Abdi’s work focuses on using technology to expand access, strengthen institutions, and create more inclusive economic opportunities. At Na’amal, he has led technology, communications, and digital initiatives supporting refugee economic inclusion, including programs and products that connect displaced professionals to training, mentorship, and paid digital work. His work has included developing digital systems, integrating AI into programs and services, and shaping technology strategies that help refugee talent participate more fully in the global digital economy.

His broader practice moves across software, product design, creative technology, and applied research. He has worked with Google AI, Microsoft, Beats by Dre, and interdisciplinary teams across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. At the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, he develops interactive technologies and digital experiences that make cultural learning more accessible and engaging. Across these settings, Abdi is particularly interested in how emerging technologies can be translated into useful, context-sensitive tools for people and communities.

Abdi holds a Master of Design from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a Mastercard Foundation Scholar, and a Bachelor’s degree in Interactive Media from New York University Abu Dhabi. His education combined software, interaction design, prototyping, systems thinking, and emerging technology, shaping an interdisciplinary approach that moves fluidly between technical development, design, and strategy.