Search - List of Books by Ali Velshi
Ali Velshi (born October 29, 1968) is a Canadian television journalist best known for his work on CNN. He is CNN's Chief Business Correspondent, and host of CNN's weekday show, CNN Newsroom, which airs Mon-Fri at 1pm-3P.
Born in Nairobi, Kenya and raised in Toronto, Ontario, he is the son of Murad Velshi, the first Canadian of Indian origin elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Velshi earned a degree in religious studies from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario in 1994.
"Ali Velshi." Marquis Who's Who TM. Marquis Who's Who, 2008.Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2008. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRCRetrieved 2008-11-23.Document Number: K2017691604. During his time at Queen's he made news by organizing protests against Preston Manning and Canada's Reform Party. He previously attended Toronto's Northern Secondary School, which has produced a number of internationally successful people in the television industry.
Velshi was married briefly in his 20s. He married Lori Wachs, a Philadelphia portfolio manager in October 2009. He met her on his show.
In 1996, Velshi was awarded a fellowship to the United States Congress from the American Political Science Association. In this capacity he worked with Lee Hamilton, then a Democratic Representative from Indiana.
Television
In Toronto, Velshi began his professional reporting career as a General Assignment reporter for CFTO. He later became a business reporter and anchor for CablePulse 24 and its sister station CityTV. In 1999, he joined Report on Business Television, (now BNN - Business News Network) Canada's first all-business news specialty channel. Velshi hosted "The Business News", Canada's first prime time business news hour.
CNN
Velshi moved to the U.S. in September 2001, joining business news channel CNNfn in New York City. He anchored several shows including "Insights", "Business Unusual", "Street Sweep", "Your Money" and he co-hosted "The Money Gang" with his friend Pat Kiernan before the network closed down in December 2004.
Reassigned to the main United States CNN network, he remained a business anchor and reporter posted, initially, to CNN's early morning program, "Daybreak." In 2005, Velshi hosted 13 hour-long episodes of The Turnaround, a reality television show, during which he traveled across America, introducing small business owners who were facing challenges or seeking to grow their businesses, to high-profile mentors who helped the small business owners develop a plan for success.
After "The Turnaround", Velshi was assigned to the newly-launched "The Situation Room" from 2005 to 2006. Velshi joined "American Morning" in late 2006.
In 2008, Velshi undertook a cross-country road-trip aboard the CNN Election Express, during which he travelled from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Los Angeles, California, stopping along the way to discuss money issues with Americans. Velshi also spent 10 days riding the CNN Election Express through rural Texas before that state's 2008 primaries.
Velshi covers business, finance, markets and economics daily for CNN/U.S. programs such as American Morning, The Situation Room, Campbell Brown "No Bias, No Bull" and AC360. On Saturday and Sunday he co-hosts a business program called Your Money'.
Velshi also hosts CNN's "Energy Hunt" which took him to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and to the Oil Sands of Canada in 2008.
Tragic events during 2008 made Velshi a household name. He began the year reporting from the now-destroyed Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan, after the killing of Benazir Bhutto. During coverage of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, Velshi appeared on air day and night on location from hurricane-stricken areas, as the storms hit. Velshi's hurricane reporting started in 2005 during Katrina, where he reported live during the evacuation of an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, and then from damaged oil facilities in Eastern Texas and Southern Louisiana
During the financial crisis of 2008, Velshi again appeared on television frequently throughout the day on shows like American Morning and Anderson Cooper 360°, and took viewers' live calls during special editions of Your Money, and during his weekly call-in radio show.
Velshi files the weekly "Ali V" podcast, downloadable from iTunes, hosts a weekly call-in radio show "The Ali Velshi Show", and takes viewers questions about money during "Help Line" on Headline News at 5:30 pm ET on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday.
In January of 2010, it was announced that Velshi will anchor his own show on CNN from 1p to 3p EST. The show launches January 18 under CNN Newsroom but is expected to develop into a different show.
Writings
Velshi is represented by the New York talent agency N. S. Beinstock, by literary agency Metropol Literary, and by speaking agency GTN (Greater Talent Network). His first book, Gimme My Money Back - Your Guide to Beating the Financial Crisis, was published by Sterling & Ross on January 1, 2009.
Referencing Velshi's signature bald pate, the comedian Jon Stewart has referred to Velshi as the "Hairless Prophet of Doom" on The Daily Show, -- the "H-Pod" moniker is now frequently repeated by American Morning anchor John Roberts and others.
On April 19th, 2010, Stephen Colbert referred to Velshi as "CNN's business reporter from our hairless, raceless future," on an episode of The Colbert Report wherein he discussed the recent financial crisis.
Velshi has also appeared on talk show programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Velshi is a member of the Economic Club of New York, and the New York Financial Writers Association.
