SOURCE OF WEALTH: QSS Group
FUNDING AREAS: Education, Arts & Culture, Peace and Conflict Resolution
OVERVIEW: Frank Islam and his wife Debbie Driesman do their grantmaking through the Frank Islam and Debbie Driesman Foundation, which focuses on education, arts and culture and peace and conflict resolution. The U.S. and India are geographic priorities, but grantmaking is global in scope.
BACKGROUND: Shah Islam was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. in his teens. He worked in fast food restaurants as a youth and eventually earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science from the University of Colorado, where he adopted the first name Frank. Islam founded information technology services company QSS Group in 1994, which posted revenues of approximately $300 million before its sale. Islam currently heads the FI Investment Group, a private investment holding company. He has also authored two books and is a frequent contributor to publications including the Huffington Post, International Business Times and the magazine Foreign Policy, among others. Debbie Driesman grew up in Ontario, Canada and worked as a computer engineer at NASA.
ISSUES:
HIGHER EDUCATION: Higher education is Islam and Driesman's largest area of giving. Grants have supported colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. Foreign grantees of the foundation include Aligarh Muslim University in Aligarh, India, and American University in the Emirates, where Islam serves on the board of trustees. In the U.S., the foundation mainly gives to schools in the Mid-Atlantic region, including Marymount University, Montgomery College, Johns Hopkins University and George Mason University, where Islam serves on the School of Management’s Dean’s Council.
ARTS & CULTURE: Driesman’s board memberships include the Shakespeare Theater Company and Arena Stage. Arts and culture represent a smaller area of funding for the Islam Driesman Foundation. Past grantees include the Kennedy Center for the Performing arts and Global Performing Arts of Virginia.
PEACE & CONFLICT RESOLUTION: The couple have supported United States Institute of Peace and the Brookings Institution, where Islam serves on the Brookings Institution council. The foundation has also funded a fellowship in the US for a mid-career journalist from India.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect the couple to stick with their interest areas.
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