Farah is a foreign policy strategist, former diplomat, and world-leading expert and pioneer in countering violent extremism. She is author of the book How We Win: How Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders, and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the Extremist Threat and has written for publications including The Economist, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. She served as a political appointee under three presidents, and most recently as the first-ever Special Representative to Muslim Communities, serving both Secretaries Clinton and Kerry. She has served on the National Security Council, at the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development in various senior roles.

Farah was named the first-ever Muhammad Ali Global Peace Laureate for her proven track record of and commitment to promoting diversity, cohesion, and respect by the Ali Center. She is senior fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School, as well as an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. She has served on the leadership or advisory boards of many organisations over the years, including the We Are Family Foundation, America Abroad Media, Tribeca Film Institute, and the Women in Public Service Project.