Farhan Latif is the President and a Trustee of the El-Hibri Foundation (EHF), a community-built, intergenerationally-focused philanthropy based in Washington, D.C. In this role, he leads efforts to invest in leadership, strategy, and action. Under his leadership, the El-Hibri Foundation draws upon faith values to build stronger, more resilient communities that advance pluralism and shared flourishing. Mr. Latif invests in cross-sector capacity building, mobilizes philanthropy, and convenes private, public, and nonprofit leaders around pressing challenges with an eye toward legacy, responsibility, and what it means to be good ancestors.
Building on a steadfast commitment to democracy, he has dedicated his career to addressing polarization, fostering social cohesion, and combating extremism. Prior to joining the Foundation, he led a think tank where his work included advising White House officials and government agencies on issues around national security, enhancing religious pluralism, and equity. He spent over a decade in higher education focused on inclusion of underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation students. As a social entrepreneur, he founded Strategic Inspirations, a social impact consulting firm. Mr. Latif serves as an advisory member on the Council on Foundations Public Policy Committee and the Executive Committee of the MGP Fund that was launched at Stanford University's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school).
As an interfaith leader, Mr. Latif worked with national and local civic organizations to promote religious understanding and inclusion. He is also a fellow of the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute. He serves as an advisory member on both the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council and the ACCESS Campaign to Take on Hate. Mr. Latif is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and serves on the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Leadership. Authors Genieve Abdo and Akbar Ahmad have chronicled Mr. Latif’s journey in combating extremism and working towards inclusion in their books Mecca and Mainstreet: Muslim Life in America After 9/11 and Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam. He has appeared on numerous media outlets, including ABC, FOX, BBC, LA Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Voice of America, Gulf Times, and USA Today.
Mr. Latif holds an MA from Harvard University, where he pursued interdisciplinary studies in Social Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy, and Education across the Kennedy, Business, and Education Schools.