Chaldeans in Business

Sometimes the road less traveled leads to unexpected places. In Randy Najjar’s case, that place was architecture and design. He was so sure of his life’s direction that out of high school he applied only to Lawrence Technological University’s architecture program.

On May 13, the Madison Heights City Council moved to reject the latest special approval proposal by Sheetz for a new 24-hour gas station, citing several reasons why it denied the request. Among other items, the council noted that the plan proposed by Sheetz was inconsistent with the intent of the district as well as the city’s master development plan.

The Detroit Police Department’s 10th precinct is partnering with the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce to network with store owners and discuss new strategies to reduce crime, ethnic tension, and negative perceptions.

The YAC kicked off the Spring season with a professional development and networking event held on the evening of Thursday, April 11, at Shenandoah Country Club. The event was moderated by the charming and witty Paul Jonna, a real estate and business attorney and former COO of the Chaldean Community Foundation.

Baltimore — 2024 — Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of supplemental and enrichment education for K–12 students with more than 710 locations worldwide, awarded 10 new and three existing territories in the greater Detroit, Michigan area to new franchise owners and cousins Ed Bahoura and Natalie Yasso.

“Geography informs your fate,” says Dr. Adhid Miri. What he means by that is our environment has an immense influence on our chosen trade or livelihood. The Silk Road—interwoven passages, caravan routes, and byways that stretched from China to the eastern Mediterranean—connected with other important trade routes in ancient Mesopotamia, giving rise to a culture adept at trade.

There are many examples of the Chaldean factor in business, but none as clear as the recent shakeup in the retail ice market. In late 2022, Saad Abbo sold his successful ice company, U.S. Ice, to a large corporate firm called Home City Ice. Since then, retailers have reported a dramatic increase in prices and a substantial reduction in the quality and frequency of service.

“I actually hate mortgages,” says Danny Marogy. “I think it’s the most boring transaction in the history of mankind.” Yet Marogy, Senior Director of Sales at United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), is known as one of the highest performing account executives across the country for the past 15 years. What motivates him?

The Chaldean American Bar Association (CABA) has risen from the ashes. A young and energetic board led by president Rita Soka has big plans for the future of the Chaldean legal community. CABA hosted its first event in January at the new restaurant and bar West End to kickoff its relaunch.

Often when a restaurant changes ownership, there’s a complete remodel, the menu is scrapped, and several employees are let go. But when Raphael Michael took ownership of the Beverly Hills Grill, he made a promise to founder Bill Roberts that he wasn’t going to do that.

Tania’s Pizza has long been an iconic Royal Oak institution. Nestled in an unassuming little strip mall behind a Sunoco station at the corner of 13 Mile Road and Crooks, Tania’s has been dishing out its signature stuffed pizza since 1987. The then-beer and wine shop began feeding hungry Kimball High School (now Royal Oak High School)…

Coming to a new country can be daunting. A new language. An unfamiliar culture. Everything is different. On top of all that, add a set of rules, regulations, and customs regarding finances that are strange and confusing. There are many financial perils facing those new to life in the United States, particularly if immigration takes place under duress.

As so many of us look forward to the holiday season and the gifts we’ll exchange with family and friends, our thoughts also turn to those who are less fortunate and the true spirit of the season — “Give big, to get back, to give bigger,” as Rob Bava says. Bava is Community Choice Credit Union’s longtime president and CEO.

Metro Detroit employers felt the ground shift beneath them during the height of the COVID pandemic in 2021-2022. Precautionary measures intended to limit the spread of COVID-19 had the devastating unintended effect of slowing to a trickle the revenue streams of “in-person” businesses such as restaurants, concert venues and banquet halls.

Honigman LLP announced that Rana Sadek Roumayah has joined its Labor and Employment Department as a partner in the firm’s Detroit office. Roumayah joins Honigman after working for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for 23 years. At the NLRB, she developed an expertise in traditional labor law and other aspects of employment law. Specializing in case analysis, strategic planning, negotiations, and compliance, Roumayah has litigated, negotiated, and tried hundreds of cases.

In today’s rapidly evolving world, establishing and nurturing a brand that captures the hearts and minds of consumers is an art form. One individual who has masterfully embraced this challenge is Lydia Michael, an author and brand strategist whose groundbreaking book, “Brand Love – Building Strong Consumer-Brand Connections,” released on July 25, 2023, by Kogan Page, a leading independent publisher of business books, has taken the marketing world by storm.

Savvy Sliders’ founder and CEO Happy Asker started with a dream and a strong vision to reimagine what a slider should be. In 2018, he opened his first Savvy Sliders location in Commerce Township, Michigan. Today, Savvy Sliders has 35 locations in Metro Detroit with 30 more in development in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Florida, and Texas. The growth of the company has made it the fastest growing slider brand in America.

In May, a group of more than 20 Michigan judges of Arab and Chaldean descent got together for an inaugural meeting of the Arab-American Judges Association of Michigan (AAJAM). The AAJAM is the result of an effort to bring together judges of Arab American and Chaldean ancestry, according to founders of the organization. Its mission is to promote diverse judicial leadership and foster social, professional, and personal development among members.

Legislators in the Michigan House of Representatives have introduced two bipartisan bills to amend Public Act 58, which is widely referred to as the liquor code. After months of advocacy and planning by the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce (CACC) on behalf of the Chaldean community’s liquor store and supermarket owners, the bills can finally be considered by elected representatives.

Though some women approach turning 50 with trepidation, GG Benitez is arriving at that mile marker with confidence.

With her 29-year-old daughter Alexis’s marriage a few months ago, her 19-year-old daughter Daniella completing her first year at Loyola, and her 17-year-old son Gabriel entering his senior year of high school, GG decided to fuse her public relations skills with her affection for travel.

Most of us have daydreams about cruising downtown streets in a classic Rolls Royce or sailing through the clouds in a private jet with our significant other and a few close members of our entourage.

Well, we might not be able to own such luxurious modes of transport, but we can be king or queen for a day, thanks to two enterprising Chaldean businessmen who specialize in royal treatment.

Three outstanding Chaldean community members made the “30 in their Thirties” list for dBusiness magazine this year.

The CACC hosted its 20th Annual Awards Dinner on Friday, April 28, naming Ron Boji of Boji Group as 2023’s Businessperson of the Year. The event drew a crowd of nearly 900 to Shenandoah Country Club, where guests were treated to individual bottles of champagne and “Heavenly Dates” at each place setting. Speakers included Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Congressman John Moolenaar as well as the guest of honor, Ron Boji, and Mike Denha, last year’s honoree.

Tommy Gasso, Senior VP of Commercial Lending for Community Financial Credit Union was named one of Crain’s Detroit Business 2023 Notable Leaders in Commercial Banking. Gasso joined Community Financial Credit Union in 2013, and in less than 10 years, grew its collective commercial portfolio from $20 million to $220 million, a sizable figure for the metro Detroit-based credit union.

As the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce celebrates its 20th year, the philanthropic arm of the Chamber, the Chaldean Community Foundation, reaches across Woodward to establish a presence on the ‘west side.’ The Corners, a property at Walnut Lake and Inkster Roads next to Market Square, will become the new Chaldean Community Center, housing administrative offices for the Foundation, Chamber offices, a gymnasium, a television and radio studio, classrooms, an amphitheater, and much more.

Like many northern, cool weather states, Michigan has lost population in recent census counts. The state has also seen its representation in Congress diminish, losing a seat in the latest census. But the state is not registering the worst outmigration in the nation or region, and its predicted population changes for coming decades paint a mixed picture, leaving open the search for causes and solutions.

Ron Boji is an extremely successful businessman who happens to base many of his life decisions on a series of “Louie-isms” – sayings he has heard his entire life from his father, Louie (Louay) Boji, a successful businessman in his own right.

Food Network star and restaurateur Guy Fieri is bringing his brand of fried chicken to Michigan, and Tomey Group is helping him do that.

CCF President Martin Manna had the great privilege of meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC earlier this month. The King relayed that Iraq is a priority for him and invited Martin to meet with him in Amman to discuss long-term sustainability for Christians in Iraq.

Wireless Vision, in partnership with the Chaldean Community Foundation, hosted a kickoff event for 12 professionals within the community who were selected to participate in the first ever Learn with a Leader Program. Participants gathered at 220 Merrill in Birmingham to enjoy an evening of food, fun, and interaction.

“European customers are switching to electric vehicles at a faster rate than anywhere in the world.” So says Jaclyn McQuaid, and she should know. GM is all-in on EV, investing $35 billion through 2025 in electric and autonomous vehicle technology in Europe, and Jaclyn oversees the entire operation on that side of the pond.

Almost three decades ago, three friends joined forces for a professional journey none of them could have predicted. Patrick Tomina and Eric Hardy met at University of Michigan-Dearborn. They came together from very different backgrounds—Tomina is Chaldean and has roots in independent retail businesses; Hardy is African American and from a family in which his father worked for General Motors and expected his son to follow a similar path.