Samir Selmanovic

Samir Selmanovic, Founder, and Director of Community Engagement at Faith House Manhattan, knows how to identify, engage, and organize the internal and external stakeholders of an organization, create synergy, and manage it for success. Samir was born into complexity. Growing up with a Muslim father, Christian mother, and an atheist school system—with capitalism to the West and communism to the East—he learned at an early age to see the best in the other. It was in high school in the former Yugoslavia, while producing George Orwell’s Animal Farm when he first discovered the power of synergy between unlikely stakeholders (business leaders, public officials, and independent artists) to achieve together what none of them could do alone—ideologically, relationally, and financially. Samir’s passion for ideas and problem solving propelled him through a B.Sc. in Engineering, an M.A. in Psychology, an M.Div, and a Ph.D. in Education.

Samir worked as a Christian pastor and community organizer for ten years. In 2002, the organization Muslims Against Terrorism honored him for his community leadership on the Upper East Side of Manhattan during the aftermath of 9/11. He then transferred to Southern California where he co-founded a vibrant young-adult congregation based on community engagement and shared leadership. It took Samir four years to come to terms with his complicated love relationship with New York City. He returned in 2007, to start the non-profit organization called Faith House Manhattan, an inter-religious “community of communities” and a co-laboratory of interdependence.

Samir is the author of It’s Really All About God, a book about understanding and collaboration with the “religious other.” He writes and lectures about leadership, interdependence and community engagement at universities and other institutions nationally and internationally, and has been profiled in The New York Times. None of these achievements however compare with his 30 minutes of awesomeness (or a stroke of parenting luck), explaining to his two tween daughters the relationship between a girl’s self-image, the fashion industry, and development of adolescent males.

Through solving problems, creating new initiatives, and forming partnerships at the intersection of community, business, and not-for-profits, Samir has managed 1,000+ active volunteers, raised over $2 million for worthy causes, designed 100+ events and programs, organized relief efforts nationally and internationally. One of the most challenging learning experiences in his professional career has been his work as a consultant for strategic planning and community relations for Cordoba Initiative, at the center of the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ controversy in 2010. One of his current passions is corporate re-enchantment with and commitment to the common good. He writes and speaks about community engagement, corporate responsibility, and conscious capitalism.

Samir tends to miss subway stops while reading, supports chocolate a food group, tries to revive his lost marathoner’s mojo, and has been romancing his wife Vesna every day since they met more than 20 years ago. If he had to do it all over again, Samir would talk less and cook more.

For Short Form Bio, Resume, Presentations/Publications/Media, or References, please contact Samir.

For more information, go to:
Samir's Google Profile
Samir's LinkedIn Profile
www.samirselmanovic.com
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Book Video "It's Really All About God"

Video "It's Really All About God - Don't Buy It"

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