Randa Taftaf

Randa Taftaf is a Syrian-American author, educator, and co-founder of Rummana Publishing Inc. She grew up in Pennsylvania and relocated to Damascus, Syria at the age of fourteen, an experience that shaped her lifelong commitment to bridging Eastern and Western cultures through language and storytelling. She holds two Master's degrees - one in Foreign Language Education and one in Learning Design and Technology - and has studied Montessori and Reggio Emilia early childhood education approaches in Italy. With over twenty years of experience as a foreign language instructor, Randa has directed ESL programs, mentored instructors, and developed curriculum for teaching Arabic as a second language. Her professional collaborations include Pearson Education, the University of Pittsburgh, and UNHCR. The birth of her son Zayd motivated her and her husband Maz Galini to found Rummana Publishing in 2017, with the mission to educate, empower, and inspire Muslim children through diverse, faith-affirming stories. Together they created the Zaydo Potato series, featuring a Muslim child and his companions on adventures grounded in Islamic values. The series includes 'Zaydo Potato: Allah Loves Me', 'Zaydo Potato: Can Allah See Me Now?', and 'Zaydo Potato: A Muslim Superhero', illustrated by Lovyaa Garg.