Abdur-Rahim Islam
President/CEO, Universal Companies

Mr. Islam, born in April 1957, was raised in the Tioga Section of North Philadelphia and attended Cleveland Elementary School, Gillespie Jr. High School and Gratz High School. 

Mr. Islam, a graduate of LaSalle University with a dual degree in accounting and finance, is an accomplished accountant and financial analyst with vast experience in business and economics.  Mr. Islam’s educational and professional background also includes specialty areas of tax accounting, crude oil trading, marine and inland transportation, banking, small business development, and community and real estate development.  He has had numerous positions with Sun Oil over a 17 year period, including Financial Analyst and Marine Specialist.  In 1993, Mr. Islam successfully completed the Pennsylvania Certified Public Accounting exam and also holds a Pennsylvania Real Estate License. 

Side by side with Mr. Kenneth Gamble – world renown music writer, composer, and producer, Mr. Islam is a founding member of Universal Companies and all of its subsidiaries, including Universal Community Homes, Universal Real Estate Development, Universal Institute Charter School, and Universal Education Management Company to name a few, which has been a major influence in the revitalization efforts currently underway in South Philadelphia and has served as its President and CEO since it’s inception in 1993.

Under his direct leadership, Universal Companies has grown to exceed more than $350 million of real estate development activity with a staff of more than 150 professionals with a wide range of skills and expertise in diverse and specialty areas of real estate and community development.  In addition to becoming the one of the largest developers of affordable housing in the city of Philadelphia, Universal Companies has the distinct honor of being the largest community-based, private manager of public schools in the country providing education services to more than 2,500 children.

Mr. Islam has been at the forefront of resolving some of the community and social issues facing Philadelphians beginning in 1990 and he currently works directly with a number of organizations in the areas of childcare, youth and recreation programs, drug and alcohol prevention, faith base efforts, block associations, political activity, and K-12 education.

Mr. Islam also serves on numerous boards and civic organizations including:

Small Business Support Center, Philadelphia Center City District, First Union Regional Advisory Council, The Committee of Seventy, Building Industry Association, Black Alliance for Educational Options, Atlantic County Chamber of Commerce, Upliftment Jamaica USA Board, Philadelphia Million More Movement, South Philadelphia Coalition, Point Breeze Collaborative, African American Chamber of Commerce, Local Initiative Support Corporation Advisory Council, the Governor’s Task Force on Early Childhood Care and Education, and the Urban League of Philadelphia to name a few. 

Mr. Islam is married to Renee Islam and has nine children: Luqman, Muhammad, Saudia, Aminah, Medinah, Mecca, Khalid, Mumim and Raheem.