Partnerships, relationships & introductions
Connecting the right people and organizations, building partnerships and getting a conversation from first contact to an agreement.
Ahmad Shah Mohibi From government to the boardroom.
I build partnerships and connect people, and I work on business and market questions, international projects, due diligence, security, government and media.
Book me for a conversation, or bring me a larger problem that needs research, people or actual work.
Nearly 20 years across U.S. government and international work · Founder, Rise to Peace · Author, WarGuy · 200+ media appearances
What I can help with
Business & international work
Partners, new markets, meetings, business development, cross-border transactions and figuring out how to operate somewhere unfamiliar.
Markets & company research
Public companies, valuation, financials, IPOs, industries, portfolio questions and pressure-testing an investment thesis.
Due diligence
Companies, executives, potential partners, counterparties and transactions.
What do we actually know, what does not add up, and what needs to be checked before moving forward?
Operations & special projects
A project is stuck, there are too many moving parts, or nobody clearly owns the whole thing. I can help structure the work, identify what is missing and keep it moving.
Government & public-sector work
Federal operations, procurement, government contracting, mission support and understanding how public-sector organizations actually work.
Risk, crisis & security
Security requirements, difficult environments, operational risk, geopolitical risk and finding the right specialist support when needed.
Career & professional decisions
Government, international affairs, private-sector transitions, interviews, networking and figuring out what move makes sense next. One-on-one career advice from someone who has made these moves.
Media & communication
Television, interviews, panels, public speaking, difficult conversations and explaining complicated issues clearly.
AI & workflow
Research systems, automation, agents, recruiting, monitoring and fixing inefficient workflows.
Nearly 20 yearsU.S. government & international work
19 countriesU.S. government portfolio
200+Media appearances
10 yearsBuilding Rise to Peace
One-on-one sessions
Book time with me.
You are paying for experience with people, institutions and countries, and for knowing how to find the right person. Sessions are one-on-one, by Zoom, phone or WhatsApp.
After booking, we'll arrange the time.
Quick call
$10030 minutes
One real situation. You get my read, the kind of people you need and how to reach them.
Strategy session
$20060 minutes
A situation with several people, parties or options. We map who matters, what is missing and how to get from where you are to where you need to be.
Deep dive
$35090 minutes
Send me the deal, partner, company or project beforehand. We work through it in depth and I send written notes with the people to involve and next steps.
Ongoing
$9004 sessions over one month
I stay with you for a month while you make the moves: four calls, follow-up between them, and help with each conversation.
Hire me
Scoped per projectConsulting project · I take it on and do the work
You bring the problem and I handle it: finding out what is really going on, finding the right people, setting up the meetings, bringing in specialists and staying on it through the work we agree.
Company, international, security or due-diligence matter?
Don't book a standard session. Tell me what you need. I'll let you know whether it should be handled as a project.
Consulting projects
Need more than a session?
Some problems need actual work: research, a meeting, due diligence, local support, introductions, security coordination, operations, or bringing in someone with the right expertise.
I take on selected consulting projects myself and, when needed, work with people in my professional network. Depending on the assignment, the work may also be handled through one of my companies. Each project is scoped individually.
Invite me to speak.
I speak at events, conferences, panels, symposiums and forums on national security, counterterrorism, Afghanistan and international affairs, as a keynote speaker, panelist or moderator, in person or virtually.
More than 200 media appearances on CNN, CBS, MSNBC, Fox, Al Jazeera, TRT World and CGTN, often on terrorism, national security and Afghanistan. Networks have introduced me on air as a former U.S. counterterrorism adviser.
Recent appearances
National security & counterterrorism
Terrorism, extremism, Afghanistan and conflict, from nearly two decades in and around U.S. government and years of explaining breaking news on live television.
WarGuy
Growing up during war, working alongside U.S. forces as a teenager, coming to America and what happened afterward.
Decisions under pressure
Working when information is incomplete, time matters and the consequences are real.
Working across cultures
Government, business, conflict environments and what changes when people come from very different backgrounds.
Relationships & trust
What I have learned about getting people to work together when they have different interests.
Government & international work
What the work looks like beyond job titles and policy papers.
Markets & risk
How I think about businesses, information, uncertainty and decision-making.
AI in actual work
Where I use it, where it helps and where I would rather have a person.
Media & breaking news
What years of live television and international news taught me about explaining complicated events quickly.
Formats
Keynotes · Conferences · Panels · Symposiums · Forums · Moderated conversations · University lectures · Virtual events
Conferences & panels
Rise to PeaceGeorge Washington University · 2017Global War on Terrorism: Myths, Realities, Solutions
Rise to PeaceRise to Peace · 2018Countering Violent Extremism: From Definition to Prevention
Rise to PeaceJohn Jay College · 2019Civil Society and Prevention in New York
Rise to PeaceAmerican University of Afghanistan · 2019Elections, Extremism and the Next Generation
Rise to PeaceRise to PeaceAll conferences & dialogues
About
About me
I was born in Afghanistan during war and began working alongside U.S. forces as a teenager.
That eventually led to close to two decades of work in and around the U.S. government across the Departments of State, Defense and Justice, intelligence and national security, diplomacy, overseas operations and international affairs.
In 2016 I founded Rise to Peace, which works on research, education and preventing violent extremism, and I became involved in international business, advisory work, investing, media and other projects.
Most of my work has involved fairly practical things: understanding a problem, finding information, working with people, organizing meetings, building teams and figuring out what needs to happen next.
I speak English, Dari, Persian and Pashto, and I live in the Washington, D.C. area.
The book
WarGuy
I wrote WarGuy about growing up during war, working alongside U.S. forces when I was young, coming to America and the experiences that followed.
It explains a lot of the background behind the way I think about people, risk, conflict, relationships and work.
Other expertise
When I need someone else
I don't pretend to know everything.
My work has put me in contact with people across government, business, finance, security, law, media, research and international markets. If a problem needs expertise I don't have, I may be able to bring in or point you toward someone who does.
That can include people working in fundamental research, technical analysis, professional fund management, law, security and other specialized areas.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What can I book you to discuss?
Business and market questions, companies, international work, due diligence questions, security planning, government and career decisions, media and communication, and workflow or AI questions. If you are unsure, send me a short note first.
What is the difference between a session and a project?
A session is a conversation: you get my perspective on your situation. A project is actual work done outside the call, such as research, meetings, due diligence, security coordination or bringing in other specialists. Projects are scoped and priced individually.
Is this coaching or mentorship?
Not in the usual sense. There is no program or curriculum. A session is a one-on-one conversation about a real situation with someone who has worked across government, business, media and international work. Many people use it the way they would use an experienced mentor: to think a decision through before they make it.
What happens after I pay?
You get a receipt by email and a confirmation page. Then you choose a time or message me on WhatsApp or email, and I confirm the time with you directly.
Can we discuss companies, markets or my portfolio?
Yes. We can look at how a company makes money, its financials, valuation, risks and the assumptions behind your thinking, including concentration and overlap in a portfolio. This is research and discussion, not personalized investment advice.
Do you manage money or execute trades?
No. I am not a broker and I do not manage money, hold funds or place trades. Where regulated, personalized securities advice or investment management is needed, that should come from an appropriately registered professional.
Can you introduce me to someone?
Sometimes, when there is a legitimate fit for both sides. Introductions are never guaranteed and never sold.
Can you help with international business?
Yes. Partners, new markets, meetings, local relationships and how to operate somewhere unfamiliar. Larger efforts are usually handled as a project.
Can you help with government or federal work?
Yes: federal operations, procurement, contracting, capture and how agencies actually work. I do not lobby or sell access.
Do you provide security services?
I help define the requirement and identify appropriate, qualified people or providers. Licensed or regulated security work is carried out by those providers.
Can my company hire you?
Yes. Use Discuss a project and describe what you need. I will tell you whether it fits and how it could be structured.
Do I need to prepare anything?
A short note on what you want to discuss helps. For a Deep dive, you can send background material beforehand.
Can I reschedule?
Yes, with at least 24 hours’ notice. If we can’t find a time that works within 30 days, you get a full refund.
Can I book you for a speaking event?
Yes. Use Invite me to speak with the event, date, location and audience.
Are you available for breaking news?
Often, yes. Producers can message me on WhatsApp or email for same-day requests. There is no fee for news interviews.
A little about me
I care about people, ideas and how things work.
I started working around international teams when I was young. Different countries, cultures and institutions taught me something simple: people matter.
I like making introductions, building trust, asking questions and helping something move when it gets stuck. I also enjoy new technology, especially when it makes work simpler and more useful.
Read the longer story →
Contact
What are you trying to do?
Tell me what you're working on and what you need.
If I can help, I will tell you how. If I cannot, I will tell you that too.