Rasheed Ahmed
Founder, Center on South Asian Studies · Advisor to the Dean, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University
Rasheed Ahmed directs the Institute at American Islamic College, where he leads its academic programming, research initiatives and community engagement. A mission-driven institution builder, he works at the intersection of faith, philanthropy and inclusive development, with a particular focus on South Asian Muslim communities and their civic, intellectual and philanthropic contributions.
He brings more than three decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, institutional development and cross-sector bridge-building. His career has spanned corporate management, marketing and technology, as well as sustained leadership in Muslim civil society. He previously served as Executive Director of the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) and as Treasurer of the World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists, and he co-founded the US-India Policy Institute and the Center on Muslim Philanthropy, two organisations that reflect his long-standing commitment to integrating policy, faith and civic agency.
As an Advisor to the Dean of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, he contributes to ongoing conversations on Muslim philanthropy, inclusive giving and the role of faith communities in social transformation. His work is grounded in equity, public service and the conviction that rigorous intellectual inquiry and community engagement are not competing imperatives but mutually reinforcing ones. At the Institute he brings this integrative vision to the study of Islam in India, supporting research that is historically grounded and attentive to the realities of one of the world’s largest Muslim populations.
