CNN Reporter Ali Velshi Draws a Crowd at South Asian Chamber’s Sold-Out Gala
NOVEMBER 06, 2009

HOUSTON: The South Asian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) of Houston held its 16th Anniversary Gala on Thursday, hosting a myriad of community leaders and honoring outstanding South Asian media, business leader and community organization. The Gala drew over 500 of Houston’s business and community leaders and political elite. SACC’s President Elect, Nomi Husain and SACC Advisory Member, Celina Charania Shariff served as emcees for the evening. The event was titled The Art of Business, Media, & Politics.

Co-Chairing the event were Munira Panjwani-Zahid and Shaukat Zakaria. In their welcome address, they acknowledged leaders who have supported the Chamber throughout the year and this year’s sold-out gala. They urged guests to become more active in the Chamber by joining as a member or sponsoring a program designed for the business and professional community. They also recognized the contributions of the SACC Board and the Advisory Board during the preparations of the gala.

The Chamber’s President, Mustafa Tameez, delivered a State of the Chamber address that highlighted the growth of the Chamber and the direction in which it is headed. “The growth of this Chamber is due to the hard work and dedication of its members,” he said, “Our organization has a mutually beneficial relationship with the South Asian business and political community, and the community at large.”

Tameez introduced CNN’s Ali Velshi as the keynote speaker by recognizing and appreciating his work as an outstanding media personality in the business world.

“Velshi is a role model for many young professionals and as the South Asian community, we’re very proud of him,” Tameez said.

“We believe there couldn’t have been a better pick than Velshi to unite our community during a time of economic turbulence,” said SACC Co-chair, Munira Panjwani-Zahid. Velshi spoke about the current and future economic climate. He recently authored a book “Gimme My Money Back” Your Guide to Beating the Financial Crisis. His speech took a personal turn as he also spoke about his family’s journey from India to Africa to Canada and the U.S. Velshi explained his commitment to inform stemmed from his family lineage of strong leaders including his father, the first South Asian-Canadian elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada. Velshi saluted all the guests in the room, complimenting the great strides made in Houston’s South Asian community in the areas of business, media, & politics.

SACC guests including Rupani Foundation, Continental Airlines, Qatar Airways, Houston Rockets, & Capital One Bank applauded Velshi with a standing ovation and called the event a success! “There is a lot of great talent in the South Asian Community and we’re honored to be a part of the Chamber,” said Sophia Arabani, Capital One Bank, Regional Marketing. “We hope this will be just the beginning of an enduring relationship between Capital One Bank & SACC.”

The Executive Board - Co-Chairs, Munira Panjwani-Zahid & Shaukat Zakaria and President Mustafa Tameez lead the award ceremony. The Outstanding Business Leader Award for 2009 was presented to Pinakin Dinesh who is the Founder and CEO of Fommy.com a global retailer, manufacturer and distributors of mobile wireless products & accessories with affiliates in UK, India and China. The company’s headquarter is located in Sugar Land, Texas.

The Outstanding Community Organization for 2009 Award was presented to Focus Humanitarian Assistance. FOCUS is an affiliate of the Aga Khan Development Network, and specializes in international disaster response planning, risk management and mitigation and crisis response. Its planning function includes training, stockpiling and expertise in times of crises. During a crisis, natural or man-made, it provides emergency relief to all communities in its areas of operation. In the U.S., during Hurricane Katrina, Gustav and Ike, FOCUS responded to the crises and helped with evacuations. In the recent past, its volunteers have also rendered assistance in connection with the California fires. More information about FOCUS can be found at www.akdn.org/focus

“The reason Focus Humanitarian Assistance was chosen for Outstanding Community Organization Award was because it’s doing impressive humanitarian work for the community at large, not only in the U.S., but globally,” said SACC President, Mustafa Tameez. “It’s Board of Directors and volunteers are hardworking and dedicated.”

Many corporations and friends supported this year’s glamorous gala including Continental Airlines, Qatar Airways, Houston Rockets, Capital One Bank, Bollywood Shows 4 U, Mega Energy, Wallis State Bank, Karat 22 Jewelers, Kohinoor Diamonds and Maharaja Jewelers.

For more information, please contact Executive Director, Soofia Aleem at soofia@sacchouston.com or call 832.660.2952. www.sacchouston.com