Meet an innoFaither: Omar Nassimi
Meet Omar Nassimi, Co-founder of PVBLIC House, a hub for people working for social good, and Assistant Director of Social Innovation at the humanitarian organization IDEA. Growing up surrounded by the diversity of his Muslim tradition, Omar developed a deep curiosity toward the possibilities of faith and positive social change that still drives him today. Omar lives in northern Virginia but can be found at coffee shops or events across the DC area (known locally as the DMV).
What faith(s), if any, do you practice? How does your tradition and/or spiritual practice inspire or influence you as an innovator?
Growing up in the Muslim tradition, I was constantly exposed to a diversity of cultures and viewpoints from around the world. In my mosque, it was not uncommon to have 20 to 30 different nationalities represented within one prayer service. And as I got older, and I would read more about the Islamic tradition and its history, it was rife with innovation. Everything from the scientific and mathematical advances that were made, to the philosophical innovations, to the cultural and societal advances in governance, I constantly saw newness and innovation within every society that I read about. I always understood faith as meant to play a positive role for creating a better future for the people that are impacted by it. So it felt natural for me to see faith as inherently innovative to try to meet the demands and challenges of any society. Because as one who believes in God, there is a belief that with every difficulty comes ease, and with every challenge comes opportunity to serve God in a higher capacity.
What are you currently working on?
I'm working on two things right now. My 9-to-5 is serving as assistant director of social innovation at IDEA (Islamic Development and Empowerment in America), a humanitarian aid organization formerly known as Islamic Relief USA. We went through a rebrand about a month ago.
I'm also the co-founder of Public House, an organization based in the DMV. Our mission is to create a hub for people working to advance the public good, and to facilitate connection, convenings, and education for anyone who wants to make the world better from a faith-based perspective. We do that through social events and lectures, and in 2027 we plan to launch a faith-based social impact accelerator that connects people starting businesses and nonprofits with the resources and education they need.
At IDEA, we're launching a series of regional summits across the country: one in the DMV, one in New York, one in Chicago, and one in the Bay Area, with a possible fifth in Dallas. They're the IDEA Summits for faith-based social innovation, and we'd love for anyone interested in that work to attend. In early 2027, we're also launching a fellowship program for faith-based social innovators, which will support them with training and a community of people doing the same work.
At Public House, we're hosting a series of socials and lectures by people working on the public good from a faith-based angle. It's a chance for people to meet, connect, and get to know one another. The events are happening monthly in Northern Virginia right now, and we're working to make them weekly. You can find out more at publichouse.org, or follow us on social media at @pvblic.house.
What can we find you doing when you’re not working?
I didn't know there was such a thing as not working. There's only work and sleep! Outside of work, though, I've recently gotten into pickleball. It's pretty rad for those of us who are aging out of action sports but want to maintain our health and our dignity while still being a little competitive. Otherwise, I'm watching Netflix series with my wife while our 8-month-old crawls around on the floor, hanging out with my family, and going to events around the DMV. I especially love going to new coffee shops. Anytime a new coffee shop pops up in the DMV, I'm there, trying different flavored lattes. Halal lattes, very halal.
What is piquing your curiosity these days?
These days, I’m really fascinated by social innovation and social entrepreneurship. My experience has mostly been in nonprofits, but as of recently, I have been exposed to more diverse business models to try to achieve good in the world. And there are so many organizations that are doing groundbreaking work to try to make their communities better, as well as creating revenue that creates jobs. This model is so fascinating to me, and I’m currently trying to learn as much as I can about it. I really love the idea of people making a sustainable difference within their communities while also solving a problem.
Is there something you’d like help on?
Yes! I would love to talk to anyone and everyone about faith-based social innovation or social entrepreneurship. I’m currently hoping to put together an incubator or accelerator program for this in 2027 and to build more educational programs to give people access to the tools within this domain. I would love to collaborate with others on this!
Meet an innoFaither is our series to introduce the inspiring optimists in the innoFaith world and what they’re working on and thinking about. We hope it helps you find and engage with each other across the network to advance faith-rooted social innovation and interfaith collaboration for social impact. Or just meet some cool people. Find the full series at innofaith.org/meet-an-innofaither.