An archival portrait from his early sporting years.
A LIFE IN PHOTOGRAPHS
Morad Shaker Biography
EARLY YEARS IN IRAN.
A LIFE OF ENTERPRISE AND SERVICE.
Founder & President
Shaker International Enterprises
This biography follows Morad Shaker’s early years in Iran, his life and work in Hawaii, and the experiences that shaped his continuing commitment to service.
EXPLORE THE STORYIN HIS OWN WORDS · MORAD SHAKER
A Life Rebuilt, A Fragmented Archive
More than three decades ago, I left Iran amid political upheaval, leaving behind tens of thousands of photographs and film recordings from my youth. I arrived in the United States without them and began building a new life.
In the years that followed, I had the privilege of meeting and forming friendships with many prominent and influential people from around the world. Many photographs documenting those encounters, along with images from other chapters of my life, were later lost or became inaccessible.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we closed our multi-million-dollar business. In the upheaval, additional photographs and records were lost with the phones and computers where they were stored. A few images have since reached me from Iran or been recovered from older computers.
This page preserves a small selection from a much larger archive. It offers glimpses of the experiences and relationships that shaped my life, while many others remain unseen because their photographs are no longer available.
IRAN · SPORT & EARLY RESPONSIBILITY
Early Sports Leadership in Iran
The surviving coaching credential states:
“Coach of Junior National Baseball Team.”
OLYMPIC COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
Morad Shaker, age 22, in Iran. He was a member of the National Olympic Committee of Iran.
JUNIOR NATIONAL BASEBALL
Morad Shaker served as physical coach for Iran’s junior national baseball team. He recalls being announced at the time as the youngest national coach in Iran’s history.
CRICKET LEADERSHIP IN TEHRAN
Morad Shaker was named chairman of the Cricket Association in Tehran. He recalls being its first chairman.
Shaker recalls being among the pioneers who helped establish baseball, softball, cricket, and chogho federations in Iran.
THE PERSONAL ARCHIVE
PRODUCTION · MANAGEMENT · COMMERCE
An Early Start in the Family Business
Morad Shaker grew up around his father’s Behnam potato-chip factory, one of the early factories of its kind in Iran. From the age of four, he visited the factory and watched its daily work. At ten, he began helping his father; by fourteen, he had taken on a managerial role and helped expand the business.
Shaker was well known among his friends and was invited to gatherings nearly every day. He often brought a large bag of potato chips from the family factory—so large, he recalls, that it could feed about a hundred people. This photograph shows him at age 18 with one of those bags.
His experience later extended to international trade. Shaker recalls arranging the first export of potato chips from Iran to the United Arab Emirates, with one or two shipments before he left the country. The family business gave him an early, practical education in production, management, and commerce.
French fries and potato chips have long been among his favorite foods. After moving to the United States, he stopped eating potato chips because he became concerned about the oils and ingredients used in them.
Morad Shaker, age 18, at a gathering in Iran with a large bag of potato chips from his family’s Behnam factory.
VIEW FULL PHOTOGRAPH (opens image viewer)IRAN · THE SPORTING YEARS
SPORT & RESPONSIBILITY
Football, Friendship, and Service in Iran
Morad Shaker was a devoted supporter of Esteghlal, Tehran’s blue-clad football club. Although he could not continue as a player or pursue an official playing career, he remained close to football and developed friendships with some of Iran’s leading players.
One of his closest friends was Abdol Ali Changiz, a star of Iranian football and a leading player in Asia at the time. Their friendship extended to their families. Changiz was eleven years older than Shaker, but Shaker regarded him as an older brother. He remembers their friendship and the opportunity to travel with leading players as a special privilege.
Shaker and Changiz also took part in a football match in a small town in northeastern Iran to support local residents and raise funds for the community.
WITH ABDOL ALI CHANGIZ
Morad Shaker in an IR Iran shirt with Abdol Ali Changiz, a star of Iranian football and a leading player in Asia during that era.
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WITH BEHTASH FARIBA
Morad Shaker with Behtash Fariba of Tehran’s Esteghlal FC, in a photograph dated 1990 in his personal archive.
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A COMMUNITY FOOTBALL MATCH
Morad Shaker and Abdol Ali Changiz at a football match in a small town in northeastern Iran, held to support local residents and raise funds for the community.
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THE TEAM PHOTOGRAPHS
Sporting Diplomacy in Iran
Bringing embassy and international company teams together through sport
At age 22, Morad Shaker was entrusted by the Secretary General of Iran’s National Olympic Committee with an honorary, volunteer role organizing and managing sporting tournaments for embassy teams and foreign residents in Iran. He arranged a tournament for Japanese company teams, including Toyota, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, and Sumitomo. Shaker recalls it as the first tournament of its kind in Iran.
He carried out this responsibility in an honorary and voluntary capacity, not as a paid employee of the National Olympic Committee, a sports federation, or Tehran’s sports organization.
JAPANESE COMPANY TEAM
Morad Shaker with a Japanese company team at Azadi Stadium in Tehran during a company tournament he managed.
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THE MARUBENI TEAM
Morad Shaker with the Marubeni team at Azadi Stadium. Dr. Zolfagharian, Secretary General of the Iran Baseball Federation, and the President of Iran’s Softball Federation are also pictured.
VIEW FULL PHOTOGRAPH (opens image viewer)An honorary, voluntary sporting role.
MEMORIES FROM THE TEAM YEARS
A CHAPTER IN PHOTOGRAPHS
Ahead of His Time: Leading Iran’s Cricket Team to Sharjah
An honorary sporting role that brought an Iranian team to an international friendly in 1994.
In 1994, at age 25, Shaker took Iran’s national cricket team to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates for a friendly match. Cricket was still at an early stage in Iran, and the team he assembled included only one or two Iranian players. Most were Indian, Pakistani, and South African businesspeople and diplomats living in Iran, brought together to represent the country. The match was played at 1 a.m. in Sharjah.
Shaker recalls serving as the first chairman of the Cricket Association in Tehran and carried out his sports work in an honorary, voluntary capacity. He was not a paid employee of the National Olympic Committee or a sports organization. For him, organizing the team and representing Iran through sport was a source of pride for himself and his family.
IRAN TEAM · 1994
Morad Shaker, age 25, with the Iran national cricket team in 1994. Standing behind him is Dr. Zolfaghari, identified in Shaker’s archive as Secretary-General of Iran’s Baseball, Softball, Cricket, and Chogo federations.
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THE SHARJAH FRIENDLY
Morad Shaker with Iran’s national cricket team in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, in 1994. The team included Indian, Pakistani, and South African businesspeople and diplomats living in Iran. The friendly match was played at 1 a.m.
VIEW FULL PHOTOGRAPH (opens image viewer)HAWAII · THE BUSINESS YEARS
ROYAL HAWAIIAN LIMOUSINE
Royal Hawaiian Limousine: The Work of My Heart
Gold and black were more than colors to me; they were a culture.
For nearly 20 years, Royal Hawaiian Limousine was more than a business to Morad Shaker—it was a creation of the heart. He built the company into a distinguished luxury transportation service with a substantial fleet and a 35,000-square-foot office, serving diplomats, international stars, prominent business leaders, and other high-profile clients.
The company closed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Losing a business he had built over many years was one of the most painful chapters of Shaker’s life. These photographs preserve a glimpse of the company, its people, and the work he cared deeply about.
THE COMPANY LOGO
Royal Hawaiian Limousine’s logo, created by Morad Shaker.
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THE TEAM MEMBERS
Two Royal Hawaiian Limousine employees.
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OAHU’S NORTH SHORE
A Royal Hawaiian Limousine Mercedes-Benz on Oahu’s North Shore.
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THE FLEET · 2010
A portion of the company’s fleet in 2010.
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VIP & DIPLOMATIC SERVICE
Royal Hawaiian Limousine service for diplomats and VIP clients.
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CHAUFFEURS ON STANDBY
Chauffeurs chatting while on standby.
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THE GOLD COMPANY CARD
The company’s first gold metal business card.
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THE SUPERVISOR
A Royal Hawaiian Limousine supervisor on standby.
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GOLD COMPANY BRANDING
A Royal Hawaiian Limousine logo, created with care by Morad Shaker.
VIEW FULL IMAGE (opens image viewer)THE BASKETBALL ARCHIVE
Aloha Among Friends: Morad Shaker and the Lakers
As president and owner of Royal Hawaiian Limousine, I was fortunate to build friendships with remarkable people from around the world. Among them were members of the Los Angeles Lakers, including basketball icons Kobe Bryant and Robert Horry. These photographs, taken at Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu around 2010, preserve a few personal memories from my years in Hawaii.
FRIENDS FROM THE LAKERS
Morad Shaker with friends from the Los Angeles Lakers in Honolulu, circa 2010.
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WITH ROBERT HORRY
Morad Shaker with his friend Robert Horry at Hilton Hawaiian Village.
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A PERSONAL MOMENT
A personal moment with a Lakers friend during Morad Shaker’s Hawaii years.
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WITH KOBE BRYANT
Morad Shaker with his friend Kobe Bryant in Honolulu, circa 2010.
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A FRIENDSHIP REMEMBERED
A friendship remembered from Morad Shaker’s years in Hawaii.
VIEW FULL PHOTOGRAPH (opens image viewer)PEOPLE & OCCASIONS
Hawaii: A Chapter of Friendship and Community
During nearly three decades in Hawaii, I was privileged to form friendships with public servants, community leaders, artists, and families throughout the islands. These photographs preserve a few personal moments from that chapter of my life.
These photographs document personal encounters and do not imply endorsement.
WITH DUKE AIONA
Morad Shaker and Alex Shaker with then-Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona of Hawaii.
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WITH LINDA LINGLE
Morad Shaker and his wife with then-Governor Linda Lingle.
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WITH DANIEL K. AKAKA
The Shaker family with U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka.
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WITH DANIEL K. INOUYE
The Shaker family with U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye and Marjaneh Shaker, Morad’s daughter and Ambassador of Goodwill Hawaii.
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A FAMILY FRIENDSHIP
The Shaker family with Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona.
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WITH CHELSEA CLINTON
Morad Shaker with Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
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WITH KIRK CALDWELL
The Shaker family with Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell; Alex Shaker, age seven, was honorary mayor for 30 minutes.
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WITH CARLY RAE JEPSEN
Morad Shaker with Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen.
VIEW FULL PHOTOGRAPH (opens image viewer)THE WIDER PERSONAL ARCHIVE
EXPERIENCES & OCCASIONS
An Unforgettable Shark Encounter in Hawaii
A rare moment in open water.
Among the greatest experiences of my life has been encountering animals in their natural environment. In Hawaii, an open-water encounter with a shark—without a cage—became unforgettable. Work left little time for surfing, swimming, or fishing, but this moment remains close to my heart.
AN OPEN-WATER ENCOUNTER
Morad Shaker during an open-water shark encounter in Hawaii, without a cage.
VIEW FULL IMAGE (opens image viewer)HAWAIʻI · TOURISM & EDUCATION
SKÅL INTERNATIONAL HAWAIʻI
Connecting University Students with Hawaiʻi’s Tourism Industry
As a board member of Skål International Hawaiʻi, I took part in connecting university students with professionals in the travel and tourism industry. These experiences brought students into contact with hospitality and tourism leaders and gave them opportunities to learn about the industry.
Skål International is an established global professional association for travel and tourism leaders. Its Young Skål program connects students and young professionals with experienced members and the wider industry.
A UNIVERSITY GATHERING
Morad Shaker, a board member of Skål International Hawaiʻi, with 16 University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students and Hawaiʻi tourism and hospitality leaders at a student gathering.
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A PEARL HARBOR STUDENT VISIT
International tourism students, most from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, visit Pearl Harbor on an educational outing organized by Morad Shaker. Royal Hawaiian Limousine operated tours to this historic site.
VIEW FULL IMAGE (opens image viewer)HAWAII · HOME & FAMILY
PORTLOCK · HONOLULU
A Paradise Called Hawaii
Address: 282 Portlock Road, Honolulu, HI 96825
For nearly three decades, Hawaii was my home. In Portlock, one of Oahu’s most beautiful coastal neighborhoods, my home stood near the water on nearly 17,000 square feet of land, with 5,000 square feet of living space. It had a swimming pool, tennis court, sunset deck, barbecue house, game room, movie theater, and gym. The children loved it so much they hardly wanted to leave. There are many beautiful places in the world, but none can take Hawaii’s place in my heart.
In 2020, the pandemic brought that chapter to a close. I let go of the life I had built and turned toward a larger mission: serving humanity beyond one family, city, community, group, or country.
Save all. Serve all.
THE PORTLOCK HOME
The Portlock home in Honolulu, photographed at night.
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THE ILLUMINATED ENTRANCE
The illuminated entrance of the Portlock home.
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POOL & TENNIS COURT
An aerial view of the swimming pool and tennis court.
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A COASTAL HOME
The Portlock home and its coastal surroundings.
VIEW FULL IMAGE (opens image viewer)THE RECENT YEARS
A MOMENT OF CHANGE
The Turning Point
From building businesses to serving humanity.
In 2020, the pandemic brought the Royal Hawaiian Limousine chapter to a close. After nearly two decades of building the company in Hawaiʻi, I began to consider a different direction for my life and work.
I spent nearly a year in Puerto Rico to reflect, study, and plan. I was away from my family, my children, my friends, and the life I had built in Hawaiʻi.
That period marked a turning point: from building businesses to serving humanity. I turned toward a larger mission of service beyond one family, city, community, group, or country.
TECHNOLOGY & HUMANITARIAN SERVICE
TRANSPARENCY OPPORTUNITY SERVICE
A GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN PLATFORM
Shaker Global Poverty Reduction
Shaker Global Poverty Reduction Ecosystem
The Shaker Global Poverty Reduction Ecosystem (SGPRE) is a technology platform designed by Morad Shaker to expand opportunity, improve transparency, and support sustainable poverty reduction on a global scale.
Its focus brings together transparency, equal opportunity, accountability, and innovative digital systems in support of global humanitarian initiatives.
EXPLORE THE ECOSYSTEM (opens in a new tab)A CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO SERVICE
Ten Initiatives
Education. Integrity. Compassion. Service.
A VISION ACROSS BORDERS
Two Global Initiatives
Connected by a commitment to service and opportunity.
CHEYENNE, WYOMING
Wyoming Is Our Home. Our Mission Reaches the World.
Headquartered in Cheyenne, Shaker International Enterprises serves communities across the globe.
Shaker Global Future Leaders Foundation
Born from Operation Bangladesh. A sister organization to Phoenix Passage.
A Global Home for the Best of Every Deserving Nation.
Building the Greatest Global Student
Movement in History
Our Guiding Principle
We raise our nations’ flags by serving the world — and the forgotten children of God.
Founded and funded by Morad Shaker