Kazim was born and raised in Richmond Hill, Canada, a suburb near Toronto. He majored in political science at the University of Waterloo, graduating with a bachelor’s degree with high distinction. Kazim worked for then opposition Liberal Party leading their provincial level youth campaign. Upon Prime Minister Trudeau's historic election in 2015, Kazim served in a number of roles in Canadian politics, most recently as Adviser to Prime Minister Trudeau. He also served as National Youth Campaign Director for Trudeau's successful 2019 reelection campaign, and advised Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship and first Somali-Canadian Cabinet Minister, Hon. Ahmed Hussen, in a senior policy role. He is passionate about equity in policy making, and ensuring underrepresented populations have a voice at the decision-making table. Before beginning his graduate studies, Kazim spent the summer closing off his 7-year stint in politics and enjoying time with his family and friends. This past summer, he completed his MPA internship with the Co-Develop Fund, a global not-for-profit fund incubated by the U.N. Foundation to help countries build digital public infrastructure that is inclusive, safe and equitable. He is passionate about the power of stories, especially through reading fiction and writing, and enjoys a cup of chai while traveling as much as he can.