About The Author

Joseph Melookaran

Joseph Melookaran is an entrepreneur, civic leader, and advocate for immigrant communities who has built a career around ethical business practices and service. His work spans accounting, information technology, financial advising, and community organizing, always with an emphasis on lifting others as he climbed.

Joseph’s professional background includes founding and growing multiple businesses. He co-founded a CPA firm after facing financial setbacks and betrayal by a business partner, building it through integrity despite legal battles and IRS liens. He later expanded into IT staffing and government contracts with JMA Information Technology Inc., which grew to operate globally before its acquisition in 2018. Throughout his business career, Joseph faced fraud investigations, lost major contracts, and faced complicating ethical dilemmas, always choosing transparency over shortcuts.

His civic engagement runs deep. Joseph helped found the Asian American Chamber of Commerce in Kansas City to unite diverse Asian communities around shared economic goals. He served as president of the International Relations Council of Kansas City and participated in leadership missions to Singapore, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and China, gaining perspectives on international diplomacy and economic development.

His most significant civic role came in 2004 when President George W. Bush appointed him to the Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. As lead author of the commission’s report, Joseph shaped federal policy recommendations that improved economic opportunities for Asian American communities nationwide.

Joseph now focuses on mentoring immigrants and refugees, supporting youth programs internationally, and financial advising. He believes sharing his story of struggle and success can help others manage their own unscripted destinies with courage and integrity.