Wajahat Ali

Columnist, The Daily Beast @ The Daily Beast

About

Hello all and thanks for visiting my LinkedIn Page. My name is Wajahat Ali. I'm a writer, speaker and tired, brown dad of two very cute babies who thankfully look like their mother. I'm also a New York Times contributing op-ed writer who regularly appears on cable news and radio to discuss politics, religion, foreign policy and culture. I often speak on the multifaceted American experience, covering our growing need for cultural unity, racial diversity and inclusion. I used to wear makeup as co-host of Al Jazeera America's The Stream, a daily news show that extended the conversation to social media and beyond. Before that, I wrote and produced the play The Domestic Crusaders which was published by McSweeney’s and performed off-Broadway. I never became a doctor or won the spelling bee much to the shame of South Asians, however I did produce the 2017 Emmy-nominated series The Secret Life of Muslims, short-form, first-person documentary films featuring a diverse set of American Muslims. I was also the lead author and researcher of “Fear Inc., Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America,” the seminal report from the Center for American Progress. As Creative Director of Affinis Labs, I worked with Facebook, Google and the UN in 2016 to create social entrepreneurship initiatives that positively impacted marginalized communities and empowered young leaders to come up with innovative solutions to tackle world problems. In 2012, Sec. of State Clinton honored me as a “Generation Change Leader” for implementing a leadership program to empower young social entrepreneurs in eight countries. Yes, I wore a tie and tucked in my shirt for this occasion - a rarity. I've given keynote speeches, workshops and presentations at TED, Google, Aspen Ideas Festival, SXSW, Skoll Foundation and colleges across America. People seem to enjoy it. You can read my words in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post and other outlets. Look forward to connecting with you.

Country

United States

City

Washington DC-Baltimore Area

Industry

Entertainment

Skill

Writing, Social Media, Journalism, Storytelling, Editing, Video, Reporting, On-air Hosting, Playwriting, Screenwriting, Consulting, Media Skills Training, storytelling training, Leadership Development, Public Relations, Legal Research, Legal Writing, Think Tank, Social Media Consulting, Social Media Coaching

Experience

Columnist, The Daily Beast

The Daily Beast

2021-2 - Present · 5 yrs 8 mos

Consultant: Media & Storytelling Training, Leadership Development & Community Outreach

PEN America

2011-1 - Present · 15 yrs 9 mos

- Pen America: Project Adviser and Curator of The M Word Series created to elevate, amplify, and celebrate the diversity of Muslim-American voices. (2016-18) - Voices of Change, Voices of America: Co-creator and lead instructor of a media, storytelling and leadership training program for emerging American Muslim leaders. (2017-Current) - SmartyPants Productions: Artistic Consultant to production company founder and film director Josh Seftel (2011-Current) - McSweeney’s Publishing: Consultant, publicist and outreach consultant to American Muslim and Middle Eastern American communities (2009-2013) - U.S. State Department: Designed, strategized, and implemented the “Generation Change” leadership training program to empower young global change agents and social entrepreneurs. (2011-12) - New America Foundation: Consulted and strategized with the Washington, D.C. based think tank to create a National Security Fellowship to help build bridges between American Muslim communities and U.S. National Security sectors. (2011- Feb 2012)

Contributing Opinion Writer

The New York Times

2017-5 - 2021-2 · 3 yrs 10 mos

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Writing monthly essays on Religion, Family Life and Politics in America for The New York Times

CNN Contributor

CNN

2019-6 - 2020-6 · 1 yr 1 mo

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Host/Contributor

HuffPost

2016-10 - 2017-11 · 1 yr 2 mos

At HuffPost, co-produced video projects and was host and contributor for the site's popular Facebook Live platform during the 2016 Presidential election.

Creative Director

Affinis Labs

2016-1 - 2017-6 · 1 yr 6 mos

Virginia

As Creative Director at Affinis Labs, worked with Facebook, Google and the UN to empower creatives to amplify their projects for global communities, shape public relations campaigns, create new social entrepreneurship programs around the world, and mentor initiatives & companies on branding and marketing.

Co-Host and Digital Producer, The Stream, Al Jazeera America

Al Jazeera Media Network

2013-7 - 2015-12 · 2 yrs 6 mos

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Co-host and digital producer of Al Jazeera America's The Stream, a fast-paced, ground-breaking, topical news show that used social media to integrate a global online community with the hosts and guests to discuss the day’s subject and provide a variety of fresh perspectives.

Solo Attorney

Law Offices of Wajahat Ali

2009-3 - 2013-2 · 4 yrs

Researcher and Writer

Center for American Progress

2011-2 - 2012-1 · 1 yr

Playwright, The Domestic Crusaders

McSweeney's

2005-5 - 2011-9 · 6 yrs 5 mos

Playwright, Co-Producer, Marketing Manager and Assistant Director of one of the first major plays about the Muslim American experience after 9-11 which premiered in 2005 at the Thrust Stage of the award winning Berkeley Repertory Theater and broke box office records during its historic New York, Off-Broadway run at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in Fall 2009. The play was published in 2011 by McSweeney's.