Shafat Qazi

Last updated
Shafat Qazi
NationalityAmerican
EducationMaster's in Structural Engineering
Bachelor's in Civil Engineering
Alma mater National Institute of Technology
State University of New York
Occupations
  • Film producer
  • Founder and former CEO, BQE Software
Board member ofBQE Software Inc.
Structural Engineers Association of Southern California
Chair, Structural Engineers Association Computer Applications Committee

Shafat Qazi is an Indian-American entrepreneur and film producer. He is the Founder and former CEO of BQE Software, [1] [2] a cloud-based project management and accounting software company. In 2018, he was listed among the top 50 CEOs by USA Today. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Qazi was born in Kashmir and later relocated to New York in 1986. [3] Qazi obtained his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the National Institute of Technology in India. [6] He later pursued a master's degree in structural engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo. [7] While at SUNY Buffalo, Qazi developed a medical billing software for his personal doctor, eventually leading him to venture into the software development industry. [5] His father retired as the principal of the Amar Singh College in Srinagar. [6]

Career

After completing his education, Qazi moved to Los Angeles in 1988 to pursue his career in engineering. He joined David C. Breiholz, Inc., an engineering company, and later became a partner in the firm. The firm was subsequently renamed Breiholz Qazi Engineering. [3] [6] During this time, Qazi also served as the chairman of the Structural Engineers Association Computer Applications Committee and a board member of the association. [6] In 1995, Qazi sold his shares at Breiholz Qasi Engineering and co-founded BQE Software with his partner, David Breiholz. BQE Software initially developed BillQuick, a project management and billing software. [6] [7] By 1998, Qazi left his engineering firm to focus full-time on BillQuick and his company. As the company expanded, it ventured into accounting, resource planning, and business intelligence. [5] In 2009, BQE Software acquired another software company, OrangeLoft LLC. In 2012, BQE Software launched its product, BQE Core. [6] [5]

Apart from his involvement in software, Qazi has also ventured into the music industry. He created a music brand called IBM with singers Mohammed Irfan, Bilal, and Mehmeet Syed. He supported the band in organizing music concerts worldwide. [3]

Qazi has also been involved in the independent film industry. He produced Songs of Paradise, a feature film inspired by the songs of Raj Begum and narrates the story of a Kashmiri woman who faced the barriers of societal norms in the late 1940s, particularly regarding the acceptability of women singing publicly in Kashmir and neighboring cities. [8]

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References

  1. ↑ "New CEO for BQE Software". Architecture Australia .
  2. ↑ "IUST organizes special lecture on "Technology and Entrepreneurship"". Kashmir Convener. 2017-09-21. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Shafat Qazi". Kashmir Life . 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  4. ↑ "Kashmiri American In US's Top 50 CEO List". Kashmir Life. 2018-12-12. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Shafat Qazi: A top ranked IT entrepreneur". Rising Kashmir . Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Reshi, Lubna (21 March 2023). "Shafat Qazi: The Kashmiri techie who built a global firm". The Global Indian. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  7. 1 2 Malik, Bismah (2018-12-12). "Meet Shafat Qazi: The Kashmiri engineer who features among top 50 CEOs in USA". www.ibtimes.co.in. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  8. ↑ "Saba Azad to play Raj Begum in Danish Renzu's Songs Of Paradise - Exclusive". The Times of India. 2022-09-25. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 2023-05-25.
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