Muhammad Abdul-Hadi is the Founder and Owner of Down North Pizza and Out West, mission-driven restaurants that exclusively hire formerly incarcerated individuals and serve up pizza and premium coffee and breakfast sandwiches with a purpose in Philadelphia. Leveraging his academic background in criminal justice and experiences as an entrepreneur, Muhammad embarked on a path to reimagine a business leader’s role in supporting underserved communities. Through fair wages, innovative hiring practices, and community building, he is on a mission to help reduce recidivism rates across the city of Philadelphia and beyond.  He is the author of We The Pizza, a Clarkson Potter-published cookbook featuring cinematic photography and award-winning recipes. We the Pizza tells the Down North story about how the restaurant fulfills its mission to educate and support the formerly incarcerated.

Abdul-Hadi is a 2024 James Beard Leadership Award recipient.