President

Sohail Hassan

Mr. Hassan is Co-Founder & Managing Partner at MarketSpace Capital, a private equity commercial real estate fund where he leads and manages the operational aspects of the firm. In addition to being charged with implementing the overall strategic direction of the company, he is also responsible for managing investor relations.

Before joining MarketSpace Capital, Mr. Hassan acquired and successfully exited several business ventures related to engineering and technology. His most recent achievements include success as an entrepreneur in the emerging renewable energy sector having founded and sold two startups related to this space. Prior to this Mr. Hassan was Director of U.S. Operations for the Apex Group of Companies, a global consortium of companies with a focus on providing services to the public sector. Additionally, through his work in Political Fundraising for the Obama for America Campaign out of the national headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, he has developed extensive experience in building systems and processes to properly manage large organizations.

Sohail has a B.A. Degree from Texas A&M University and a Master’s Degree from the George Washington University in Washington D.C. and sits on the board of various non-profit organizations, currently serving as the President of the South Asian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) in Houston, Texas.

Vice President

Hamza Ali

Mr. Hamza Ali is CEO of Yasons, Inc. an asset management company focusing primarily on commercial real estate. With 10 years of international real estate investment experience acquired through hard work, perseverance and a natural talent for finding and creating excellent investments, Mr. Ali took great risks in moving to Houston but this risk, like many others, proved to reap excellent returns on both a personal and financial level.

Mr. Ali and his trusted team develop and manage a variety of spaces mainly multi-family and light industrial real estate. Yasons Inc.’s collective expertise in development in the industry has helped the company complete and lease projects in record time guaranteeing excellent returns for investors.

Mr. Ali’s hard work, discipline, passion, consistency and integrity guarantee that every project he invests in creates value for his clients.

Secretary

Khuram Virani

Khuram Virani  is a UH Alumni with a background in Broadcast Journalism and Advertising. Khuram decided to go the marketing route when he joined the Energy Industry with Tara Energy in 2007. He then made his way into the Ad Agency world and also headed to Silicon Valley to establish an e-commerce marketplace as the Head of Marketing. Khuram eventually made his way back into Energy in 2012 to lead and develop sales & marketing channels in markets throughout North America for Just Energy.

Treasurer

Sumit Dalwadi

Sumit Dalwadi is the President of Dalwadi Hospitality Management, a hotel management company and JD Engineering & Construction Corporation, a commercial construction company primarily focused in hospitality. Sumit is also a real estate broker and practices in the commercial space. He earned his BS in Computer Science and later earned his MBA in 2015.Sumit is a Brand Ambassador for charity: water and currently serves on numerous committees with the Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Houston. He has also served on a number of groups and committees with the Asian American Hotel Owners Association and IHG Owners Association. Sumit is a native Texan and has lived in Houston since 1993. He is a car enthusiast and enjoys traveling with friends and family. More information for Sumit can be found at www.dalwadi.com.

Outreach

Faizan Bodhani

A strategic marketer with over 12 years of experience across various industries, Faizan Bodhani is the Vice President of Client Partnership at Ansira – a national, data-driven, digital agency. Over his career Faizan has developed a reputation for being a results-driven leader and has delivered positive returns for countless brands like Shell, AT&T, DirectTV, Bridgestone, Direct Energy, Michaels and Daikin. A graduate from the University of Houston, Faizan is passionate about exploring new places/cultures with his family, movies and (sometimes-unfortunate) Houston sports teams.

Board Member

Maliha Mian

Maliha founded Got Boobs in 2016 while undergoing breast cancer chemotherapy treatment. Throughout 2017, she developed a social media networking platform which provides a comprehensive solution to the emotional rollercoaster that accompanies a breast cancer diagnosis. The Got Boobs? platform is set to launch Summer 2018.

Maliha is also Managing Member of Mian & Associates Law Firm PLLC. She expanded her law practice in 2017 to provide legal counseling for companies and individuals in the following legal practice areas: immigration, business, procurement, and family matters. Prior to this, Maliha served as General Counsel & Director of EB-5 Regional Center for MEDITEX CAPITAL where she led the in-house legal department, managed litigation, and collaborated with litigators. Additionally, she has experience handling immigration matters from visas to family-based, employment-based petitions for lawful permanent resident status to naturalization. Maliha has a proven track record in helping small businesses secure government projects and has raised millions of dollars for local projects.

Board Member

Sami Khaleeq

Board Member

Mo Hossain

Mo is the founder and CEO of UMD Solutions established in 2015. UMD Solutions focuses on fostering and implementing innovations in the Industrial, and Oil & Gas sectors. UMD Solutions provide a one-stop shop for services and products as it is vertically integrated to serve their customer requirements. Mo is passionate about entrepreneurship which provides sustainability for the greater good of mankind. Prior to starting UMD Solutions, Mo worked in the Oil & Gas service industry for 10 years in business development, sales, and product management. Mo has a B.S. in Chemistry, and Health Education from the University of Houston, and currently attend Rice-Jones Graduate School of Business pursuing an MBA.

Board Member

Sangeeta Dua

Sangeeta Dua is a visionary business entrepreneur, educator, social worker, philanthropist, political activist and a TV talk show host. She is the founder-proprietor of TV Houston, an Internet TV channel catering to the Greater Houston metro area in the state of Texas. She hosts “Diversity Talk Show” on TV Houston, a popular talk show that builds bridges between various communities, and features a broad roster of decision makers from the corporate and political arena. Earlier, she produced and directed powerful documentaries under Dua TV USA, a media company she started in 2012, now serving a variety of business clients in media services and public affairs.

Board Member

Umar Qureshi

Umar Qureshi is the Chief Executive Officer of Senor Check Cashing, which has nearly 34 locations in and around the greater Houston area. Umar brings his knowledge of franchising and real estate to the board of the SACC and has been an active member since 2017.

Board Member

Mesum Ali

Mesum Ali is a General Partner at Elevation Capital, an early stage venture capital firm that uses a unique approach to fund companies. Unlike most firms that just write checks, Elevation provides both the capital and teams to help turn ideas into a business. Previously, Mesum started a Micro Finance firm in Saudi Arabia and graduated from the University of Houston with a Masters in Finance.