D.C.

Joseph A. Farsakh (HKS) leads Harvardwood in Washington, D.C. Joseph is Co-founder & President of Helios, a technology company that built the first AI native operating system for all public-private interaction. Joseph also manages a multi-million dollar family real estate holding company, is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and has been awarded the 40 under 40 recognition from the Middle East Policy Council. He previously served as a political appointee and Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of State, focusing on the Gulf. Joseph developed and executed U.S. foreign policy related to the Gulf, supported political and diplomatic efforts in the Gulf, and drove peace negotiations to end the war and begin a political transition in Yemen.

Joseph previously advised a national Presidential campaign on Gulf policy issues, and led Americans abroad policy and outreach efforts for the campaign. Prior to joining the Administration, Joseph spent nearly ten years practicing law at a major American law firm. In addition to the New York office, Joseph worked in King & Spalding LLP’s Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates offices where he negotiated M&A transactions and investment fund deals for global and regional private equity firms, and sovereign wealth funds.  He closed billions of dollars of cross-border transactions in several industries, including technology, entertainment, real estate, energy, hospitality, and other sectors. Joseph led teams of lawyers, investment bankers, tax advisors, and technical/strategy consultants to structure, negotiate, and document multi-million and multi-billion dollar investments globally.

Joseph previously served as a legal analyst for The Carter Center during periods of transition in key Middle Eastern nations. He also externed at the California Supreme Court for the Honorable Justice Ming W. Chin, and served as the Co-Chair of Harvard’s Electoral Politics Professional Interest Council, and Harvard’s Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs Professional Interest Council.

Joseph holds a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, a Juris Doctor from the University of California, San Francisco Law (Hastings), and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is a Southern California native.