Our Team

Before founding AQL Labs, Rahim was Deputy Director of Innovation and Technology Enabled Solutions in the Postsecondary Success strategy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest global strategic philanthropy. During his 12-year tenure, he developed, managed, and directed strategy and investments across multiple portfolios, including digital learning, HBCU digital infrastructure, developmental education reform, and student advising and support systems. Rahim’s leadership and investments led to numerous advancements in innovation, R&D, and evidence-based reforms across multiple domains in higher education, including adaptive learning, blended and online learning, national scaling of developmental education reforms and math pathways, gateway course success, faculty professional development in evidence-based instructional practices like active learning, institutional strategies to leverage technology and data analytics in service of retention, holistic supports, student success, and affordable, high-quality, national scale postsecondary models.

Prior, Rahim played a crucial role in expanding the global reach and impact of JSTOR, Aluka, and ITHAKA - three mission-driven startups founded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Today, these digital platforms serve hundreds of millions of students, researchers, and thousands of educational institutions around the globe. Rahim is also Vice Chair of the Board of the Seattle Colleges Foundation and an independent Director of the venture-backed startup Lumen Learning. Rahim completed his postsecondary education at Boston University, the University of Chicago, the Institute of Ismaili Studies London, and the University of Cambridge. Rahim is based in Seattle, Washington.