Taif Jany was a policy entrepreneur at Next100 and is now director of policy and practice at Refugee Council USA. He is an immigration policy researcher and advocate, specializing in the U.S. visa system and international students. At Next100, Taif leads a cutting-edge research initiative that concentrates on amplifying the contributions of immigrants and international students to communities across the United States. He has developed both legislative and executive immigration policy recommendations that aim to re-attract, protect, and retain international students. Additionally, Taif’s research focuses on examining the impact of employment visa programs, highlighting their challenges and shortcomings, and providing recommendations to improve their impact and effectiveness. 

Prior to Next100, Taif was the policy coordinator at the Young Elected Officials Network, where he led nationwide policy initiatives in coordination with 1,400 state and local elected officials. Taif uses his lived experiences as an immigrant, refugee, and former international student to fuel his passion to strengthen the U.S. immigration system and build culturally inclusive communities. His work has been published in Business Insider, Newsweek, The Nation, VICE News,  and other publications.Taif holds a BA in sociology and French from Union College. When he is not working, Taif runs We the Habibis, a personal blog that focuses on bringing people together through food.