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Mikey Muhanna

Founder & Executive Director of afikra | عفكرة

Mikey Muhanna is the Founder and Executive Director of afikra, a global grassroots movement focused on reframing the narrative about the Arab world.12 Born and raised between Nicosia and Beirut, Muhanna later spent time studying and working in Durham, Chicago, New Orleans, and Brooklyn before returning to Beirut.2

Professional Background

Muhanna's career path has been diverse:

  • Former high school teacher, actuary, and investment quant2
  • Worked at Morgan Stanley and PwC for over a decade4
  • Founded afikra in 2014, which started as small gatherings on a Brooklyn rooftop46

Education and Certifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Economics from Duke University5
  • Associate of Society of Actuaries certification1
  • Teacher's License (Grades 6-12) from The New Teacher's Project - Louisiana Board of Regents1

afikra

Under Muhanna's leadership, afikra has grown into a global community with over 60,000 members.4 The organization:

  • Publishes daily podcasts
  • Creates educational courses
  • Hosts hundreds of events worldwide each year
  • Aims to cultivate curiosity about the diverse histories and cultures of the Arab world36

Other Roles and Interests

  • Board of Trustee for The Muhanna Group and the American Community School of Beirut2
  • Passionate about salsa dancing, social justice, basketball, data, design, hip hop, film, and stand-up comedy2
  • Has worked with various cultural and educational institutions, including Barjeel Foundation, TED, Google Arts & Culture, and others2

Muhanna's work with afikra has been featured in international press, and he has been invited to speak at prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and Google.2

Highlights

Aug 27 · linkedin

🎉 BIG NEWS! Join us in NYC for afikra | عفكرة ’s 10th Anniversary Retreat in September 27-29 ✨ It is hard to believe that 10 years it was just a small idea and has grown from a community of 15 friends to over 150,000 folks globally.

To celebrate, we’re kicking off with a Live Quartertones Show at the legendary @joespub on Sept 24 featuring @offendum @monamiari and @zafertawil hosted by @mikey_mu . During the weekend the full retreat kicks off with music and art workshops, special curator-led tours of the New York Public Library and The Met Museum, architectual walking tours, delicious live Matbakh podcasts at some of our favorite Arab restaurants in the city annnnd to top it all off we have a special evening celebrating 10 years of afikra with great talks, music, and dancing! 🎶💃

You do not want to miss it. Link is in bio or just go to right here: afikra.com/retreats

🎂 #afikra10Years

Aug 15 · linkedin

Yesterday's enduring feelings during the afikra | عفكرة Global Youth Summit: gratitude and hope.

Gratitude for brilliant friends who contributed time as panelists to share their invaluable knowledge and hard-earned experience: Anthony Semaan Danny Hajjar Nour M. Micha Tobia Hafsa Halawa Laila Mokhiber Anwar Aridi Sarah AlSaleh 🙏

Hope because of the highly motivated (and stubbornly joyful) student moderators and afikra Academy alumni that remain unwilling to accept the status quo. So proud to be associated with these young leaders. Ghiya bsat Cherry Butler-Bowdon Nazokat Makhmudova Lama Diriyeh and more!

Related Questions

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How has Mikey Muhanna's background influenced his work at afikra?
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Mikey Muhanna
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Location

Brooklyn, New York, United States