The founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago-based international nonprofit building the interfaith youth movement, Patel has a doctorate in sociology of religion from Oxford University and is a regular panelist for the Washington Post/Newsweek magazine On Faith blog. His core belief is that religion is a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. He’s inspired to build this bridge by his faith as a Muslim, his Indian heritage, and his American citizenship. He has spoken about this vision at places like the TED conference, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, as well as college and university campuses across the country. He has written two books about interfaith cooperation, Acts of Faith and Sacred Ground.