Janan Najeeb is so passionate about correcting misperceptions of Muslims, especially women, that she left her microbiology career to devote her time to building bridges in Milwaukee. She wants to dispel common myths, explaining, for instance, the diverse range of countries that Muslims live in. She’s best known as a founding member and current president of the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition, frequently speaking at interfaith events and serving as a spokeswoman. She’s taught at Cardinal Stritch University, is publisher of the Wisconsin Muslim Journal and is director of the Muslim Resource Center on the south side, which is open to the public. As another way to share the Muslim experience, promote understanding and address current events, in 2015 she founded the Milwaukee Muslim Film Festival, which has partnered with Milwaukee Film. She was also the first Muslim to open the Wisconsin Legislature with a prayer. Janan, who has lived most of her life in Milwaukee, was born in Jerusalem and is of Palestinian heritage. She’s won countless awards for her work, including, recently, the Frank Zeidler Award from the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, which calls her “one of the best known and most active advocates for interreligious understanding, tolerance, and friendship in Southeast Wisconsin.”