Arab American Business & Professional Association
emPOWERexpo

ABPA Empower Event is excited to feature emPOWEREXpo for women business and professional exhibiters on March 31, 2022.

Do you have a product or service you would love to introduce to an in-person audience?

The Arab-American Business and Professional Association is proud to introduce emPOWER Expo. This initiative is designed for female owned business and professionals to showcase, sell, or simply inform attendees by having an expo booth at the inaugural ABPA Women Empower Event March 31, 2022. Exhibitors have the option to sell products and services or have an information booth only. Attendees will receive an event swag bag and exhibitors are required to hand out a least one free small gift to place in the bag.  This will ensure guests will visit all expo booths! All proceeds from emPOWEREXpo will go towards the creation of the ABPA emPOWER grant program for young aspiring women entrepreneurs who need financial assistance for a start-up business based in Illinois.

-Vendors have the option to set up one table for $350 or a two-table set up for $500. Register here to reserve your booth.

-Vendors must provide one small gift item for the event swag bag to attract attendees to booth

-Vendors can sell products or services during the entirety of event. Vendor must provide all payment methods

-Electric is available upon request

-It is encouraged for all expo booths to have someone present, but it is not mandatory 

-All vendors are responsible for loading and unloading their goods and materials with no acceptations

Arab-American Business & Professional Association welcomes New Officers

     The Arab- American Business & Professional Association is proud to announce its new incoming Officers in 2021; Esteemed attorney, and nationally recognized activist Vivian Khalaf has been named Vice President of ABPA, Certified Financial Planner Hussam Zayyed was appointed Treasurer, and Entrepreneur Tayseer Doleh will take on the role as Secretary. Recently named ABPA President Rush Darwish who expressed his excitement for the incoming officers saying, “the new officers bring a fresh, vibrant dynamic to the table that I am certain will take ABPA to the next level.” This new group wants to innovate, and this is exactly what our Organization needs now more than ever.”

The newly chosen Officers will succeed four outstanding pillars in the Illinois’ Arab- American community who all served on the ABPA Executive Board for the past 15 years. Founder Talat Othman (President), Retired Judge, Hon. Bill Haddad (Vice-President), Small Business Owner, Amir Darwish (Treasurer) and Attorney, Vivian Khalaf (Secretary) who has been named Vice President. Khalaf expressed her deep appreciation taking on this role, saying “I look forward to stepping into this position with a profound sense of purpose and direction. I am proud to serve alongside the current members of the board in the years to come. Universal principals put in place by those who established and led AABPA from its inception, have guided the way for the future leadership to succeed. We have benefitted from their experiences and for that we are extremely grateful.”

The Incoming Officers and Board of Directors will now focus their energy towards engaging small business owners, establish lasting partnerships, and continue to advance Arab-American businesses and professionals in Illinois.

ABPA is a business organization founded in 1991 that promotes networking opportunities amongst the Arab-American Community, and provides tools and resources to create growth for small business owners and professionals. They strive to serve as the collective voice to advocate for Arab-American Small Business owners through community organizing, media engagement, and government action. Additionally, the Organization presents and promotes programs for a better understanding of the Arab culture, while demonstrating ways to be successful in doing business in the U.S. and abroad. Moreover, ABPA welcomes business delegations from the Middle East and assists affiliated Chambers of Commerce and Business Councils in organizing trade and investment delegations to the region. For more information about ABPA please visit www.ABPAillinois.com 

Arab American Business & Professional Association Name Rush Darwish as President

The Arab American Business & Professional Association named its next president to lead a new era in 2021. Rush Darwish, who has served as a board member since 2014 will take over in January and will succeed ABPA Founder Mr. Talat Othman who founded the organization in 1991. Mr. Darwish becomes only the second president since ABPA was formed.  During ABPA’s Annual Awards event in November, Mr. Othman stated “I thought that it is time to turn over the leadership to young, dynamic, individuals that have served on the board for several years. It is their time as we enter a new era of new challenges and opportunities.”

Darwish is no stranger to community organizing. He has established events that have raised millions of dollars for various charitable organizations worldwide. The former Congressional Candidate also created initiatives to engage young professionals with the ABPA Emerging Leader Program which launched in 2016.  He also recently launched the ABPA Small Business Task Force. The SBTF mission is to serve as a unified voice for all Illinois Arab American Small Businesses when dealing with issues or concerns that pertain to business owners. “The time has come to open the doors to ideas that empower our Arab American Small Business Owners. They are the economic lifeline not only in the Arab-American Community but also the entire state of Illinois” Darwish said.

ABPA is a business organization founded in 1991 that promotes networking opportunities amongst the Arab-American Community, and provides tools and resources to create growth for small business owners and professionals. They strive to serve as the collective voice to advocate for Arab-American Small Business owners through community organizing, media engagement, and government action. Additionally, the Organization presents and promotes programs for a better understanding of the Arab culture, while demonstrating ways to be successful in doing business in the U.S. and abroad. Moreover, ABPA welcomes business delegations from the Middle East and assists affiliated Chambers of Commerce and Business Councils in organizing trade and investment delegations to the region.