Arij Mikati

Arij Mikati is the Managing Director of Culture Change at Pillars Fund, where she designs and leads programming that challenges damaging narratives about Muslims in the U.S. and amplifies Muslim voices in artistic spaces. Her storytelling work seeks to change the lens through which Muslim stories are told to one that is authentic, complex, and honest. Arij has more than ten years of experience as a storyteller, nonprofit executive, educator, and creative consultant. Arij is also a devoted anti-racism educator, who, as a Social Impact Advisor for Inspire Justice and leadership team member of Chicago Regional Organizers for Anti-Racism, works to foster radically inclusive, just, intersectional spaces. An experienced facilitator, Arij is frequently invited to moderate conversations on anti-racism, storytelling as culture change, equity in entertainment, and Muslim representation in media. Her experiences and expert insight have also been featured in Variety and NPR, among many others.