Adeem Younis

Adeem Younis (born October 17, 1980) is an English-Pakistani entrepreneur, philanthropist, and humanitarian. He is best known as founder of digital matrimony platform SingleMuslim.com and international humanitarian charity, Penny Appeal.

He is a founding board member of Penny Appeal USA and also helped set up Penny Appeal South Africa, Penny Appeal Canada and Penny Appeal Australia. He is a Founding Circle Member of the British Asian Trust and was listed as one of Yorkshire’s leading entrepreneurs by Insider Media in their “42 under 42” list of 2019.

Early life and education 
Younis was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire on October 17, 1980. His father died when he was eight years old. He was raised by his mother and grandparents. He attended Outwood Grange School and went on to study at Wakefield College where he maintained a close relationship upon graduation. The college nominated him for an Association of Colleges Gold Award for his achievements as an outstanding alumnus of the school. In late 2018, Younis announced that the charity he founded, Penny Appeal, had bought the Thornes Park campus in which he had studied and are transforming it into a new international headquarters for the charity. He received his Bachelors in Graphic Designing from the University of Leeds. Younis funded his studies by founding his first business, GoWebPrint, at the age of 17 above the fast food shop where he worked part-time. He went on to help set up a restaurant in Wakefield, which was renowned for its chocolate curry before focusing his efforts on his humanitarian work and business.

Career 
Younis is the founder and CEO of world’s largest Muslim digital matrimony platform, SingleMuslim.com having over 2 million users registered with market penetration estimated at 52% of all British Muslims aged between 16 and 60. The website was launched on 1 August 2000, and its headquarters is in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England.  As founder of leading matrimonial website SingleMuslim.com, Younis has helped facilitate over 100,000 muslim marriages. The platform was featured on the hit British Muslim romantic comedy, Finding Fatimah.  SingleMuslim.com is available on mobile and desktop and has Android and iOS apps which were rated 5 out of 5 by Dating Scout reviews. Younis has said of his platform:  “We make it very clear this is for people who are serious about getting married, and it is not some “meet up” service.” He says: “We’re not just facilitating marriages. It’s a really liberating service, we help people and it’s a cornerstone to a society. Religion is bringing people together.” SingleMuslim.com is among the top 10 matchmaking websites across the UK.

Charitable activities

Penny Appeal Founder and Chairman (2009 – present) 
In 2009, Younis founded Penny Appeal, a charitable organization working in over 52 countries across the world and providing essential aid and welfare to those in the UK. Penny Appeal builds wells, orphan homes, schools, provides life-saving medical relief, nourishing meals and much more. In the UK, Penny Appeal runs a fostering and adoption agency, funds a number of soup kitchens and food banks and supports refugee settlement. Two times Guinness World Records holding charity raised just over £100,000 in 2012. In 2017, Penny Appeal's total turnover had exceeded over £22 million. Penny Appeal has launched a sister domestic relief programme, demonstrating their commitment to begin charity at home. In the ten years since the charity has been founded, it has helped an estimated 20 million individuals and raised over £60 million for good causes. Penny Appeal has been recognized as largest provider of orphan care in The Gambia by its President. The charity has enlisted a number of high profile Ambassadors including Amir Khan and Cat Stevens.

Younis has run the London Marathon in aid of Penny Appeal’s Thirst Relief campaign in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and has raised tens of thousands of pounds in the process. In 2019, in celebration of the charity’s ten years of operation, Younis appointed the first ever charity ‘Kid’ CEO, Shakira Rahman. Younis met Shakira at Penny Appeal’s Great Muslim Pantomime tour and was inspired by her can do attitude, creating a special role for her to contribute to the charity through the eyes of a child.

Penny Ventures Director and Co-founder (2018 – present) 
Younis is director and co-founder of Penny Ventures which works in partnership with James Caan Foundation. James and Younis co-created Penny Ventures as an investment fund that supports budding entrepreneurs launch and grow new businesses.

SalaamGiving Director and Co-founder (2018 – present) 
Created in partnership with JustGiving, SalaamGiving is an online crowdfunding platform tailored for Muslim communities. The platform was co-created by Younis and launched in 2018.

Awards and nominations 
Younis was awarded Young Director of the Year by Yorkshire’s Institute of Directors. He was made an Ambassador by The Yorkshire Society owing to his success as an entrepreneur and awarded Entrepreneur of the Year at the Asian Business Awards 2017. Also in 2017, Younis was decorated as the Natwest ‘Entrepreneur for Good’ in the 2017 Natwest Great Entrepreneurship Awards. In 2018 he received Entrepreneur of the Year award at British Muslim Awards. Same year he received ‘Charity Chair of the Year’ Award at the Third Sector Excellence Awards. In 2019, Younis was awarded the Ummul Mu’minin Khadijah Award for Excellence in Enterprise at the Muslim News Awards.

References

External links 

Category:21st-century English businesspeople
Category:English company founders
Category:People from West Yorkshire
Category:English people of Pakistani descent
Category:Academics of the University of Leeds
Category:English Muslims
Category:1980 births
Category:Living people