Entrepreneur Frank Islam Discusses His Book “Renewing the American Dream”

Frank Islam, a Washington, D.C., entrepreneur, spoke at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business on April 27, 2011 about his book with co-authors George Muoz and Ed Crego, “Renewing the American Dream: A Citizens Guide for Restoring our Competitive Advantage.”

Islam said he came out of retirement to write the book because he was concerned about the tough times that America is facing. When he was 15 he left India to pursue the American Dream. “Anything can happen in America – there are no barriers to success in America,” he said. “The American Dream is disappearing and America is losing its competitive advantage. It’s a bigger challenge to achieve the American Dream than it was in the past,” he said.

What is the America Dream? “I am sure that each of us has our own definition of the American Dream. For me, the definition is simple,” said Islam. “It is the opportunity to be the best that you can be and to be recognized and rewarded for accomplishing that. It is the chance to be successful and to achieve economic security. It is the freedom to say or do what you want. The fundamental elements of the dream are getting educated and working hard in order to have a good job that pays decent wages, provide adequate benefits, puts food on the table, a roof over one’s head, and allows for retirement with dignity.”

Islam is a successful entrepreneur and investor based in metropolitan Washington, D.C. He is the Chairman/CEO of FI Investment Group LLC (FIIG), an investment firm he founded in 2007. Previously, he was the founder and CEO of QSS Group, an information technology company which generated revenue of $300 million. Through QSS, Islam garnered multiple industry awards for leadership, entrepreneurship and excellence. In 1999, he was recognized by the Ernst and Young as Maryland Entrepreneur of the Year. The U.S. Small Business Administration selected him as the Small Business Person of the Year of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area in 2001.

Islam serves as a member of the International Advisory Council of the U.S. Institute of Peace. He also serves as a member on the following boards: Democratic National Committee (DNC) National Advisory Board, the Advisory Committee of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Department of Commerce Industry Trade Advisory Committee (ITAC), and the advisory board of the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. Islam hosts the TV show “Washington Current Review” on MHz Networks and is a contributor to several publications including Huffington Post, Indian Express, Economics Times, and India Abroad.

A transcript of Islam’s speech is available on his website.