Areas of Work
Mikey works across disciplines to help institutions and communities design programs, articulate their stories, and build cultural infrastructure that lasts. These are the core ways he supports collaborators:
Strategic Consulting
Program development, narrative strategy, and long-term planning for cultural and educational institutions.
Board Leadership
Governance, strategic planning, and institutional advising.
Speaking & Hosting
Panels, interviews, and keynotes. Focused on clarity, relevance, and high-quality dialogue.
Program Design
Curating lecture series, festivals, media, and learning platforms.
Media Production
Developing high-quality, research-driven content across formats—podcasts, video, and digital media.
Network Building
Making connections across culture, policy, business and education sectors to enable progress through collaboration.
Select Partnerships
These are some of the institutions Mikey has collaborated with—ranging from government ministries and global universities to creative platforms and philanthropic foundations. His work includes speaking, advising, designing programs, and building long-term partnerships.
Government
UAE Ministry of Culture · Saudi Ministry of Culture · Qatar Museums · Qatar Foundation
Universities
NYU Abu Dhabi · University of Chicago · Northwestern Qatar · VCU Qatar · AUB · Zayed University
Media & Platforms
Netflix · TED · Google Arts & Culture · YouTube · Facebook · Twitter · The Public Theater (NYC)
Foundations
Open Society Foundation · Centre For American Progress · Barjeel Art Foundation
Cultural Institutions
Islamic Arts Biennale · Louvre Abu Dhabi · Alserkal Avenue
Community Jameel · Misk Art Foundation
Select Keynotes & Interviews
Mikey is also regularly invited to speak and moderate at international forums, festivals, and institutions.
Select Speaking Engagements: Lincoln Center (NYC) · The Public Theater (NYC) · The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi · Yale · Harvard · Oxford · AUB · NUS · Northwestern University in Qatar · Shubbak Festival (UK) · Islamic Arts Biennale (Jeddah) · Jaou Tunis Biennale · Habibi Festival (NYC) · The Arts Club (Dubai)
One of the Region’s Leading Interviewers, Mikey has hosted and moderated more than 500 conversations with leading voices across culture, policy, academia, media, and the arts—offering thoughtful, well-researched interviews that bring depth and clarity to complex subjects.
Selected Interviews listed below:
HE Noura Al Kaabi – UAE Minister of Culture
Hisham Matar – Pulitzer Prize-winning author
Wael Hallaq – Scholar of Islamic law and philosophy
HE Rakan Altouq – Saudi Ministry of Culture
Rashid Khalidi – Historian, Columbia University
Sultan Al Qassemi – Cultural commentator
Farah Nabulsi – Oscar-nominated filmmaker
Michael Fakhri – UN Special Rapporteur
James Zogby – Arab American Institute
Salman Abu Sitta – Historian of Palestinian return
H.E. Manal Ataya – Sharjah Museums Authority
Venetia Porter – Curator, British Museum
Susan Abulhawa – Novelist, Mornings in Jenin
Bernard Haykel – Gulf politics scholar
Sami Tamimi – Chef and co-author of Ottolenghi
Suad Amiry – Author & Founder of RIWAQ
Salwa Mikdadi – NYUAD, Arab modern art historian
Nasser Rabbat – MIT, Islamic architecture scholar
Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige – Filmmakers
Alsarah, Narcy, Hamed Sinno, & Omar Offendum
Sliman Mansour – Palestinian painter
Mai Masri – Filmmaker
Mariam C. Said – Cultural diplomacy
Adam Hanieh – Political economy of oil
Kim Ghattas – Journalist and author
Wael Al Awar – Architect, Venice Biennale
Sumayya Vally – Curator, Islamic Arts Biennale
Alia Al-Senussi – Cultural patronage advocate
Naomi Shihab Nye – Poet
Khaled Fahmy – Historian of Egypt
Maysoon Zayid – Comedian and disability advocate
Omar Berrada – Literary translator
Tala Bashmi – Chef, Bahraini cuisine
Isobel Abulhoul – Emirates Lit Fest Founder
Kareem Roustom – Emmy-nominated composer
Oddisee – Musician, third culture identity
Safia Elhillo – Poet, diasporic themes
Khalid Lyamlahy – Moroccan literary scholar
Hisham Fageeh – Satirist and media creator
Mikey Muhanna 