Bahjat Shariff was born in war-torn Lebanon. He left his country and family behind when he was 18, and with 300 in his pocket arrived in Los Angeles, where he would enroll in Citrus College.

Bahjat, who continues our “Bridge to the Future” series, has been recognized by the New England Patriots for his charitable work, raised a family, and currently is the operating partner and Senior Vice President of Operations for Howley Bread Group, a franchised chain of more than 20 Panera Bread Restaurants. Our series, “Bridge to the Future,” is meant to highlight the tremendous contributions of first-generation immigrants to the United States.

Bahjat joins Frank on this edition of The Open Forum on AM 1540 WADK Newport.

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...