Community News (V11-I22)

Sharib Khan’s company wins business plan competition

NEW YORK, NY– TrialX, an online clinical matching platform, which helps patients find new medical treatments has the won the 2009 New York City Entrepreneur Week Business Plan Competition (NYCENT).

An elated Sharib Khan, Co-founder of TrialX said, “We are thrilled with the win. It is recognition of our efforts to develop effective technologies and services that enable patients to connect with investigators and find new treatments in a cost effective and timely manner. We are very passionate about the healthcare sector and will continue to provide services and products of great value to this industry.”

Organized by the NYC Entrepreneurial Community, NYCENT is a weeklong series of events committed to foster entrepreneurship in New York City. The event was sponsored by Bloomberg, Sun Microsystems, law firm Fulbright & Jaworski, several prominent venture capital firms and other well known companies. Competing against 20 other teams selected from the many applicants, TrialX prevailed and claimed the prestigious award as the First Winner of NYCENT. The award includes diverse strategic guidance and consulting services valued at $50,000 from various New York based companies. TrialX’s distinct business proposition utilizes innovative technologies based on algorithms to improve an inefficient market with immediate cost benefits and strategic partnerships.

Ali Tabrizi, Executive VP, Mincom

Ali Tabrizi has been appointed executive vice president, technical operations by software development company Mincom. He will be  reporting to the CEO to drive Mincom’s product development, R&D and technical management of all Mincom products. Tabrizi will be implementing standard processes for product development and customer support across the globe to achieve economies of scale, improving Mincom’s quality of service and allowing for greater product innovation. Tabrizi has more than 14 years of experience at IBM and Tivoli in a variety of management roles across R&D, product development, customer support and IT. Tabrizi will be based in Texas.

Chandler mosque thank-you event

CHANDLER,AZ– Chandler’s first mosque held a thank you official for city officials and a neighboring Christian organization for their help and support. The mosque’s project had been delayed for more than a decade due to fundraising difficulties, and occassional neighborhood opposition.

“We felt obligated to recognize people outside the Muslim community who helped us in a big way,” said Syed Huq of Phoenix, the center’s president. “It has been a long-term project and we want to thank the city and members of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church who allowed us to use their facilities for years.”

When the building is finished it will be one of the few traditional style mosques in the Valley with a crescent-topped dome and interior balcony, he said. There are two mosques in Tempe; one is a traditional style.

Kazmi said members worked hard to reach out to neighbors, delivering gifts and participating in cleanups.

“We want to be a good neighbor,” he said.

Because residents objected so strongly to mosque guests parking on Pleasant Drive, Kazmi said he has urged Chandler police to take whatever enforcement action is necessary to deter it.

Muslim Center seeks to expand in Utica

UTICA,NY–The Muslim Community Association of the Mohawk Valley hopes to expand its mosque and build a community center at a vacant school site. But some neighbors are opposing the move.

Representatives from the Muslim association say they don’t understand why there is suddenly an interest in the land that has sat unused for so long.

“It has been blank and vacant for years,” said Ashraf Elazzazi, the Muslim association’s secretary. “It’s disheartening when we’re looking to expand that they now come forward.”

The Muslim group is holding talks with the officials to resolve the issue.

11-22