Ali Velshi   

By Rachna Sethi
Name Ali Velshi
Occupation Journalist
Category Media
Country of Residence USA

Ali Velshi — his ground-breaking work in journalism, his not-for-profit work and his commitment to empowering people to make educated decisions is someone that both Canada and the United States can be proud of.

Velshi was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1969 and raised in Toronto, Canada. He has been working in television since 1996, with his first role as a reporter on Canada’s CP24 and City TV. In 1999, he was made the host of The Business News which eventually led him to move to the United States to pursue more broadcasting opportunities. The move paid off; by 2005, Velshi landed the role as both news anchor and reporter on CNN. He became CNN’s chief business correspondent, anchor of CNN International’s World Business Today and host of CNN’s weekly business roundtable Your Money. Velshi also co-hosted CNN’s morning show, American Morning.

Discipline, perseverance and flexibility. Lots of people can excel in good times and with the right team and resources. Can you stick it out in tough times with an imperfect team and not enough money? Leaders improvise and do it with joy, not resignation, at home and at work.

Ali Velshi/The Huffington Post 

By 2009, Velshi realized educating on the global financial crisis through television just wasn’t enough and he published his first book, “Gimme My Money Back: Your Guide to Beating the Financial Crisis,” in just 40 days. The book was designed to be a quick read that empowers people to take charge of their finances, regardless of their educational background or interest in investments.

His financial knowledge and skill to dish out helpful advice in a simple, easy to follow manner continued to propel him into popularity and, by 2008, his excellent work reporting on the global financial crisis lead to appearances on numerous hit shows including the Oprah Winfrey Show and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

In 2009, Velshi was the anchor for the trailblazing news coverage of an attempted terrorist attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas day, garnering CNN a 2010 Emmy Award nomination.


There are two different types of people who inspire me. First type are [those] with great leadership. Second [are those] who have an impact.

Ali Velshi/ ANOKHI Magazine’s 10th Anniversary Issue

Two years later, Velshi co-authored his second book, “How to Speak Money: The Language & Knowledge You Need Now. In 2015, he received two more News and Documentary Emmy Award nominations and by 2016, after hosting his own show on Al Jazeera, he was invited to join MSNBC as a co-anchor and chief business correspondent for NBC News. He currently co-anchors MSNBC’s Velshi & Ruhle with Stephanie Ruhle and hosts MSNBC Live with Ali Velshi.

As if all of that was not already inspiring, what adds to Velshi’s remarkability is his work in not-for-profit and educational organizations including a place on the board of trustees of Seeds of Peace and the Chicago History Museum.

Thumbnail Image Photo Credit: www.alivelshi.com

Main Image Photo Credit: www.queensu.ca


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Rachna Sethi


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