After immigrating to the United States, Said Abiyow became the Director of the Somali Bantu Community of Dallas, Texas, before resigning in 2009 and moving to San Diego to create the Somali Bantu Association of America. He has also directed national projects for Solutions for Better Living and served as a Culture Advisor/Site Manager with Glacier Technical Solutions, LLC / Workforce Resources, LLC. Said Abiyow is an active member of the City Heights Town Council, Midcity Coordinating Council, and former City of San Diego Advisory Commission Board.

Said Abiyow holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Kenya and a Certificate in Cognitive Physiology from the San Diego Urban League Pacific Institute. With over a decade of experience working with the International Organization for Immigration in Africa, he has overseen the placement of Somali Bantu refugees in the United States and created several aid organizations to support them.