Lily Nizam

My platform involves empowering women to achieve their goals by believing in themselves through mentorship. I want to inspire others to embrace the courage to push through boundaries.  Growing up as a first generation Chinese American, it was difficult to navigate the system without the guidance of my parents or role models. I felt unsure and lost during the process because I did not have someone to look up to. I was the first person in my family to attend college and challenged myself to obtain a Master’s degree. A few years later, I followed my entrepreneurial spirit and co-founded Alabama Surgical Arts- a medical practice with my husband, where we provide oral and maxillofacial surgery, facial cosmetic surgery, and medical spa services to the community with over 30 employees. My day-to-day life calling as an aesthetic Physician Assistant and permanent cosmetic tattoo artist is to enhance one's beauty, but beauty can frequently be misunderstood. Often, I meet people who no longer feel like themselves and have lost that sparkle in their eyes, yet they still feel the concerns of being judged or not accepted. Real beauty is found in how you view yourself and less in how others view you. Through coaching patients and my employees on a daily basis, it led me to create “Dare to Be You", to empower others to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams.