Inayatiyya Infrastructure Staff

Jennifer Alia Wittman
Executive Director

Jennifer Alia Wittman has an extensive background founding, stabilizing, growing and advancing nonprofit organizations and small businesses. She has served as the Inayatiyya’s Executive Director since 2014.

Prior to her work with the Inayatiyya, Alia was a leader within the National Service movement in the United States, helping establish AmeriCorps in the state of Maryland. After that she served as Executive Director of Hands on Baltimore, a volunteer organization dedicated to working with every segment of Baltimore’s community, from grassroots organizers to corporate leadership, to better the city and its people.

After years of such service, Alia turned to helping organizations build administrative and operational capacity. She has served as General Manager of Suluk Press correcting a financial downturn, managed the start-up of Seven Pillars House of Wisdom, a modern-day wisdom collaborative engaging an inspiring group of leading thinkers, and contracted with many groups to help during times of transition and reorganization. Alia lives in Richmond, Virginia.

 

Kenneth Sparks
Director of Operations

Kenneth Sparks is a seasoned professional, with over 20 years of administrative, human resources, and operations experience. He has worked with corporations, nonprofits, and small business on many levels. Kenneth has had extensive training in customer service, logistics, and time management. He has used this training to play a key role in supporting organizational growth and success in his past positions. Kenneth was born and raised in New York City, and received his education in Business Administration. He and his family have been residents of Virginia since early 2016. Kenneth is excited to bring his skills and experience to the Inayatiyya here in Richmond.

If you would like to reach Kenneth about the Astana facilities, human resources, internet technology, and on-site program logistics, please email [email protected].

 

Joshua Octaviani
Executive Assistant & Front Desk Manager

Joshua Octaviani is an administrative professional with extensive experience working in the nonprofit sector, from small to large-sized organizations. Beyond this, he also has experience founding and growing independent all-volunteer community organizations in the Richmond area. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the College of William and Mary. Outside of his professional life, Joshua actively nurtures and develops an incredibly wide range of personal interests and practices.

If you have questions about upcoming events, joining our email list, and/or anything else at all, Josh can be reached at our main email address, [email protected]. For questions about donations or accounts payable/receivable, please email [email protected].

 

Tajalli Roselli
Special Assistant to The Pir

Tajalli Roselli was initiated into the Inayatiyya in 2012, and is a graduate of the Suluk Academy (Gulzar). She earned a Master’s Degree in Theology before becoming an attorney. She has practiced immigration law for over 20 years focusing on asylum, family-based immigration, and refugee issues. Tajalli was a member of the Inayatiyya Board of Trustees from 2016 – 2021. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

If you are hoping to reach Pir Zia, please email her at [email protected].

 

Julianna Takacs
Director of Programs

Julianna Takacs has twenty years of program development and leadership experience, beginning with her time in the early 2000s as the New York Open Center‘s Program Coordinator, Rental Director, and HR Manager. From 2006 to 2009 she served as Operations Manager for Just Vision & most recently as Program Director at Valmora Retreat. A teacher of yoga and meditation since 2004, Julianna has organized & lead group retreats, trainings and workshops around the world. In 2010 she was a delegate to the Yogi-Sufi Dialogue Conference in India through the invitation of the Global Peace Initiative of Women. In 2011 she founded and directed the Yoga Hoedown, a multi-day yoga and music festival held at the Abode of the Message, hosting 150+ people every Labor Day weekend through 2016. Julianna has been an initiate of the Inayatiyya since 2005 and graduated from Suluk Academy’s Alif Class in 2011. She holds a BFA from the State University of New York at Purchase and currently lives with her husband in Southern New Hampshire.

While Josh is the one to contact about program details, if you are faculty of an Inayatiyya program Julianna may be reached at [email protected]

 

Isa Sophia Haberer
Associate Director of Programs

Isa Sophia is a graduate of the Suluk Academy Europe Jabarsa class (2019). She was part of the Zenith Institute team for three years, organizing the annual summer Sufi Camp in the Swiss Alps and in charge of administration and the book store. She was also part of the organization of the annual Inayatiyya Leaders Training in Suresnes, France for five years.

Isa qualified as a veterinarian in 2012 from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain and works as a freelance translator in the medical field as well as serving as a Suluk Academy Administrator. As the Inayatiyya grows its outreach, she has taken on the role of Translations Coordinator. Isa is fluent in English, German and Spanish.

If you have questions about Suluk Academy, you can reach Isa at [email protected]. For Suluk Europe, it is [email protected]. Also, if you have questions about initiation and about finding a guide within the Inayatiyya, Isa can now assist you at [email protected].

 

Leon Yao
Web Development & Communications

Since 2018, Leon has been working for the annual Zenith Institute Sufi Camp in Switzerland as part of the organising team, managing the administrative area and focusing on general planning. He is also involved with the Fazal Manzil restoration project, and the Inayatiyya International Board.
Apart from these projects, he works as an independent consultant for various organisations in the health and culture sector, where he is mainly focusing on streamlining administrative processes, and developing strategy/vision. Outside of his professional life, he is studying portuguese guitar, and enjoys cycling.

As part of our Astana staff, Leon oversees Web Development for our Inayatiyya website. You can reach him under [email protected]