A Decade of Community Impact 

The Bauer College Musa and Khaleda Dakri Center for Economic Inclusion was recently recognized for the long-standing impact they’ve had on small business owners and entrepreneurs by the Houston Business Journal with their inaugural Community Leadership Award. 

The center and its flagship program, Stimulating Urban Renewal Through Entrepreneurship (SURE℠), were the recipients of the Community Leadership Award, a recognition that honors their initiative for improving lives through education, purpose-driven engagement, civic leadership and philanthropy. 

Since its inception in 2012, the SURE℠ Program has helped more than 2,300 entrepreneurs launch or expand their business through free business education and consulting services. That number continues to rise as the program accepts more than 100 small business owners every fall and spring semester.  

“This is entrepreneurship at a community level,” said Dakri Center Executive Director and SURE℠ Founding Director Saleha Khumawala. “This is entrepreneurship with a soul. We give people the opportunity to dream without apology and give them an excellent framework to build upon.” 

Department of Management & Leadership Chair Steve Werner said that this award from the Houston Business Journal reflects positively on the department, the college and the University of Houston as a whole. It is a well-earned recognition of the program and the center, he added.  

“It helps signal what we already know, which is that SURE℠ is an excellent program,” Werner said.