Ayan Ahmed Holmberg is from Mogadishu, Somalia.
She started working for UNICEF during the civil war in Somalia. She relocated to Nairobi where she worked for UNDP Somalia War Torn Societies project, The BBC, UN HABITAT in South Sudan, INGO Progressive Interventions in Somaliland & Steadman Research Group. All of this work in the horn of Africa was realized while raising three kids and relocating to Khartoum, Islamabad, Boston, Addis Ababa etc. Ayan currently lives in the Boston area and works at Beth Israel Lahey Health.