People’s Economy Lab is proud to share that Faduma Fido, Lab Leader leading our Collaborative Governance program, has been appointed to serve on Seattle Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson’s transition team. She will serve on the “Standing Up for Our Values” committee.
Faduma led the creation of PEL’s Collaborative Governance program, which embeds power-shifting strategies at the heart of PEL’s theory of change into practice — advancing participatory decision-making, expanding community governance pathways, and centering community expertise in systems. Through her leadership, PEL has contributed to statewide and City of Seattle efforts to embed deep democracy into policy, planning, and investments, aligned with Wilson’s call for transparent, community-led approaches to housing, transportation, worker’s rights, environmental justice, and education.
Her appointment to the transition team reflects growing recognition that a brighter future for Seattle requires governance frameworks grounded in justice, belonging, and shared power. As the Wilson administration prepares major initiatives, such as progressive revenue, we are excited to see Faduma’s expertise in co-governance, cross-sectoral partnerships, and systems transformation helping to shape this important moment for Seattle.
Faduma Fido is a community development professional with deep experience leading equity-centered initiatives that bridge community priorities with institutional systems. She works to advance social justice, collaboration, and belonging through participatory design and partnerships that turn community knowledge into policy, programs, and shared decision-making structures. For example, Faduma led a multi-stakeholder governance process for Othello Square, a 3.4-acre transit-oriented development that integrated affordable housing, educational facilities, health and childcare services, community gathering spaces, and small business support. She has also led collaborative governance programs and participatory processes with the City of Seattle and Washington State that center communities historically excluded in policy design and investments.
Faduma is a Somali-American who has lived in Seattle for the past 25 years. She holds a master’s of Public Administration from Seattle University and a bachelor’s degree of Economics and English from the University of Washington. She has served on Impact Public Schools board as Vice Chair and part of the Supervisory Committee of Verity Credit Union’s board of directors. Faduma is currently a member of the Washington State Belonging Table and Wellbeing Economy State Alliance Network. She also serves on Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Taskforce.
Faduma Fido joined the People’s Economy Lab team in 2021. PEL envisions a multitude of local, community-centered economies, rooted in democracy and self-determination, that are sustainable and equitable, and that create shared well-being.
