As an American Muslim who grew up in a post 9/11 world, Ziad Ahmed faced a society that devalued and feared his faith and culture. But even as he encountered negativity, Ziad, a student at Princeton Day School, refused to sit back and do nothing. In 2013, Ziad, only 13 years old at the time, created Redefy.org, an online initiative that serves to fight misconceptions based on stereotyping and ignorance as it affects persons perceived as “different” or “other.” In 2014, Redefy focused on social integration and education for students with special needs or disabilities. In 2015, the focus was on reducing racial prejudice and hatred within individual communities. Ziad’s fearless leadership in moving forward in his activists pursuits have garnered the attention of noted social movements such as #DareToUnderstand, #PrincetonAgainstRacism, #TheGenerationOfNew and the VOICES campaign, an ongoing conversation series for teens to share their opinions on current events. Through the use of technology and social media, the Redefy founder has succeeded in drawing many young people to speak out about their experiences with discrimination. Recently Ziad was invited to the White House to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan as one of President Obama’s invited guests.

Redefy focuses on defying stereotypes, embracing acceptance, and redefining our perspectives positively. Redefy started as an community fighting hate and discrimination and promoting acceptance among young people in the US and around the world. There are more than 10 Redefy local chapters in worldwide. Redefy’s team creates impactful student journalism and resources to break down stereotypes, with a team of more than 80 student journalists. They provide resources to schools across the U.S. and around the world and conduct workshops to prevent the development of hateful ideas before they solidify.