Anas "Andy" Shallal is an artist, social entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of Busboys and Poets, a group of restaurants in the Washington Metropolitan area where art, culture, and politics intentionally collide. With eight locations, including the latest in Columbia, MD, Busboys and Poets has become a home for progressives, artists, and intellectuals, hosting notable figures such as the late Howard Zinn, Angela Davis, Cornel West, Alice Walker, and Nikki Giovanni.
Busboys and Poets is a proud member of the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC), focusing on sustainable business and employment practices, and has been a leader in promoting workers' rights in the industry. The restaurant is also recognized for its environmental stewardship, being one of the first businesses in Washington DC to be 100% wind-powered and cutting-edge in the local/sustainable food movement. Shallal has received numerous awards, including the Mayor's Arts Award, Employer of the Year from the Employment Justice Center, the Mayor's Environmental Award, Washingtonian of the Year (Washingtonian Magazine), and induction into the DC Hall of Fame. He has also chaired the Workforce Investment Council for DC and served on the re-open DC task force during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shallal has founded and co-founded several peace and justice organizations and holds leadership roles in many others. He serves on the board of trustees for the Institute for Policy Studies, the Anacostia Coordinating Council, The Anacostia Park Foundation, The Dream Project, Mosaic Theater, DC Scores, Palestine House of Freedom, and is a founding member of Think Local First DC. He has also contributed to progressive business and labor practices in advisory and leadership capacities.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, Shallal initiated the #PaintTheStorefronts effort, hiring artists to paint inspirational messages on shuttered storefronts. This initiative quickly went viral, spreading to communities across the U.S. and around the world.
Shallal holds an MBA from the Smith School of Business at The University of Maryland and continues to work toward making Washington DC a more livable and equitable community. He joins DAWN as a fellow, bringing his vast experience in social entrepreneurship and community activism to further our mission for justice and human rights.
Many authoritarian governments in the Middle East have emerged as key partners in Beijing's efforts to "Sinicize" Islam within China.
It's time for the United States to fundamentally reassess its military aid to Israel, and the recent war on Gaza...
American foreign policy – particularly as it relates to the Middle East – has unfortunately taken a back seat during...
We’re fighting for a ceasefire and accountability for Israeli and U.S. officials responsible for war crimes in Gaza.
DAWN is a nonprofit organization that promotes democracy, the rule of law, and human rights for all of the peoples of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
