Meet the people behind the mission

Dr. Basheer Khumawala

Dr. Basheer Khumawala is currently the John & Rebecca Moores Professor of Supply Chain Management at the C.T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston. Previously he has taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Rice University, and other national & international universities. He and his wife, Dr. Saleha, founded Pennies for Education & Health in 2003. Basheer also serves on the Coalition of Mutual Respect Board of ADL, the Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston and others. He received his Ph.D. in Industrial Administration from Purdue University, was a Senior Fullbright Faculty Specialist, and is widely traveled.

Mr. Bilal Zakaria

Mr. Bilal Zakaria is a native Houstonian with roots in Gujarat, India. Since 2005, Bilal has been involved with PEH in several capacities. He has seen and experienced the positive impacts that PEH has made to its beneficiaries. Bilal holds a BBA in Accounting and a BS in Economics from the University of Houston. Bilal is a Vice President at Goldman Sachs and currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife.

Mr. Irfan Uddin

Mr. Irfan Uddin has been in the technology industry since 1991. He worked for GE in Houston for 5 years and then moved to Dallas for the next 31 years to work for Texas Instruments in the wireless, industrial, and automotive product areas. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from UH in 1987 and 1991 before eventually completing an MBA from SMU in 2010. For the first 20 years, he resided in Plano with his wife, Shaila Hossain. Outside of work he completed 6 years of service in the Plano Mosque as a Board member, 4 years of volunteer service as a member of the City of Plano Multicultural Outreach Roundtable and 2 years of service as an active member of Rotary International and served as the chair of the Rotary Foundation for the 2016-17 E-Club of North Texas which was focused on deploying funded projects in developing countries.

Dr. Ahmed Ansari

Dr. Ahmed Ansari is a native Houstonian of Indian descent. Ahmed started working with PEH as an undergraduate student at the University of Houston and has been involved with PEH for more than a decade. Ahmed holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Houston and a Doctorate in Medicine from Texas Tech University. He is currently an Internal Medicine Resident at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and will soon be a Cardiology Fellow.

Dr. Moin Ahmed

Dr. Moin Ahmed is a chemical engineer who worked for Union Carbide Corp, Dow Chemical, and Chevron in their Research and Development departments before retiring in 2014. He now lives in Austin, TX.

Dr. Richard Scamell

Dr. Richard Scamell is the Professor of Decision and Information Sciences and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs at the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. His teaching areas include Database Management Systems, Decision Support Systems, and MIS Research methods. Spanning decades of experience in working with students, Scamell has served at many different levels, including service on several Ph.D. student committees, as both a committee member and chairperson, and received numerous awards for Excellence in Teaching at the University of Houston and Bauer College. Scamell also serves as the University of Houston NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative. He joined the Faculty in 1972.

Dr. Saleha Khumawala

Dr. Saleha Khumawala is the Robert Grinaker Professor of Accounting and the Founding Director of the SURE™ (Stimulating Urban Renewal through Entrepreneurship) Program at Bauer College of Business, University of Houston. As the director of SURE™, she works with Houston’s under-resourced communities and Veterans by providing financial and business education, management and skills training, and access to capital. Her passion for education led her to establish a nonprofit entity Pennies of Education and Health (PEH) in 2003 that has a sponsorship program to fund the educational needs of underserved children in the developing world, regardless of their faith, gender, or ethnicity. She is also involved in Interfaith activities and is continually involved in relief work for refugees and evacuees. She is married and has two wonderful children.

M. Habib Ranginwala

Habib Ranginwala is a Senior physician / Geriatrician in Kaiser Permanente Medical group. Habib brings over a decade of experience working as a physician and educator, dedicated to delivering high quality medical and rehabilitative services to the community. He is involved in many organizations serving underserved members of communities, both local and abroad, such as Hidaya Foundation, Ihsan foundation, Local Food kitchens. Dr Ranginwala believes in providing compassionate care with social support for seniors in the Bay area. Dr. Ranginwala is committed to providing educational and health support to disadvantaged youth and is inspired by PEH’s mission to break the cycle of poverty through education, health care and empowerment.

Mr Jameel Ahmed

Jameel Ahmed is native of Chicago of Indian dissent. He is a seasoned analyst with a passion for improving healthcare outcomes, has dedicated almost a decade to a career in healthcare informatics. With a background in economics from University of Illinois at Chicago, he brings a unique combination of analytical skills and practical experience to the field. Throughout his career, he has held various positions in healthcare organizations, leveraging his expertise in informatics to develop efficient solutions for managing patient data and improving care delivery nationwide. He previously was Director of Community Relations at Startup San Diego, a non-profit organization helping startups.

Mr. Abdul Hafiz Khatri

Mr. Abdul Hafiz Khatri has been living in Greater Houston since 1978. He moved here from Bombay, India and still has immediate and extended family residing in Bombay. He has been involved in Real Estate and Financial Services business for 40 years. He has been self-employed since 1990 with his company AHK Services and AHK Insurance Agency. Prior to that he was employed by Equitec Properties and MetLife Securities. He has served as a Board Member of Islamic Society of Greater Houston, General Secretary for Islamic Education Institute of Texas, Regional Vice-President for American Federation of Muslims from India, Board of Director for South Asian Chamber of Commerce, Board of Director for India Cultural Centre and Board of Director for United Way. Currently he is the Vice-President of Houston Shifa Services Foundation.

Mr. Amaar Bangee

Amaar Bangee is a native Houstonian and has been involved with PEH since he began as a student-intern in 2013, while completing his bachelor's degree in Accounting at the University of Houston. Passionate about PEH's cause and mission, he continued to work with the organization after graduating and has continued to stay involved in the years since. He is currently working as an accountant at EOG Resources.

Mr. Asif Dakri

Mr. Asif Dakri is the Vice Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Wallis State Bank. Mr. Dakri is also active within the Houston business community, giving various speeches on financing challenges faced by small businesses. Additionally, he serves as a speaker and panel member for the University of Houston’s SURE program and also serves as an Advisory Board Member for the business school at North American University. Mr. Dakri is an active member of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce and the South Asian Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Dakri is also a member of FDIC Advisory Committee on Community Banking.

Mr. Bilal Safree

Bilal Safree is a native of Ahmedabad, India currently residing in the Bay Area, California where he works as a Financial Analyst at Visa. He is an Industrial Engineer with an undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and a Master’s degree from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. He has worked with local mosques volunteering/lending a hand with their community service programs. Being passionate about PEH’s cause and their mission of providing quality education and healthcare infrastructure in his home country, he also wishes to use this platform to fulfill his personal intentions of serving the community. He is an avid newsreader with keen interests in sports, global news & politics. He also loves traveling (road trips especially) and trying out different cuisines.

Mr. H. Richard Walton

Mr. H. Richard Walton (Chairman) serves as Chief Financial Officer Emeritus of Flotek Industries Inc., a public technology-driven company that develops and supplies energy chemistries and oilfield products, services and equipment. Prior to joining Flotek, Mr. Walton spent his entire 30-year career in public accounting, including 20 years as an audit partner at KPMG LLP. His experience includes financial statement audits and registration of securities with the SEC. Mr. Walton is a certified public accountant and has served as an officer in the United States Army. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Westminster College in Economics and Business Admiration. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors of DePelchin Children’s Center, and as a member of the board of trustees of the Retina Research Foundation. He also serves on the Audit and Finance Committee of Houston Hospice.

Mr. Mubeen Khumawala

Mubeen Khumawala is the Director of Operations for City Forward Collective, an education non- profit supporting students and teachers in Milwaukee. Prior to that, he was at Deloitte Consulting and the Texas Education Agency. Mubeen’s journey in education began through Teach for America as a founding middle school math teacher at YES Prep Public Schools in Houston, Texas. Mubeen is no stranger to India, having visited his grandparents many times growing up. He also interned at the U.S. Department of State in New Delhi, India for a summer along with leading a group of high school students for community service projects in Rajasthan. Mubeen earned a BBA in Accounting and Finance from the Honors College, University of Houston and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

Mr. Riaz Essa

Riaz Essa is a Houston resident for 40 years with roots in Zambia and Gujarat, India. He currently serves as the Controller and Operations Manager for a multi-national marketing technology company with operations in Houston and Eastern Europe. He has spent a large part of his career in the advertising industry, including serving as a CEO of a manufacturing company in Dubai and as a General Manager/Equity Partner in a food distribution company serving the Southwestern US. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.

Mr. Sufel Barkat

Sufel is an accomplished and innovative leader, with diverse expertise in establishing and operating global IT organizations and processes in a multitude of industries & functions. Sufel has transformed many organizations using Information Systems by developing strategic direction, center of excellence, shared service models, and on-going optimization of system processes. Sufel was born in India, Gujarat Ahmedabad and grew up in Chicago. Sufel attended the University of Illinois – Chicago (Computer Science). He has been married for 37 years and has 3 children. His oldest son works in technology, his elder daughter is a teacher, and the younger daughter is a Hospital Pharmacist. Sufel also is the proud grandfather of one grandson and two granddaughters. Although he has very little free time, Sufel loves to play golf and volleyball as well as go bowling. Sufel is the president of a community which he started in Chicago, IL. named SJKB USA and has over 500 active members.

Mr. Taha Dadabhoy

Taha is a CPA (TX) who has proven experience at large organizations (Tesla, Amazon, BHP Billiton, KPMG) and cross industry experience (extractive, retail, automotive, SaaS) building and managing global programs through successfully collaboration with business teams. Taha has a diverse set of background related to finance operations, SOX compliance, financial statement analysis and managing business operations. In his most recent roles (Tesla and Amazon), Taha has been focused on driving strategy and development on core programs in for business and finance teams. Taha has been able to successfully lead international, cross-functional teams to deliver programs that are scalable, effective, and dynamic to business needs. Additionally, Taha has worked with cross-border teams to influence and build continuous cross-collaboration (India, Singapore, Europe) on key organization priorities. Taha’s strong leadership, analytical, crisp communication skills,and multi-disciplinary background would be a great fit for the organization.

Ms. Aisha Matin

‍Aisha Matin is a native Houstonian who first joined the PEH team as an undergraduate student intern, where she quickly discovered her interest in non-profits and PEH’s mission. After earning a BBA in Finance from the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business, she decided to pursue her passion for healthcare.Aisha will graduate in May 2025 with a Master of Public Health in Healthcare Management from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. Prior to graduate school, she worked as a clinical research coordinator at Houston Methodist Hospital, where her work in lung transplant trials sparked a passion for operational efficiency and equitable, patient-centered care. There, she witnessed how cultural, educational, and linguistic disparities profoundly affect access to life-saving interventions—motivating her to help healthcare systems implement culturally targeted education, diagnosis-specific support groups, and outreach programs for underserved populations.Most recently, Aisha completed a practicum at Texas Children’s Hospital, where her longstanding commitment to pediatrics guided systems-level improvements in surgical and transplant operations. She brings a unique perspective rooted in frontline research, operational strategy, and a deep belief in amplifying the patient’s voice as a powerful tool to improve quality of life and bridge healthcare disparities.

Ms. Angeli Arjunani

Ms. Angeli Arjunani is the owner of AH CPA’s PLLS and a member of its Executive Committee. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Houston CPA Society, and Houston Business and Estate Planning Council. She specializes in analyzing, designing, and implementing effective tax solutions for high net worth and highly compensated individuals including medical professionals, business owners, executives, ranchers and farmers, and software consultants. Ms. Arjunani is involved in a number of charitable, civic, and religious organizations including being the Board Member, President, and Treasurer of Edu4All Inc. She graduated from Rice University with an MBA in finance and worked at KPMG before starting her own practice. She currently resides in Houston with her husband and son.

Ms. Nayab Contractor

Nayab Contractor servesas an Adjunct Professor and Senior Consultant with the SURE Program. She firstbecame acquainted with the SURE program in spring 2023 as a consultant. Nayab brings over a decade of experience in television and broadcast media,working with top global networks like Network18 (CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, &CNN-IBN), Zee Group, and STAR TV, reaching an audience of over 670 millionworldwide. Her expertise spans various genres—Business News (English andRegional), General Entertainment (Regional)—where she specialized in BrandDevelopment, Marketing, and Events. As an entrepreneur, shefounded Bohra Pantry, a USA-based spice brand for Bohra cuisine. She alsoco-founded Indian Food Trail, a food-tech platform empowering Indian womenthrough micro-entrepreneurship. Indian Food Trail allowed users to experience authentic home-cooked regional Indian cuisines, while also donating a meal to a child in need for every meal sold. A passionate advocate for women, Nayab serves on the board and is President of the Federation of Houston Professional Women (FHPW) and is President-Elect of the Federation of Houston Professional Women (FHPW) supporting women of color and women-led organizations. She was honored as a Woman of Excellence 2022 by FHPW and recognized by the Texas Business Hall of Fame, where she received the T.T. & W.F. Chao Award and scholarship. She holds her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Houston, C. T. Bauer College of Business.

Ms. Parvin Saiyed

Parvin Saiyed is an experienced and compassionate Indian dentist who is not only dedicated to her profession but also to the well-being of her community. Her warm and cheerful personality makes her an outgoing individual, always eager to meet new people, forge meaningful relationships, and bring individuals together. She takes great pride in cherishing both old and new friendships, and her ability to connect with others leaves a lasting impact. Parvin has a rich history of volunteering, with a strong commitment to giving back to those in need. She has served as the former treasurer of IMAGH (Indian Muslim Association of Greater Houston), showcasing her leadership skills and financial acumen. In addition, Parvin has been a board member of IAPAC (Indian American Public Action Committee), contributing her expertise and insight to strengthen the organization's mission. She has been part of other organizations as well serving the community. Whether in her professional or volunteer roles, Parvin’s dedication and passion for helping others stand out, making her a well-respected and admired individual in both her personal and professional circles.

Ms. Ruhi Khan

Ruhi Khan has over 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry in areas of business development, finance and venture capital investing. Ms. Khan has been advising start-up biotech companies on sourcing, structuring, negotiating and managing strategic alliances. Previously, Ms. Khan was the Vice President, Business Development at Acorda therapeutics. Prior to that Ms. Khan also held roles in Business Development at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals. Before Lexicon, Ms. Khan was a member of the founding team at Fidelity Biosciences (F-Prime Capital), the life sciences venture capital arm of Fidelity Investments where she had business development and finance responsibilities at EnVivo(Forum) Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in her career Ms. Khan worked on new business development, product strategy and commercialization projects with biopharma companies. Ms. Khan has a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School.

Dr. Basheer Khumawala

Dr. Basheer Khumawala is currently the John & Rebecca Moores Professor of Supply Chain Management at the C.T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston. Previously he has taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Rice University, and other national & international universities. He and his wife, Dr. Saleha, founded Pennies for Education & Health in 2003. Basheer also serves on the Coalition of Mutual Respect Board of ADL, the Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston and others. He received his Ph.D. in Industrial Administration from Purdue University, was a Senior Fullbright Faculty Specialist, and is widely traveled.

Mr. Bilal Zakaria

Mr. Bilal Zakaria is a native Houstonian with roots in Gujarat, India. Since 2005, Bilal has been involved with PEH in several capacities. He has seen and experienced the positive impacts that PEH has made to its beneficiaries. Bilal holds a BBA in Accounting and a BS in Economics from the University of Houston. Bilal is a Vice President at Goldman Sachs and currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife.

Mr. Irfan Uddin

Mr. Irfan Uddin has been in the technology industry since 1991. He worked for GE in Houston for 5 years and then moved to Dallas for the next 31 years to work for Texas Instruments in the wireless, industrial, and automotive product areas. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from UH in 1987 and 1991 before eventually completing an MBA from SMU in 2010. For the first 20 years, he resided in Plano with his wife, Shaila Hossain. Outside of work he completed 6 years of service in the Plano Mosque as a Board member, 4 years of volunteer service as a member of the City of Plano Multicultural Outreach Roundtable and 2 years of service as an active member of Rotary International and served as the chair of the Rotary Foundation for the 2016-17 E-Club of North Texas which was focused on deploying funded projects in developing countries.

Dr. Ahmed Ansari

Dr. Ahmed Ansari is a native Houstonian of Indian descent. Ahmed started working with PEH as an undergraduate student at the University of Houston and has been involved with PEH for more than a decade. Ahmed holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Houston and a Doctorate in Medicine from Texas Tech University. He is currently an Internal Medicine Resident at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and will soon be a Cardiology Fellow.

Dr. Richard Scamell

Dr. Richard Scamell is the Professor of Decision and Information Sciences and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs at the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. His teaching areas include Database Management Systems, Decision Support Systems, and MIS Research methods. Spanning decades of experience in working with students, Scamell has served at many different levels, including service on several Ph.D. student committees, as both a committee member and chairperson, and received numerous awards for Excellence in Teaching at the University of Houston and Bauer College. Scamell also serves as the University of Houston NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative. He joined the Faculty in 1972.

Dr. Saleha Khumawala

Dr. Saleha Khumawala is the Robert Grinaker Professor of Accounting and the Founding Director of the SURE™ (Stimulating Urban Renewal through Entrepreneurship) Program at Bauer College of Business, University of Houston. As the director of SURE™, she works with Houston’s under-resourced communities and Veterans by providing financial and business education, management and skills training, and access to capital. Her passion for education led her to establish a nonprofit entity Pennies of Education and Health (PEH) in 2003 that has a sponsorship program to fund the educational needs of underserved children in the developing world, regardless of their faith, gender, or ethnicity. She is also involved in Interfaith activities and is continually involved in relief work for refugees and evacuees. She is married and has two wonderful children.

Mr. Asif Dakri

Mr. Asif Dakri is the Vice Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Wallis State Bank. Mr. Dakri is also active within the Houston business community, giving various speeches on financing challenges faced by small businesses. Additionally, he serves as a speaker and panel member for the University of Houston’s SURE program and also serves as an Advisory Board Member for the business school at North American University. Mr. Dakri is an active member of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce and the South Asian Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Dakri is also a member of FDIC Advisory Committee on Community Banking.

Mr. H. Richard Walton

Mr. H. Richard Walton (Chairman) serves as Chief Financial Officer Emeritus of Flotek Industries Inc., a public technology-driven company that develops and supplies energy chemistries and oilfield products, services and equipment. Prior to joining Flotek, Mr. Walton spent his entire 30-year career in public accounting, including 20 years as an audit partner at KPMG LLP. His experience includes financial statement audits and registration of securities with the SEC. Mr. Walton is a certified public accountant and has served as an officer in the United States Army. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Westminster College in Economics and Business Admiration. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors of DePelchin Children’s Center, and as a member of the board of trustees of the Retina Research Foundation. He also serves on the Audit and Finance Committee of Houston Hospice.

Mr. Riaz Essa

Riaz Essa is a Houston resident for 40 years with roots in Zambia and Gujarat, India. He currently serves as the Controller and Operations Manager for a multi-national marketing technology company with operations in Houston and Eastern Europe. He has spent a large part of his career in the advertising industry, including serving as a CEO of a manufacturing company in Dubai and as a General Manager/Equity Partner in a food distribution company serving the Southwestern US. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.

Ms. Aisha Matin

‍Aisha Matin is a native Houstonian who first joined the PEH team as an undergraduate student intern, where she quickly discovered her interest in non-profits and PEH’s mission. After earning a BBA in Finance from the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business, she decided to pursue her passion for healthcare.Aisha will graduate in May 2025 with a Master of Public Health in Healthcare Management from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. Prior to graduate school, she worked as a clinical research coordinator at Houston Methodist Hospital, where her work in lung transplant trials sparked a passion for operational efficiency and equitable, patient-centered care. There, she witnessed how cultural, educational, and linguistic disparities profoundly affect access to life-saving interventions—motivating her to help healthcare systems implement culturally targeted education, diagnosis-specific support groups, and outreach programs for underserved populations.Most recently, Aisha completed a practicum at Texas Children’s Hospital, where her longstanding commitment to pediatrics guided systems-level improvements in surgical and transplant operations. She brings a unique perspective rooted in frontline research, operational strategy, and a deep belief in amplifying the patient’s voice as a powerful tool to improve quality of life and bridge healthcare disparities.

Ms. Angeli Arjunani

Ms. Angeli Arjunani is the owner of AH CPA’s PLLS and a member of its Executive Committee. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Houston CPA Society, and Houston Business and Estate Planning Council. She specializes in analyzing, designing, and implementing effective tax solutions for high net worth and highly compensated individuals including medical professionals, business owners, executives, ranchers and farmers, and software consultants. Ms. Arjunani is involved in a number of charitable, civic, and religious organizations including being the Board Member, President, and Treasurer of Edu4All Inc. She graduated from Rice University with an MBA in finance and worked at KPMG before starting her own practice. She currently resides in Houston with her husband and son.

Ms. Ruhi Khan

Ruhi Khan has over 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry in areas of business development, finance and venture capital investing. Ms. Khan has been advising start-up biotech companies on sourcing, structuring, negotiating and managing strategic alliances. Previously, Ms. Khan was the Vice President, Business Development at Acorda therapeutics. Prior to that Ms. Khan also held roles in Business Development at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals. Before Lexicon, Ms. Khan was a member of the founding team at Fidelity Biosciences (F-Prime Capital), the life sciences venture capital arm of Fidelity Investments where she had business development and finance responsibilities at EnVivo(Forum) Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in her career Ms. Khan worked on new business development, product strategy and commercialization projects with biopharma companies. Ms. Khan has a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School.

Dr. Moin Ahmed

Dr. Moin Ahmed is a chemical engineer who worked for Union Carbide Corp, Dow Chemical, and Chevron in their Research and Development departments before retiring in 2014. He now lives in Austin, TX.

M. Habib Ranginwala

Habib Ranginwala is a Senior physician / Geriatrician in Kaiser Permanente Medical group. Habib brings over a decade of experience working as a physician and educator, dedicated to delivering high quality medical and rehabilitative services to the community. He is involved in many organizations serving underserved members of communities, both local and abroad, such as Hidaya Foundation, Ihsan foundation, Local Food kitchens. Dr Ranginwala believes in providing compassionate care with social support for seniors in the Bay area. Dr. Ranginwala is committed to providing educational and health support to disadvantaged youth and is inspired by PEH’s mission to break the cycle of poverty through education, health care and empowerment.

Mr Jameel Ahmed

Jameel Ahmed is native of Chicago of Indian dissent. He is a seasoned analyst with a passion for improving healthcare outcomes, has dedicated almost a decade to a career in healthcare informatics. With a background in economics from University of Illinois at Chicago, he brings a unique combination of analytical skills and practical experience to the field. Throughout his career, he has held various positions in healthcare organizations, leveraging his expertise in informatics to develop efficient solutions for managing patient data and improving care delivery nationwide. He previously was Director of Community Relations at Startup San Diego, a non-profit organization helping startups.

Mr. Abdul Hafiz Khatri

Mr. Abdul Hafiz Khatri has been living in Greater Houston since 1978. He moved here from Bombay, India and still has immediate and extended family residing in Bombay. He has been involved in Real Estate and Financial Services business for 40 years. He has been self-employed since 1990 with his company AHK Services and AHK Insurance Agency. Prior to that he was employed by Equitec Properties and MetLife Securities. He has served as a Board Member of Islamic Society of Greater Houston, General Secretary for Islamic Education Institute of Texas, Regional Vice-President for American Federation of Muslims from India, Board of Director for South Asian Chamber of Commerce, Board of Director for India Cultural Centre and Board of Director for United Way. Currently he is the Vice-President of Houston Shifa Services Foundation.

Mr. Amaar Bangee

Amaar Bangee is a native Houstonian and has been involved with PEH since he began as a student-intern in 2013, while completing his bachelor's degree in Accounting at the University of Houston. Passionate about PEH's cause and mission, he continued to work with the organization after graduating and has continued to stay involved in the years since. He is currently working as an accountant at EOG Resources.

Mr. Bilal Safree

Bilal Safree is a native of Ahmedabad, India currently residing in the Bay Area, California where he works as a Financial Analyst at Visa. He is an Industrial Engineer with an undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and a Master’s degree from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. He has worked with local mosques volunteering/lending a hand with their community service programs. Being passionate about PEH’s cause and their mission of providing quality education and healthcare infrastructure in his home country, he also wishes to use this platform to fulfill his personal intentions of serving the community. He is an avid newsreader with keen interests in sports, global news & politics. He also loves traveling (road trips especially) and trying out different cuisines.

Mr. Mubeen Khumawala

Mubeen Khumawala is the Director of Operations for City Forward Collective, an education non- profit supporting students and teachers in Milwaukee. Prior to that, he was at Deloitte Consulting and the Texas Education Agency. Mubeen’s journey in education began through Teach for America as a founding middle school math teacher at YES Prep Public Schools in Houston, Texas. Mubeen is no stranger to India, having visited his grandparents many times growing up. He also interned at the U.S. Department of State in New Delhi, India for a summer along with leading a group of high school students for community service projects in Rajasthan. Mubeen earned a BBA in Accounting and Finance from the Honors College, University of Houston and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

Mr. Sufel Barkat

Sufel is an accomplished and innovative leader, with diverse expertise in establishing and operating global IT organizations and processes in a multitude of industries & functions. Sufel has transformed many organizations using Information Systems by developing strategic direction, center of excellence, shared service models, and on-going optimization of system processes. Sufel was born in India, Gujarat Ahmedabad and grew up in Chicago. Sufel attended the University of Illinois – Chicago (Computer Science). He has been married for 37 years and has 3 children. His oldest son works in technology, his elder daughter is a teacher, and the younger daughter is a Hospital Pharmacist. Sufel also is the proud grandfather of one grandson and two granddaughters. Although he has very little free time, Sufel loves to play golf and volleyball as well as go bowling. Sufel is the president of a community which he started in Chicago, IL. named SJKB USA and has over 500 active members.

Mr. Taha Dadabhoy

Taha is a CPA (TX) who has proven experience at large organizations (Tesla, Amazon, BHP Billiton, KPMG) and cross industry experience (extractive, retail, automotive, SaaS) building and managing global programs through successfully collaboration with business teams. Taha has a diverse set of background related to finance operations, SOX compliance, financial statement analysis and managing business operations. In his most recent roles (Tesla and Amazon), Taha has been focused on driving strategy and development on core programs in for business and finance teams. Taha has been able to successfully lead international, cross-functional teams to deliver programs that are scalable, effective, and dynamic to business needs. Additionally, Taha has worked with cross-border teams to influence and build continuous cross-collaboration (India, Singapore, Europe) on key organization priorities. Taha’s strong leadership, analytical, crisp communication skills,and multi-disciplinary background would be a great fit for the organization.

Ms. Nayab Contractor

Nayab Contractor servesas an Adjunct Professor and Senior Consultant with the SURE Program. She firstbecame acquainted with the SURE program in spring 2023 as a consultant. Nayab brings over a decade of experience in television and broadcast media,working with top global networks like Network18 (CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, &CNN-IBN), Zee Group, and STAR TV, reaching an audience of over 670 millionworldwide. Her expertise spans various genres—Business News (English andRegional), General Entertainment (Regional)—where she specialized in BrandDevelopment, Marketing, and Events. As an entrepreneur, shefounded Bohra Pantry, a USA-based spice brand for Bohra cuisine. She alsoco-founded Indian Food Trail, a food-tech platform empowering Indian womenthrough micro-entrepreneurship. Indian Food Trail allowed users to experience authentic home-cooked regional Indian cuisines, while also donating a meal to a child in need for every meal sold. A passionate advocate for women, Nayab serves on the board and is President of the Federation of Houston Professional Women (FHPW) and is President-Elect of the Federation of Houston Professional Women (FHPW) supporting women of color and women-led organizations. She was honored as a Woman of Excellence 2022 by FHPW and recognized by the Texas Business Hall of Fame, where she received the T.T. & W.F. Chao Award and scholarship. She holds her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Houston, C. T. Bauer College of Business.

Ms. Parvin Saiyed

Parvin Saiyed is an experienced and compassionate Indian dentist who is not only dedicated to her profession but also to the well-being of her community. Her warm and cheerful personality makes her an outgoing individual, always eager to meet new people, forge meaningful relationships, and bring individuals together. She takes great pride in cherishing both old and new friendships, and her ability to connect with others leaves a lasting impact. Parvin has a rich history of volunteering, with a strong commitment to giving back to those in need. She has served as the former treasurer of IMAGH (Indian Muslim Association of Greater Houston), showcasing her leadership skills and financial acumen. In addition, Parvin has been a board member of IAPAC (Indian American Public Action Committee), contributing her expertise and insight to strengthen the organization's mission. She has been part of other organizations as well serving the community. Whether in her professional or volunteer roles, Parvin’s dedication and passion for helping others stand out, making her a well-respected and admired individual in both her personal and professional circles.

Current Interns

Jonathan Nguyen

Jonathan Nguyen is a rising senior at the University of Houston's Bauer College of Business double majoring in finance and accounting. As a research assistant at the SURE program, he is passionate about enabling equitable education and health outcomes for all, leading him to interning with PEH for summer 2024. He is previously an M&A consulting intern at EY and a rotational intern at Grant Thronton

Aidan Bell

Aidan Bell is a student at the Woodlands High School. Through his work in and out of the classroom he’s demonstrated a distinct passion for helping others. In the future, he hopes to continue to systematically improve the lives of people all around the world.

Sara Essa

Sara Essa is a freshman mechanical engineering student at the University of Texas at Austin. Passionate about sustainability and innovation, she has led various projects, including founding a nonprofit promoting environmental education in rural Zambia. She hopes to leverage her education and experiences to drive environmental change and improve access to education and healthcare in underserved communities.

Former Interns

Dr. Ahmed Ansari

Bilal Zakaria

Amaar Bangee

Aisha Matin

Samira Diabi

Kathryn Siririeh

Zainab Lotia

MIS Students

Radiya Ali

BSU Organization