Houston – June 28, 2010—the inaugural Harvard Latino Leadership Initiative commenced on June 12, 2010, in Cambridge, MA. It was spearheaded by David Gergan, Director of the Center for Public Leadership and Professor of Public Service at the Harvard Kennedy School. David’s other credentials include: Editor-at-large for U.S. News and World Report, Senior Political Analyst for CNN and former presidential advisor to Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton. “This initiative seeks to identify students whose leadership potential has already been recognized by their local communities,” says Gergan. “But instead of uprooting students, our goal is to equip them to have a deeper impact on their communities once they return, and to stay connected with them long enough to ensure that the learning sticks.”

The Latino community is estimated to double in size over the next 40 years and will comprise more than 30% of the United States population by 2050. To help develop a cadre of next generation leaders from and for this community, the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) established the Latino Leadership Initiative (LLI). Walter Ulloa, Chairman of Entravision Communications Corp., donated the seed funding to begin the first phase, and later Farouk Shami, Founder and Chairman of Farouk Systems, Inc., donated the majority for the Initiative.

Twenty-eight leading college seniors from five universities: Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles), University of California-Merced, Texas A&M International–Laredo, University of Houston, and University of Massachusetts–Boston, were able to build relationships with leaders in the non-profit, business and government sectors. Farouk Shami, also a student, surprised his fellow classmates with hair care and body products from his world-renowned brands-CHI and BioSilk. The weeklong program included classes on public speaking, teamwork, negotiation and public narrative, as well as sessions designed to help participants develop greater self-awareness.

Farouk Shami was also invited to join the roster of esteemed lecturers and speakers. In addition to Gergan and Ulloa, other speakers included David Ortiz, MLB designated hitter for the Boston Red Sox; Henry Cisneros, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Alonzo Cantu, President of Alonzo Cantu Construction in McAllen Texas; Cesar Conde, President of Univision; Pulitzer Prize winning author Junot Diaz; and Carlos Gutierrez, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce. To wrap up the program, each university was required to give a group presentation at a formal dinner held in their honor. Astounded by their performances and transformations, Farouk Shami spontaneously awarded each participant $1,000 that will be administered by their university.

“I was blown away by each student! The first couple of days they were shy and suddenly they built this remarkable confidence. Instantly, I knew it was my duty to afford them with the same opportunity I had before realizing the American Dream,” explained Shami. “I started my billion dollar empire with only $1,000 and a dream. My passion and adventurous journey allowed me to push through every circumstance and make manifest the dream that was inside of me. I am humbled by this life changing experience because we all learn from each other. Therefore, my advice to the future leaders of tomorrow is to dream it, believe it and conquer it.”

About Farouk Systems, Inc. Farouk Systems, Inc. is a Houston based company that manufactures the world-renowned brands CHI and BioSilk. The company’s mission statement is Education, Environment and Ethics. With over 2,500 employees, the company sells its products in over 100 countries. The inception of the company was due to a major breakthrough, and it eventually created a revolution in the beauty industry. Farouk Systems went from inventing ammonia-free color, incorporating silk into hair care products, pioneering CHI thermal tool technology, and hiring a former NASA Senior Scientist.