The Founder
Kamruddin (Kam) Shams
Founder, Shams Family Foundation, Worldwide Council of Foundations & FBAS Germany | Chairman, The Shams Group | Social Entrepreneur
“Charity treats outcomes as optional. Empowerment does not.”
Kam Shams' story is an immigrant journey of fifty years — toil, education, migration, entrepreneurship, and social impact work. A healthcare IT innovator and entrepreneur, he is Chairman of The Shams Group, which he founded in 1989 and has since served over 400 healthcare organizations across the USA, Canada, the Middle East, and Asia. In 2010, he founded the Shams Family Foundation to build 'Learn & Earn' pathways that move first-generation, merit- and need-based learners into global careers — an effort that has supported more than 155 learners across Europe and North America over the past decade. He also founded the World Wide Council of Foundations (WWCoF) and FBAS Germany, which together coordinate SFF's pathways abroad. Through WWCoF's partnerships with local training institutions in Pakistan, more than 430 students are currently learning German and preparing for the Germany program.
In His Own Words
“Stay longer than expected. Define expectations clearly. Build capability, not dependency. Measure progress in years, not events. And never confuse generosity with responsibility.”
“Service is not an act — it is an identity.”