to provide for its residents, especially in District 16. She believes a strong, inclusive economy is essential to sustaining vital programs and protecting our communities, particularly in the face of uncertain federal leadership. As Delegate, she will work to ensure Maryland remains open and welcoming to businesses both large and small, creating new opportunities for working families across the state.

Advocacy in Action

Standing firm to support every Marylander

Tazeen doesn’t just talk about change, she puts in the work. In 2019, she co-founded the Up 2 Us Foundation with her daughter, Marium, after Marium, a school counselor, noticed many students coming to school hungry. What began as a grassroots effort in their garage, packing food bags for local families, grew into a fully operational food distribution center in Wheaton Mall during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Maryland-based nonprofit partnered with over 30 organizations, including churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, nonprofits like MANNA Foods, and government agencies such as MCPS and DHHS from 2020 to 2023.

As a passionate fighter against hunger, Tazeen will continue advocating for policies that ensure every Marylander can put food on the table. She will also push for stronger protections for survivors of domestic violence and invest in community support systems across the state.

At a time when racism and intolerance are on the rise, Tazeen will stand firmly in defense of civil liberties. She is committed to fighting hate, bigotry, and discrimination in all forms,protecting LGBTQIA+ and trans individuals, and confronting anti semitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of bias.

Above all, Tazeen will be an accessible, empathetic, and responsive leader—ready to listen, understand her constituents' concerns, and work toward common-sense solutions to the challenges that matter most.