[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 144 (Thursday, September 22, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1345]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING DR. ANDY KHAWAJA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 22, 2016

  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize 
Dr. Andy Khawaja, a dynamic and accomplished entrepreneur and a 
dedicated community philanthropist. A natural born entrepreneur, Dr. 
Khawaja's vision, philosophy, and inherent ability to innovate and lead 
are remarkable. Dr. Khawaja's philosophy is ``Do what you love and do 
it well. Don't quit and you'll have the keys to success.''
  In early adulthood, Dr. Khawaja achieved initial success in the high-
end fashion industry as a Vice President and Buyer for the company 
`Bernini.' In just nine years, Dr. Khawaja grew `Bernini' from a 
million dollar business to a 100 million dollar business and expanded 
from two stores to more than sixty stores.
  In 2005, Dr. Khawaja founded Allied Wallet, a venture that connects 
global buyers and sellers. For more than a decade, Dr. Khawaja's bold 
and proactive leadership has catapulted Allied Wallet to the forefront 
of innovation and advancement in the payment industry and into a multi-
billion dollar company. With rapid growth every year, Allied Wallet is 
repeatedly recognized as one of the ``Fastest Growing Private 
Companies.''
  Andy's fluency in five languages--English, French, Spanish, German, 
and Arabic--enables him to deliver payment tools internationally to 
diverse cultures and countries.
  Over the last 10 years, Dr. Khawaja drove the expansion of Allied 
Wallet from its headquarters in Los Angeles to Germany, India, Macau, 
Hong Kong, and London. Allied Wallet now supports 164 currencies 
worldwide and serves over 125 million customers in 190 countries.
  Dr. Khawaja has been awarded with the US American Genius Award, CEO 
of the Year 2015 Award, Gamechanger of the Year Award, and UK 
Entrepreneurship of the Year 2015. Dr. Khawaja's achievements have been 
recognized by dozens of major publications such as Forbes, Time 
Magazine, Bloomberg, Fortune, The Guardian, LA Business Journal, and 
Wired Magazine.
  His business ventures have earned major awards including Top 100 Fast 
Growing Companies, Global Payment Processing Solution of the Year, Best 
Workplaces for Millennials, United States Excellence Award, 500 Fastest 
Growing Companies 2012/2015, Guiding Hand--International Award 2014, 
and #1 Online Payment Solutions Provider 2013.
  However, Dr. Khawaja's achievements aren't limited to only business. 
Through his generous philanthropy to the Brent Shapiro Foundation for 
Drug and Alcohol Awareness, Dr. Khawaja has demonstrated a tireless 
commitment to keeping Los Angeles youth safe and educated about the 
risks of drug and alcohol abuse.
  Recently, the Lebanese American University has honored Andy with a 
doctorate degree in Humanitarian Studies for his meaningful 
philanthropy worldwide. Dr. Khawaja keeps leading Allied Wallet towards 
persistent growth and success while simultaneously juggling multiple 
demanding projects, including directing and executive producing a 
reality television series, ``Model Turned Superstar.''
  I commend Dr. Khawaja for his impressive achievements and consistent 
commitment to making Southern California a better place for all.

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