What Is Brent’s Club?

Brent Shapiro on the right
image: brentshapiro.org

Recognized for his innovative achievements in the business world by respected industry publications such as the Worldwide Business Review and American Entrepreneurship Today, Dr. Andy Khawaja is equally active in the world of philanthropy. Dr. Andy Khawaja has supported fundraising efforts for numerous organizations, including the Brent Shapiro Foundation.

Established after the tragic passing of Brent Shapiro due to experimentation with alcohol and drugs, the foundation aims to prevent substance abuse addiction through its innovative approach. The Brent’s Club program encourages adolescents to remain drug- and alcohol-free by offering frequent incentives for maintaining sobriety.

All participants undergo weekly drug testing. Any youth who test positive receives immediate counseling and support. Those who avoid substance use receive prizes such as top-of-the-line laptops and invitations to special events. The foundation is seeking funding to offer all Brent’s Club graduates college scholarships.

The first Brent’s Club was launched at the Boys and Girls Club in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, with 25 members. Since then, it has expanded to youth programs across California, Chicago, and New York, impacting the lives of more than 1,300 young people.

Allied Wallet - a Prominent Tech Company in 2019

Credit cards in a wallet 

Photo by Oliur on Unsplash

Dr. Andy Khawaja serves as the CEO of Allied Wallet, a company that processes payments from users worldwide. Business Sight Media featured Dr. Andy Khawaja on the cover of its May issue and discussed the importance of digital payments.

In recognition of its contribution to the digital payments sector, Allied Wallet was named one of the most prominent technology companies in 2019 by Business Sight Media, a platform that provides businesses and clients with insights on changes in industries.

As more consumers shift to online shopping, the more crucial it is for entrepreneurs to develop technology-driven and trustworthy e-commerce solutions. Allied Wallet excels at creating convenient, affordable, and secure payment products. The company accepts global payments from shoppers in 196 countries and offers modern reporting tools that simplify account tracking. 

Dr. Khawaja, who has managed Allied Wallet since 2002, makes innovation the core of the company’s business strategy.

From the Heart Productions' Roy W. Dean Film Grants

The recipient of a Ph.D. in humane letters from Lebanon American University, Andy Khawaja is an award-winning tech entrepreneur who has served as CEO of Allied Wallet since 2005. Passionate about philanthropy, Andy Khawaja is a supporter of numerous nonprofits, including From the Heart Productions (FTHP).

Following significant reductions in funding for documentary filmmaking by the National Endowment for the Arts, Carole Dean created the Roy W. Dean Grant and soon after established FTHP, which offers other grants and funding services to filmmakers creating unique and important documentaries. The first Roy W. Dean Grant was awarded to T. Bart Hawkins, who required funding for "Hopilavi," which focused on the Hopi Indians and their fight to preserve their language. She was made aware of the film after she noticed her father, who worked with her at Studio Film & Tape, give away film to Hawkins.

Today, there are three Roy W. Dean Grants available per year. Each recipient receives at least $3,000 in cash from FTHP as well as a host of services and products offered by film industry companies either free or at a discounted rate. The winner of the 2019 Spring Grant, for instance, received a Glyph StudioRaid 6TB hard drive, $1,000 worth of voice over services from Claire Papin, $600 in closed captioning services, and a 40 percent reduction in sound, editing, color, and production services offered by Pro Media. Prospective grant recipients must be making a documentary, feature film, short film, or web series that has a budget of less than $500,000.

After-School All-Stars Members Visit DC for Education and Advocacy

Empowering Children Image:pexels.com

A successful e-commerce entrepreneur, Andy Khawaja serves as the CEO of Allied Wallet. Recognized by many financial publications for his contributions to payment technologies, Andy Khawaja is a philanthropist who supports a variety of nonprofit organizations, including After-School All-Stars (ASAS).

A nationwide organization that serves at-risk youth, ASAS organizes comprehensive outside-of-school recreation programs for 90,000 children in 13 cities across the country. Recently, ASAS held a week-long leadership summit in Washington, DC. Known as the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) Retreat, the event drew 40 eighth-grade students from throughout the United States. The students were nominated to attend by their local ASAS chapters based on their exemplary leadership, strong academic performance, and record of community service. 

In addition to providing feedback to ASAS staff members about programs, the YAB participants attended sessions on preparing for high school graduation, setting career goals, and maintaining health and physical fitness. The students also worked on an after-school-themed advocacy campaign called “K Street Kids Project,” which they presented to a panel of after-school program experts and advocates.

Allied Wallet Founder’s Hard Work Paid Off

Leading financial technology sector CEO Dr. Andy Khawaja is a frequent media guest for discussions involving the always-evolving fintech world. The founder of Allied Wallet, he has seen his online payment processing company take on an international presence as it has expanded operations to a global customer base. In August 2018, Andy Khawaja appeared on Fox Business Network and offered insights into digital payments and the benefits of internet commerce. 

When he was working to establish Allied Wallet in 2005, the founder heard the frequent refrain that he was “crazy” for trying to create the type of seamless international payment processing platform he envisioned. He attributes much of his and his company’s success to ignoring such bad advice, to hard work and a fighting spirit, and to the many opportunities afforded by life in the United States. 

Allied Wallet has received recognitions from numerous media outlets and other organizations, including Wired magazine, Fortune, and The Guardian, as a leader and innovator in its field. The company’s multiple awards include a “Best Transactions Processing Platform” accolade from the AI 2018 M&A Awards and Corporate Vision’s “Recognized Leader for Online Payment Processing” in the same year.

Insights Success Features Innovative Business Leaders

Chief executive officer of Allied Wallet Andy Khawaja built his company in an attempt to link buyers and sellers in the digital world through a payment processing platform. After more than a decade, the company now serves more than 100 million customers from almost 200 countries, supporting more than 100 currencies. With such an achievement, Andy Khawaja and his company have received several recognitions. One of which is from business magazine Insights Success as among the 30 Most Innovative Business Leaders in 2017.

Business magazine Insights Success exists to acknowledge global enterprises, focusing on both emerging and leading companies as they are driven by progress and success. It highlights the reformative approaches of conducting business and methods of presenting effective solutions for a stronger market share. The magazine discusses viewpoints and ideas as well as products and services of industry leaders and features their innovative creations and accomplishments.

In addition, Insights Success offers a thorough guide for readers about the various challenges that businesses encounter, whether for a particular industry or businesses in general. It reveals critical information necessary for business growth. Finally, the magazine serves as a platform for young leaders to learn from top executives as they become the next market leaders.

Wounded Warrior Project Offers Healing Outdoor Adventure to Veterans

The founder and CEO of Allied Wallet, Andy Khawaja is an accomplished entrepreneur who was named a 2018 Iconic Figure in Finance by CEO Monthly magazine. Also a philanthropist, Andy Khawaja shares his success by donating to several nonprofit organizations, including the Wounded Warrior Project.

Since 2001, more than 52,000 military service members have sustained physical injuries, more than 500,000 suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and another 320,000 live with the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Wounded Warrior Project operates a variety of programs to support veterans re-entering civilian life and help them address their physical, mental, and emotional wounds. One of these programs is a rehabilitative adventure called Project Odyssey.

An outdoor multi-day adventure, Project Odyssey focuses on helping veterans develop tools to overcome adversity. With options such as an all-male, all-female, or couples retreat, participants enjoy activities like hiking, rock climbing, and scavenger hunts in a safe and supportive environment. Led by trained counselors and fellow veterans, Project Odyssey allows veterans to reestablish strong human connections and rediscover the strength within themselves.

United Service Organizations Features Bob Hope Legacy Reading Program

A prominent e-commerce entrepreneur, Andy Khawaja serves as the CEO of Allied Wallet. Andy Khawaja also supports a variety of nonprofit or not-for-profit organizations including the United Service Organizations (USO). 

An organization dedicated to supporting members of the armed forces, the USO operates at or near military bases across the U.S. and throughout the world. In addition to organizing a variety of entertainment programs for the troops, the USO helps service members stay connected with their families through initiatives such as the Bob Hope Legacy Reading Program.

While deployed, service members stationed across the world can read books to their children at home through the Bob Hope Legacy Reading Program. They visit a participating USO location and record themselves reading a children’s story aloud, then USO ships that recording home to their family. Children of military members who live near participating USO offices also can record themselves reading a book and send it to a loved one who they miss. In some locations, the Bob Hope Legacy Reading Program organizes fun and educational kids’ events, such as craft activities that relate to a story time theme.

Should I Learn One or Two Languages at Once?

The founder and CEO of Allied Wallet, Andy Khawaja, PhD, oversees business operations in more than 160 currencies and 195 countries around the world. To assist him in this, Dr. Andy Khawaja maintains fluency in Arabic, English, French, German, and Spanish.

Many people argue that learning one language at a time is best since it grants you more time to devote to your studies. If you spend just one hour a day studying a new language, for example, you can devote either one hour to one language or a half an hour to each of two languages. Since you are spending more time each day studying one language, you will likely become fluent in that language faster.

Additionally, learning one language at a time means that you will experience less confusion. When you are studying two languages, particularly languages that are similar, you’re likely to mix up certain words and grammar rules, thus delaying your fluency. This problem doesn’t occur when learning one language.

However, there are many people who not only are capable of learning two languages at once, but also actually prefer it. Learning two languages is a faster way of becoming a polyglot, though it does require more work. To make things a bit easier, make sure you choose two languages that are different from one another. This reduces your confusion and makes it easier for you to grasp each language.

Beyond that, you should focus on learning one easy language and one difficult language. This prevents burnout when learning multiple languages. It also makes language learning more dynamic since you can begin learning the more difficult language with the easier language once you are familiar with it. For instance, if you are learning French and Chinese, start studying Chinese in French after you are fluent in French.

How Online Payment Options Boost Sales

In 2005, accomplished financial services executive Andy Khawaja founded the digital payment company Allied Wallet, which now operates in more than 190 countries and handles transactions in over 160 currencies. In line with Andy Khawaja‘s vision of expanding payment options for consumers around the world, Allied Wallet enables more than 150 million users to make secure purchases using their preferred payment options.

While many consumers are interested in purchasing products online, some buyers are wary of sharing their credit card details and may prefer to use a third party, such as PayPal. Web stores that accept only credit cards will lose sales with this customer base.

Multiple payment options are also beneficial for selling in an international market. Successful e-commerce sites must consider the obstacles faced by people from other countries when they try to complete orders. By offering an international payment gateway platform, web shops can allow customers to pay in their own currency.