DIRECTOR OF MY HERO MOHAMED SIDIBAY DEFINES THE FUTURE

CONTACT: Jeanne Meyers                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Co-founder/Director
The MY HERO Project
[email protected]

Mohamed Sidibay - Director of The MY HERO ProjectMY HERO

APRIL 20, 2026 — LAGUNA BEACH, CA

Mohamed Sidibay, global advocate for education and The MY HERO Project’s new Executive Director and Director of Legal, joined the esteemed Eva Haller Salon Series on April 11^th to discuss MY HERO’s journey from a collection of personal narratives into a living archive, an educational resource used in classrooms around the world, and a larger public project dedicated to preserving and amplifying the voices that shape our collective understanding.

In the salon, Sidibay shared his story, which was in part shaped by MY HERO. Sidibay first came across MY HERO through the iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) at just fourteen years old. After war disrupted his life in Sierra Leone as a child, it was education that saved Mohamed and his future. “My childhood was interrupted. My sense of safety was interrupted. My idea of the future was interrupted,” said Mohamed, “And then slowly, other things entered my life. Classrooms, teachers, language, books, mentors, people who expected something from me besides survival. That shift matters.”

After earning a degree in Peace and Conflict Resolution from George Washington University, Sidibay became a Peace Ambassador and Board Member for MY HERO, and began working with other nonprofits, youth commissions, and the UN to ensure all children have access to quality education. In 2021, he graduated from Fordham University School of Law and began his legal career at the prestigious firm Covington & Burling in New York. 

After years of supporting MY HERO, Mohamed is now leading us in a new direction, keeping the heart of the organization whilst expanding its reach and accessibility for students and educators across the globe. “The future is not less storytelling, it’s multi-format storytelling,” he explained, “Some people enter through essays, some through short films, some through audio, some through visual arts, and some through classroom tools. MY HERO already has the beginnings of that ecosystem. The opportunity now is to deepen it and make it easier for people to enter from where they are.”

Eva Haller, activist and long-time friend of MY HERO addressed Sidibay after his presentation; “I always knew you were extraordinary, brilliant, and that you have found a way to become who you are with very little help from others. So, you’re helping to form, shape, and create MY HERO.”

On why MY HERO is so important to him and others, Sidibay shared

When I say I’m stepping into leadership, I’m not talking about taking over a website. I’m talking about taking responsibility for a public institution. […] I know what it means to have your life narrowed by what happened to you. I also know what it means for education, trust, and storytelling to widen it again. That is what I believe MY HERO can do.

Watch the full salon here.

About the Eva Haller Salon Series

The Eva Haller Salon Series, produced by Heidi Grochelle and Eva Haller, brings together artists, scientists and media makers from around the globe. Long time friend of MY HERO, Eva is a 95-year-old activist, philanthropist and holocaust survivor who has devoted her life to mentoring generations of women and children.

The Eva Haller Salons take place virtually every Saturday at 2:00 PM PST. To request an invitation to attend the Salon Series please email [email protected]

Learn more here.

Explore and watch previous salons here.