Club Past President S. Zaki Hossain was honored by Molloy University with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the First Molloy University Gala on Friday, 4 November at Garden City Hotel. The Gala also raised more than $400,000 for student scholarships. Accepting the Award President Zaki said Education is key to success. "If you want to earn, you have to learn", he said. President Zaki has been a trustee of the University. Molloy officials said, "A mechanical engineer who found success in the coffee industry manufacturing "K-Cups" has donated $2 million to Molloy University.
Zaki told the crowd that after he emigrated to the United States from Bangladesh, he increasingly felt the importance of applying education to the “real field.” His gift will help do exactly that, officials said, as Molloy increases programs that train people already working in their fields to keep up with the latest advances. The programs will also help shape undergraduate curricula to help meet the current needs of various industries including the health sector and businesses, said James P. Lentini, Molloy’s president.
Past President Zaki, the founder, and CEO of Pintail Coffee got his start in the coffee industry with the development of some of the first manufacturing technology for small coffee cartridges known as "K-Cups," He ended up using proceeds from this technology for charitable work through Pintail. The Farmingdale-based business donates 100% of its profits to hunger-relief organizations. A Muslim whose wife is chair of the board of the Long Island Muslim Society — a mosque in East Meadow founded by Bangladeshi immigrants — President Zaki said his donations to a Catholic university were an example of interfaith cooperation.
“I am a human being first,” he said. “I like to work with humanity. God created all of us. If I can make God’s creation happy, I will be happy.”
To show support for President Zaki, also attending the Gala were Membership Chair - his wife, Rahat, PDG Mahbub, AG Bina, VPs Nasrin, and Shahper, Past President Nurul Alam, members Nausheen and Nazmul Khan. Also present were Sunshine Club members Tarin and Lubna Anwar.
It was a wonderful ceremony with a sumptuous dinner at the Garden City Hotel. Congratulations to President Zaki.