Bilal Alkatout promotes cross-sector connectivity, collaboration, and creative problem solving among organizations and systems to advance equity and well-being in our communities. He discovered his passion for community-driven initiatives while working to promote health and social equity among communities in Ghana, South Sudan, and in the U.S. — both in Georgia and Minnesota. He started his career in philanthropy as a Ron McKinley Philanthropy Fellow and served as a senior program officer at the BCBS MN Foundation and community innovation program manager at the Bush Foundation. Bilal earned a degree in chemistry and neuroscience from St. Olaf College and worked in the biotech industry for several years before earning a master’s in public health, with a focus on global health, at Emory University.  

As a first-generation immigrant, Bilal is happy to share his family stories, customs, and recipes for Palestinian sweets. Having lived most of his life in Minnesota, Bilal has developed a great affinity for the outdoors and the environment. An admirer of the arts, he spends his spare time creating pottery, gardening, baking, hiking, and volunteering on nonprofit boards.