The ZEDF (Zarathushti Entrepreneurship Development Foundation) and WZCC recently announced receiving the largest ever single donation, thanks to the magnanimity of Ronnie and Shahnaaz Irani, based in Oklahoma (USA), who have donated $ 250,000 to ZEDF ($ 25,000 per year for 10 years) to be utilized primarily for the ZEDF Scholar Loan program, with excess funds being utilized for the Entrepreneurship Loan program. The ZEDF Scholar Loan awards will henceforth be recognized as the ‘Ronnie K Irani & Family ZEDF Loan Scholar Award’.

ZEDF provides interest free loans to budding Zoroastrian entrepreneurs and graduating students with a focus in entrepreneurship. Ronnie K Irani is Founder and CEO of RKI Energy Resources, LLC, a privately held energy company headquartered in Oklahoma City. He started his entrepreneurial journey in 1973, moving from Devlali to Mumbai for his BSc. By 1977 he was on his way to Oklahoma to do his BS and MS in Petroleum Engineering followed by an MBA. After 25 years of building a successful career in NYSE based companies, he decided to explore the private sector, establishing his own RKI Exploration & Production in 2005, and never looking back since!

Ronnie braved various challenges in his journey to come out on top, being the recipient of numerous institutional, professional and business awards, including ‘Lifetime Achievement’ awards, ‘Living Legend’ and ‘Oklahoma Hall of Fame’ awards. He was felicitated with the 2023 Honorary Doctorate from Oklahoma University.

Over the years Ronnie has contributed greatly in terms of time and resources to charitable causes, philanthropic institutions, and multiple universities. Extremely passionate about working closely with students and mentoring them into becoming successful entrepreneurs and leaders, Ronnie created and funded the Ronnie K Irani Center for Energy Solutions in the College of Engineering at OU; RKI Center for Creation of Economic Wealth in Price College of Business; RKI Center for Data Analytics and AI at Oklahoma City University. His passion to help others with his time and money spans wide, including medical research and rehab, students, entrepreneurs, the arts, native American institutions, mentoring at-risk youth and providing mental health programs to First Responders. Happily married for 40 years, Ronnie and Shahnaaz, are proud parents to daughters, Roxanne and Natasha.