My name is Mohammad Alaa Faraj. I’m an Arab American from Palestine, & the Co-Founder of Arab Americans of Cleveland – Young Professionals Network. I currently serve as an in-house counsel for a local wholesale & distribution company located here in Cleveland. I previously worked as a risk management associate for both KeyBank & AML RightSource. Prior to that, I also held positions in the legal sector for both government & international firms which included intellectual property & alternate dispute remediation in Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates. I graduated from Westlake High School and Cleveland State University where I studied Biology and Sociology. My passion for social justice led me to run for & become elected to President of CSU’s Student Government Association which is a position I proudly held for two years. Focusing my passion to a career path led me to law school where I graduated from Valparaiso University in 2016 with my Juris Doctor degree; & eventually earning my Ohio law license. As a proud first-generation Arab American, I know firsthand that our heritage & culture are rich in history, hospitality, and family values. This has shaped my personally & excited my passion for activism within our community. I’m truly fortunate that my family has always supported me in these endeavors. Most notably, my father’s work ethic inspires me every day particularly how he has sacrificed so much to provide for our family while still being so active in our community. Our community is bright & driven; I’m looking forward to seeing how the AAC professional network will further advance the next generation of motivated and talented leaders. Community-driven networking has proven results. As a proud founding member of the Arab American Bar Association of Ohio, it has been a thrill to experience what our group of motivated attorneys can collectively accomplish for the Arab American community in Cleveland. And as Martin Luther King Jr. said; “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” We are all leaders in our own capacities, and nothing is impossible when we work together towards the same goal. 

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