About Us
Learn more about our mission, leadership, and impact.
Empowering Ethiopian Diaspora Since 1993
Society of Ethiopians Established in Diaspora (SEED) was incorporated as a Not-for-profit organization October 17, 1993. Our objective is to educate the American and Western public about Ethiopia's rich traditions and untapped potential.
Through various educational tools and communication channels, SEED facilitates the sharing of knowledge that enables both the Western world and Diaspora Ethiopians to contribute meaningfully to Ethiopia's development.
Empowering Through Excellence
To empower the Ethiopian American Diaspora in the areas of academic excellence, professional development, and community service.
Academic Excellence
Supporting educational initiatives and scholarship programs for Ethiopian students
Professional Development
Fostering career growth and networking opportunities within the diaspora
Community Service
Organizing outreach programs and cultural events to strengthen our community
Leadership & Vision
Meet the visionaries and leaders who guide our mission with wisdom, experience, and dedication.
Board Members
Engineer Aklilu Demessie
Founder & President
Aklilu Demessie holds M.S in Engineering Mechanics and B.S in Civil Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He started his professional career at Cleveland Pneumatic Company as a Stress Analyst and progressed to Supervisory position in the Engineering Department over the years. Mr. Demessie worked as a Senior Engineer/Group Leader at the former Goodrich Landing Gear (designer, manufacturer and supplier of aircraft landing gear and components-Military and Commercial). He has over 35 years of experience as a professional in this area. Currently, he is a Senior Product/Material Review Board Engineer at the United Technologies Aerospace Systems. Mr. Demessie is a U.S Citizen and a Board member of the Menelik Foundation in Cleveland and an active member of the core group that has helped establish a Sister Cities agreement between the city of Cleveland and Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. In addition Mr. Demessie is a member of the board of the International Community Council and Worldwide International Network (ICC-WIN) of Cleveland Ohio in which 121 countries are represented. He has served as the President of the Northeast Ohio Ethiopian Community Association (NEOECA), President of the Ethiopian Cleveland Connection (ECC) in the 1990s. Mr. Demessie is one of the founding Board members of The Society of Ethiopians Established in the Diaspora (SEED). For more on SEED, visit: www.ethioseed.org. He is the Secretary of SEED and has served in this position for the last 22 years.
Dr. Solomon Gebru
Vice President
Dr. Solomon Teshome Gebru is a Principal Investigator and Research Scientist for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For more than 20 years, he has held positions in academia, administration, research, and leadership in both the United States and Ethiopia. He secured a teaching position and taught life science courses for two years after graduating from Howard University with a Ph.D. in Molecular Oncology/Molecular Biology. Since joining the US Food and Drug Administration in 2007 as a Molecular Assay Development Specialist (MADS), he has dedicated himself to the advancement of public health by developing a newly established discipline that includes epidemiological characterization and rapid method development for outbreak analysis of foodborne pathogens. Since 2007, he has worked as an annual adjunct faculty at Howard University. He co-wrote three volumes of Amharic language teaching books and designed an Amharic language teaching method that included a uniform syllabus, lesson plans, and Amharic writing and reading. Dr. Solomon published books and scientific research articles in scientific journals, presented at national and international meetings, and received numerous awards, including the Grafton Chase Fellowship Award from the United States Clinical Ligand Assay Society for his contribution to clinical laboratory medicine, as well as several individual and group awards from the USFDA for his research. Dr. Solomon currently lives in Maryland with his wife and two children.
Ms. Edom Seifu
Public Relations
Edom Seifu possesses a B.S in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia. She is a certified project manager with 8+ years of diverse federal consulting experience where she analyzes processes, proposes solutions, and advances modernization projects through effective stakeholder and change management. Ms. Seifu has and continues to support multiple federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), General Services Administration (GSA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through organizational change initiatives. Prior to joining the SEED Board, Ms. Seifu served as a dedicated volunteer and volunteer team lead for the Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund (EDTF), supporting recruitment and engagement activities for the organization since shortly after its inception in 2018. As a proud member of the Ethiopian Diaspora and technology enthusiast, she strives to engage and motivate her peers and next generations in pursuing and advancing their careers in data and technology consulting
Founding Members
Professor Melaku Lakew
Chairman
Professor, Melaku Lakew - Chairman Professor, Melaku Lives in New Jersey. After graduation with a Ph.D. degree in Economics from University of California, Riverside he took a teaching position at Portland State University in Oregon. Now he teaches and conducts research for scholarly journals in Stockton University, New Jersey. He co-authored a book, "Explorations in Economic Reasoning" used by many economic professors in the nation to teach introduction to Economic classes. Melaku also has written successful grants for National Science foundation to transform curriculum and promote effective pedagogy. Melaku has been a co-founder of SEED and chaired the organization for the last twenty-three year. He has been active in many Ethiopians grass roots organization in Philadelphia metropolitan area. As founder of Books without Borders, he has reached out many English-speaking higher learning institution to receive thousands of recycled books and other educational materials. With the help of his students he have managed to ship over 250,000 books to several African universities including Ethiopia. Currently he is serving as board member and vice=chairman in Ethiopian American Investment Group (EAIG) in Philadelphia
Mrs. Roman Abera Lakew
Founding Member
Pioneer in establishing SEED's educational programs and community outreach initiatives.
Engineer Aklilu Demessie
Founder & President
Aklilu Demessie holds M.S in Engineering Mechanics and B.S in Civil Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He started his professional career at Cleveland Pneumatic Company as a Stress Analyst and progressed to Supervisory position in the Engineering Department over the years. Mr. Demessie worked as a Senior Engineer/Group Leader at the former Goodrich Landing Gear (designer, manufacturer and supplier of aircraft landing gear and components-Military and Commercial). He has over 35 years of experience as a professional in this area. Currently, he is a Senior Product/Material Review Board Engineer at the United Technologies Aerospace Systems. Mr. Demessie is a U.S Citizen and a Board member of the Menelik Foundation in Cleveland and an active member of the core group that has helped establish a Sister Cities agreement between the city of Cleveland and Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. In addition Mr. Demessie is a member of the board of the International Community Council and Worldwide International Network (ICC-WIN) of Cleveland Ohio in which 121 countries are represented. He has served as the President of the Northeast Ohio Ethiopian Community Association (NEOECA), President of the Ethiopian Cleveland Connection (ECC) in the 1990s. Mr. Demessie is one of the founding Board members of The Society of Ethiopians Established in the Diaspora (SEED). For more on SEED, visit: www.ethioseed.org. He is the Secretary of SEED and has served in this position for the last 22 years.
Our Presence
- 1629 K Street NW, Suite 300
- Washington, DC 20006
Get in Touch
- ethioseed1@gmail.com
Contact Us
- Cell: (330) 283-4275 | Office: (202) 204-2253
Making a Difference Worldwide
SEED actively engages with over 200,000 Ethiopians established in the USA through various public events and educational initiatives. Our impact extends beyond borders, creating lasting change in communities both here and abroad.
Frequently Asked Questions
The concept of SEED is the brainchild of Professor Melaku Lakew. SEED was established officially as a registered organization in October 1994, in Washington DC. However, it was in existence since 1992. It was established by a group of friends and professionals who had been discussing about the sources of inspiration for Ethiopians in the Diaspora.
SEED is a non-political, non-sectarian and a nonprofit organization. SEED's primary objective is to promote and advance the interests of Ethiopians and their children in the Diaspora. It is also to recognize and acknowledge the contributions of any individual, regardless of national origin, who has made significant contributions to Ethiopia and Ethiopians in such things as humanitarian, scientific, educational, cultural, business, musical, athletics, and other endeavors.
The criteria for selection of honorees are classified into five to six categories: student honorees, adult honorees, young adult honorees, posthumous honorees, organizations or groups. Student honorees are mainly high school seniors with excellent academic performance and community service combinations. We have a point system evaluating GPA, SAT scores, community service, and recommendations.
SEED is a public organization. Membership is open to the public. Our members are primarily Ethiopian, however our organization is open to anyone of any race, religion, or nationality who shares the vision and mission of SEED.
For an organization run by volunteers, we have come a long way. One of the most noticeable ways SEED's performance has grown is by the mere fact that the young children, who have been attending SEED's annual event for many years, have themselves been honored by SEED. We believe that those that have been honored before have positively impacted these children.
Should anyone want to make tax deductible contribution, please make out your check to SEED and mail to: SEED, P.O. Box 848, Pomona, NJ 08240