OPEN DC Annual Picnic - 2012

OPEN DCs Annual Picnic is the must attend event to herald the arrival of summer to our region. Meet your fellow OPENers and their families as well as an opportunity for non-members to attend in an informal and fun atmosphere.

Be ready for lots of laughter, games, activities and most importantly some really scrumptious food.

Cost:	Members $10, Member Family $20, Non Members $15, Non Member Family $30

When:	June 2nd , 2012 2:00 pm – 6:00pm

Where:	Lake Fairfax, 1400 Lake Fairfax Drive Reston, VA 20190

The Business of Fashion: From Runway to Marketplace--Making it Work!

Join us for an insider’s look into the business of fashion and what it takes to succeed in an
industry built on personal style from inspiring panelists who have done it all from A to Z.

Cost:	Non members - $10 : Members - $5 ; Registration at the door will be $20

When:	May 6th, Sunday, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Where:	Crowne Plaza Tysons Corner, 1960 Chain Bridge Road, McLean, VA 22102

Event Follow-up: Zero to 60 – Accelerating your Business, A Panel Discussion

On a beautiful Saturday morning, I walked into the Marriott’s not knowing exactly what to expect at the discussion panel hosted by Open Washington DC. As I entered the second floor, we were greeted by the most welcome fragrance of coffee and chocolate covered doughnuts! Most of the organizers and panel guests had already arrived. I noticed that Open Washington DC creates an environment of ease where people feel comfortable introducing themselves to each other. I was received with welcoming smiles. I really enjoy the socializing before the actual event because it’s an opportunity to exchange news, and make new friends.

Event Follow-up: Women's Leadership Forum Launch

TYSONS CORNER, VA – Saturday, March 3, 2012 – The Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs (OPEN), D.C. Chapter , successfully launched the OPEN D.C. Women's Leadership Forum (WLF) this past Saturday, a Forum dedicated to the success and development of Women as leaders in their respective industries. The launch event was held at the Crowne Plaza of Tysons with keynote speaker, Bridget Dean. OPEN DC President Imran Malik gave a brief about OPEN and it's mission, followed by a small business case study presented by Narjis Ali, the Chair for the new WLF.

Bridget currently serves as District Director, Washington Metropolitan District Office, and the Region III Director for U.S. Small Business Administration and spoke on the available programs at the SBA available to small business owners, particularly women-owned. From helping entrepreneurs get a running start on establishing a business to paving a path to financial independence, Bridget provided the insight into navigating the D.C. business space, and the three ways SBA can help support small business owners.

Business Development Exchange Forum Coming Soon!

Stay tuned

Stay tuned for a very exciting and productive upcoming event that focuses on fostering growth and collaboration amongst the OPEN DC community.

Members will meet in a roundtable setting where each participant will discuss business development opportunities and identify areas for teaming, partnership, subcontracting and joint ventures.

Event Follow-up: Fireside w/ Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy

In front of a capacity crowd, Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy gave an insightful presentation of his vision for transforming Pakistan into a viable nation-state in the next ten years. According to him, solution of six critical issues-- excessive population growth, water scarcity, lack of high quality public education, strained center-province relations, spread of extremism, and a weak economy--, was a prerequisite for achieving the above objective.

Javed Qamar, President OPEN Washington Chapter, welcomed Dr. Hoodbhoy for his second appearance at an OPEN meeting, and thanked the attendees for participation..

Event Follow-up: Fireside Chat w/ Mr. Monem Salam on Islamic Investing

An insightful and interactive presentation by Mr. Monem Salam was given explaining the intricacies of Islamic investing, in particular, in the United States.

Giving a brief overview of the growth and current status of Islamic investing, Mr. Salam indicated that the last few years have witnessed a rapid rise in opportunities for investing based on Islamic principles. These range from buying a house, engaging in business partnerships, and participating in other mainstream financial activities in the United States.

Event Follow-up: Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon

In his Fireside Chat-cum-Dinner speech, Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations, gave a broad overview of the current state of Pakistan’s economy and the challenges that it faces, spoke about investment opportunities in Pakistan, and participated in a question answer session.

President of OPEN Washington DC, Mr. Javed Qamar, welcomed Ambassador Haroon, briefly introduced him, and thanked the guests for their participation.

Rendezvous: Mr. Abbas Valliani, Co-founder, Primatics Financial

This is the latest in the Rendezvous series appearing on the OPEN website where we introduce you to the people behind OPEN DC. Each new Rendezvous section provides a glimpse into the life of an OPEN DC member while weaving a compelling professional narrative to the budding and established entrepreneurs alike. This issue profiles Mr. Abbass Valliani, OPEN DC board member and, co-founder of Primatics Financial.

On one fine Sunday afternoon I visited Mr. Valliani’s home. Answering the door stood this very young couple at the threshold. I didn’t realize that this couple were the same two people I had come to interview for the OPEN Rendezvous, Mr. and Mrs. Valliani. They live in one of the best locations in the Washington DC suburbia of Northern Virginia.

One of my first questions was how old he was? According to my guess, he was only in his mid thirties and at 34 years of age having accomplished a very successful business was a big WOW for me and I bet it would be for anyone. The couple has a very cute 3 year old son and such a well behaved child he is, I must say that. He showed everyone who cared to pay him attention all of his favorite toys, however, with the introduction of every toy, a necessary disclaimer was issued as a formality informing us that we were not allowed to take any of the toys home, as I am sure he himself was taught to do when he went to visit his friends.

Rendezvous: Mr. Ahmed R Ali, Founder, TISTA Science and Technology Corporation

This is the latest in the Rendezvous series appearing on the OPEN website where we introduce you to the people behind OPEN DC. Each new Rendezvous section provides a glimpse into the life of an OPEN DC member while weaving a compelling professional narrative to the budding and established entrepreneurs alike. This issue profiles Mr. Ahmed R. Ali, a member of OPEN DC and Founder of TISTA Science and Technology Corporation, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and SBA Certified 8(a) & SDB company (www.tistatech.com).

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