Frank Islam, a highly-successful Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist, has received the prestigious Martin luther King Jr legacy Award for International Service for his contributions to international service and civil engagement. Islam, originally from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, received the award from Harry Johnson, president of the Memorial Foundation Inc. that championed the vision of the grand memorial in honour of King in Washington DC.
“I feel doubly blessed to be given this honour because of the indelible connection between Dr King and that other famous civil and human rights leader from my homeland of India, Mahatma Gandhi,” said Islam, who came to the United States as a student of humble means in the 1970s. Islam currently heads the FI Investment Group, a private investment holding company that he established in 2007 after he sold his information technology firm, the QSS Group, which had more than 2,000 employees and revenues of about $300 million before its sale.
Both King and Gandhi “have been beacons to me in my personal life and charitable and philanthropic involvement”, Islam said in his acceptance speech on Sunday, adding: “As an Indian-American, I am proud and humbled to receive this award which honours the memory of one great man directly and another indirectly.”