Tony Banout

Tony Banout is an executive, founding, and advisory leader in higher education, philanthropy, and social sector organizations. Most recently, he completed a threeyear tenure as the Founding Executive Director of the presidentially commissioned University of Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression. An expert on civic pluralism and open discourse, he was the Senior Vice President of Interfaith America for over a decade. Currently, he serves as a longstanding member of the Board of Directors of the Heterodox Academy, a lead ing higher education organization founded by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, and as Senior Advisor to philanthropist Kimberly Duchossois and serial entrepreneur Tom Scott of The Nantucket Project. Tony holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and a B.S. in Business Administration, and is a frequent commentator, moderator, and writer on the complexities of liberty and democracy.