Biography

Dr. Nina Ahmed
Philadelphia City Council Member AT-LARGE
Nina is a mother, wife, scientist, women’s rights advocate, and first-generation Bangladeshi American. Nina Ahmad grew up in Bangladesh during a violent war for liberation and came to the United States when she was 21. After improving her English by watching American television shows, she earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and achieved success as a molecular biologist and entrepreneur.

In addition to her professional life, Nina has been a successful civic leader who takes on big fights and wins. As president of the Philadelphia National Organization for Women (NOW), Nina led a fight against the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office when it refused to fire three prosecutors who had emailed degrading pornographic images. She has served as Deputy Mayor for Public Engagement under Mayor Jim Kenney, overseeing the Commission for Women, the Office of Black Male Engagement, and the Youth Commission and worked closely with the Office of LGBT Affairs. Nina has also served on President Obama’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and on Mayor Nutter’s Commission on Asian American Affairs.

Nina ran for Pennsylvania Auditor General in 2020 and was the first woman of color in Pennsylvania history to win the Democratic nomination for statewide executive office.

Now Nina is running for City Council At-Large to make Philadelphia a healthier, stronger city.
From crime and gun violence to housing and the environment, Nina believes that if we make Philadelphia a healthier city, we can make it a stronger, safer city. As a biomedical scientist, Nina spent her life taking on these kinds of challenges and she's used science and data to find new solutions to old problems.

Nina and her husband Ahsan have lived in Philadelphia for over 30 years. They raised their two daughters, Joya and Priya, to share in the values of community and service that they hold dear.