Meet the Team

Farah Pandith is the Muhammad Ali Global Peace Laureate and the creator and catalyst behind the Ali Index on Compassion. A celebrated author, foreign policy strategist, and pioneering expert in countering violent extremism (CVE), she challenges conventional thinking and inspires action, building cross-sector programs globally. As the first-ever Special Representative to Muslim Communities under Secretaries Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, she reshaped global engagement strategies, fostering cross-cultural understanding and resilience against extremist ideologies. Her influential book, How We Win, presents cutting-edge strategies harnessing innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration to combat hate and extremism worldwide.

Farah has served under Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and George H.W. Bush at the National Security Council, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Over the last decade, she served as a member of U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Advisory Council, and chaired its Countering Violent Extremism Task Force. Farah was a senior fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government including at the Institute of Politics. Additionally, she was senior advisor at the Anti-Defamation League and the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, contributing her expertise to shaping critical initiatives in soft power and countering division.

Currently a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, Farah serves on several prominent boards, including Mercy Corps, The Asian American Foundation, and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Her media presence as a sought-after commentator highlights her expertise in leveraging soft power and cultural intelligence to address today’s most pressing challenges. She has also spearheaded innovative projects such as The Universal Title: Muhammad Ali’s Spiritual Journey podcast and serves as an advisory board member for PBS’s American Muslims: A History Revealed. Recognized for her service and leadership, she is featured in a permanent exhibit at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, as well as in The Network, a permanent exhibit in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

In 2020, Farah was named the inaugural Muhammad Ali Global Peace Laureate, a testament to her unwavering commitment to empathy, compassion, and collaboration as tools for global change. In this role she has helped spark action to embody Muhammad Ali’s humanitarian legacy including the Muhammad Ali Index, which measures and inspires compassionate action worldwide. Farah’s dynamic leadership and vision continue to shape critical global conversations, empowering individuals, communities, and policymakers to advance courageously for a more inclusive and peaceful world

“The Muhammad Ali Index of is our continuation of Muhammad’s life’s work, valuing everyone’s humanity, bringing people together, and fostering respectful communities.”

Lonnie Ali, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, completed her BA degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville in 1978. After graduation, Lonnie began her business career with Kraft Foods, Inc. She continued her studies at UCLA’s Graduate School of Management and received an MBA in 1986.

After her marriage to Muhammad Ali in November 1986, she assumed responsibility and management of his business affairs. In 1992, she formally incorporated Greatest of All Time, Inc. (GOAT Inc.) to centralize and license her husband’s intellectual properties for commercial purposes. She served as Vice President and Treasurer of GOAT, Inc. until the sale of the company in 2006. During her tenure, Lonnie managed the company’s daily operations and accompanied Muhammad on business trips and humanitarian initiatives, domestically and around the world. After the sale of GOAT, Lonnie was asked to serve on the management board of the newly formed Muhammad Ali Enterprises.

In 1997, Lonnie and Muhammad helped launch the Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center (MAPC) in Phoenix. Lonnie and her husband unveiled the Muhammad and Lonnie Ali Pavilion in 2009, which houses the Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center at Barrow Neurological Institute.

She and her husband opened the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville in November of 2005, where she serves as a Lifetime Director and as Vice Chair of the Center’s Board.

Lonnie has been active in various charitable causes, including advocating for children’s rights and Parkinson’s disease research. From 2010 to 2013, Lonnie served on the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues.

Lonnie was the 2010 recipient of AARP’s Inspire Award, was named in 2012 as one of Arizona’s 48 Most Intriguing Women, and was inducted into The National Consortium for Academics and Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. She has also been honored by The Foundation of Wesley Woods with the Key to a Cure Award, Child Help, and the HollyRod Foundation. Lonnie received the Keep Memory Alive Caregiver Hero Award from the Cleveland Clinic’s Keep Memory Alive Power of Love® Gala and, most recently, the M.T Kasalu Women of Honor Award, presented by LIZADEEL in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“The Muhammad Ali Index is the missing jigsaw piece in the puzzle of how we amplify compassion in an increasingly polarized world.”

Simon Cohen is a peace activist, keynote speaker and communications expert. Inspired to spread messages of hope in the mainstream media, Simon set up the strategic communications agency Global Tolerance in 2003, aged 24. He grew the company to become the world’s leading agency in social change, representing HH Dalai Lama, HM King Charles III, The Gallup Organization, HH The Karmapa, US Department of State, Gandhi’s grandson and TED, overseeing the global launch of the Charter for Compassion.

Simon then famously gave away the £1m company for the riches of family life, through a new exit strategy for entrepreneurs. He is on the faculty for the Amani Institute, and teaches leadership to global social entrepreneurs in Brazil, Kenya and India. A moral and social commentator in the international media, Simon is a contributor to the Harvard Business Review and Entrepreneur magazine. Simon is an international keynote speaker, and has given talks on leadership and values at the UN, UNESCO, World Economic Forum, Cannes Lions, Worldwide Meeting on Human Values, Universal Forum of Cultures, as well as scores of universities and schools around the world. 

Simon is Vice President of the Mattie Stepanek Peace Foundation and sits on various nonprofit boards and advisory groups, including Global Compassion Coalition, Boma Global, American Refugee Committee (now Alight) and Charter for Compassion International. More on https://mrsimoncohen.com/.

Mayor Greg Fischer
Christopher Graves
Adnan Kifayat
Mayor Ron Nirenberg
Trisha Prabhu
Ellett Toomey
Honorary Advisor Barbara Sexton Smith

Mary Casey
Emilie Deutsch
Rufus Friday
Colin Gottlieb
Dr. Christopher Jones
Kris Sirchio
Thomas Williams