At the turn of the century for Albanians, we have a lot to celebrate and be proud of, especially Albanian Americans. We have come a long way and apart from the upheavals of where we come from, we have managed to adjust and succeed in almost every field of life here in the United States. It is time for us to showcase and share our achievements and successes with others. This was a starting point of Albanian American Success Stories, a new multimedia project designed to highlight the successes of Albanian Americans. The project is being spearheaded by Albanian Media Group, an ethnic marketing, advertising and public relations company in New York, the parent company of Albanian Yellow Pages, Albanian.com, AlbanianDeals.com and more. Albanian Media Group specializes in ethnic marketing, direct marketing, public relations and other areas of strategic marketing. Albanian Media Group has been serving the Albanian American Community for 18 years in promoting, advertising, and generating positive public images from the days of war torn Kosova to the dynamic evolving field of promoting ethnic marketing.
The Albanian Media Group has joined in partnership with Fadil Berisha Studio in NYC and American Councils for International Education and its Kosovo American Education Fund. Fadil Berisha, the Albanian American top fashion and celebrity photographer, who has a career that has spanned over three decades and continues to be a leader in the industry. Mr.Berisha, is the Exclusive photographer for ROLEX since 2007, he is also the Official Photographer of Miss Universe and Miss USA. He has become the Ambassador of the Albanians in the industry, and recognized for his work in documenting the devastation of the war in Kosova and in promoting Albanian beauty, tourism, culture and in supporting the careers of young artists. American Councils for International Education and their Kosovo American Education Fund is another important player in the project. They are a leader in international education, academic exchange, creating opportunities that prepare individuals and institutions for success in an increasingly interconnected world. American Councils manages the Kosova American Education Fund, to promote the economic development of Kosova through the education of its people.
The multimedia project will feature individuals, their stories and photos in a deluxe bound publication. Individuals will have their story filmed and made into a documentary and there will be an event to celebrate achievements through networking, sharing of success stories and more. Individuals can be nominated through the website www.AlbanianSuccessStories.com and are reviewed and selected for inclusion by an Advisory Board.
“We are proud of the contributions and achievements Albanian Americans have made in the areas of art, entertainment, education, science, business, and government. Documenting the stories of successful Albanian Americans adds so much to the canvas of the American society and also encourages younger generations to follow these steps of success” says Vera Mjeku, Executive Director of the project. “As we celebrate Albania’s 100th anniversary, it is important that we recognize these great contributions and tell our story of success.” adds renowned photographer, Fadil Berisha.
From a Noble prize winner Dr. Ferid Murad to successful entrepreneurs such as the Kolaj Brothers and Harry Bajraktari, to an American household name in film and entertainment industry such as Eliza Dushku, to human impact stories of helping kids with Autism and Cystic Fibrosis through the works of Shpresa Zhakli and Jeri Celaj, to Richard Lukaj, a visionary investment bank owner, to Beqir Gjoka who was deployed four times to Afganistan and Iraq, to the political representation of Joseph DioGuardi, Mark Gjonaj and Lisa Milicaj, to the successful designer runaways of Katerina Bocci, Ema Koja and Mirela Nurce, to Professor Laura Mersini’s achievements, to DC United soccer player Hamdi Salihi, to the nightly Fox5 news reports of Lidia Curanaj, to the persistence of Gac Filipaj, a janitor, to get a Bachelor of Arts degree from one of America’s ivy league colleges, to the mirror trophy ball winner of Dancing with the Stars’s Tony Dovolani, to the groundbreaking appearances in film and TV of Marsiela Lushaj and Alma Saraci, to the beautiful cover magazine of top model Emina Cunmulaj, to Donal Leka’s technology invention of the Glide OS and many, many more…,they all have one thing in common, they are Albanian American Success Stories. They are shaping and molding the face of the potential Albanian American Community, so we are proud of who we are and what we have achieved in the United States and be an inspiration to the future generations. If you want to nominate someone or have questions about the project, please visit www.AlbanianSuccessStories.com or follow the project in Facebook at Albanian American Success Stories.