2025 Speakers
Arij Mikati, Vice President of Programs, Pillars Fund
Arij Mikati is the Vice President of Programs at Pillars Fund, where she designs and leads programming that challenges damaging narratives about Muslims 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 dignified, complex, and tells the truth about Muslim communities. Arij has more than ten years of experience as a storyteller, nonprofit executive, educator, and creative consultant. She is a devoted anti-racism educator, who, as a Social Impact Advisor and Coach 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, narrative change, equity in entertainment, and Muslim representation in media. Her experiences and expert insight have also been featured by Variety, Teen Vogue, NPR, Tiny Spark podcast, and Al Jazeera, among many other outlets.
