Eboo Patel

Chicago, IL

Eboo Patel is an award-winning author and the founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), a nonprofit working to empower the next generation of interfaith leaders. He developed his vision for IFYC during his time at the University of Oxford, where he earned a doctorate in the sociology of religion on a Rhodes scholarship. Since 2002, Dr. Patel has grown IFYC from a handful of volunteers to a national organization that has engaged students and educators on more than 600 U.S. college and university campuses, including Wake Forest.

In addition to leading IFYC, Dr. Patel is active in the private and public sectors to help realize a future where religion is a bridge for, rather than a barrier to, cooperation. Named one of American’s Best Leaders of 2009 by US News & World Report, he has worked with governments and social sector organizations for over fifteen years and served on President Obama’s inaugural Faith Council. Dr. Patel is a key voice in conversations around religious pluralism in America and is the author of several books, including Acts of Faith, Sacred Ground, Interfaith Leadership, and Out of Many Faiths. He also regularly contributes to NPR, The Washington Post, CNN, and The Chicago Tribune.