SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Sinan Kanatsiz, founder and CEO of marketing communications firm KCOMM and Chairman and Founder of the Internet Marketing Association, has received the 2019 Ellis Island Medal of Honor sponsored by the Ellis Island Honors Society.
Sinan Kanatsiz, CEO of KCOMM receiving 2019 Ellis Island Medal
The recognition is awarded annually to a group of distinguished American citizens who exemplify a life dedicated to community service and extraordinary accomplishments in their industry. These are individuals who preserve and celebrate the history, traditions and values of their ancestry while exemplifying the values of the American way of life, and who are dedicated to creating a better world.
“As a second-generation American with roots in Turkey, I remember my father who was an educator talking about this medal and what it symbolized to him,” Kanatsiz said. “I am deeply honored and gratified to have been chosen and accept it in his memory as the individual, along with my mother, who set me on my path in life.”
Past Ellis Island Medalists have included seven U.S. Presidents, three world leaders, several Nobel Prize winners and countless leaders in industry, education, the arts, sports and government as well as everyday Americans who have made freedom, liberty and compassion a part of their life’s work.
For the medal presentation event, Ellis Island is closed to the public as honorees and their guests arrive via a private ferry. More than 300 service members participate in an opening ceremony that includes a joint-service color guard representing all five branches of the military. Medalists accept their honor on stage in front of family and friends during a black-tie dinner in the historic Great Hall.
Criteria for the Ellis Island Medal of Honor include integrity, passion, gravitas, humanitarianism and ethnic heritage. Kanatsiz has been actively involved in a wide range of charitable and philanthropic causes, including service on boards of directors as well as a volunteer and financial contributor. Examples include organizations and advocacy for at-risk youth, civic engagement, education, entrepreneurism, family services and literacy.
About Ellis Island Honors Society
The Ellis Island Honors Society was created on the conviction of its founders that the diversity of the American people is what makes this nation great. Its mission is to honor and preserve this diversity and to foster tolerance, respect and understanding among religious and ethnic groups. Additionally, Ellis Island Honors Society continues its commitment to the restoration and maintenance of Ellis Island, a living tribute to the courage and hope of all immigrants. Since 1986, the Ellis Island Honors Society has sponsored the Ellis Island Medals of Honor which are presented annually to American citizens who have distinguished themselves within their own ethnic groups while exemplifying the values of the American way of life. www.eihonors.org
Sinan Kanatsiz Executive Bio
Cav. Sinan Kanatsiz, CIM (titles)
- Chief Executive Officer, KCOMM – www.kcomm.com
- Chairman and Founder, the Internet Marketing Association (IMA) – www.imanetwork.org
- Founder, International Executive Council (IEC) – www.iecnetwork.org
- Founder, Chapman50 – www.chapman50.org
- Founding Board Member, Pretend City Children’s Museum – www.pretendcity.org
- Member of the Board of Governors, Chapman University – www.chapman.edu
- YMCA National Outreach Chairman, Youth, and Government – www.calymca.org
- Member of the Board of Directors, Seneca Youth Foster Care – www.senecafoa.org
- Member of the Board of Directors, Literacy Project – www.literacyprojectfoundation.org
- Cavaliere “Cav” Member of the Royal House of Savoy – www.regalis.com/savoy.htm
- Ellis Island Medal of Honor Recipient – www.eihonors.org
Sinan Kanatsiz has effectively made his mark as an entrepreneur in the United States. His parents who migrated from Turkey established residency and citizenship in America in the 1960’s where they had and raised Sinan and his Sister Sebnem. In 1998, while studying for a master’s degree at Chapman University, Kanatsiz followed his entrepreneurial spirit and formalized his first company, KCOMM, a Public Relations and Internet marketing agency. The company quickly evolved into a full-service marketing, government affairs and event marketing firm known for its Internet expertise and results-oriented approach. In less than ten years, Kanatsiz grew the firm to several million dollars in revenue, opening business operations and clients in Dallas, New York, Dubai, Istanbul, Montreal, London, Argentina, and Delhi. Currently, KCOMM works with over 100 specialized employees and independent contractors in several countries and has developed campaigns for over 1,000 companies and organizations around the world. These include organizations ranging from innovative start-ups to New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq listed companies such as Oracle, Sony, eBay, T-Mobile, HP, Adobe and the University of Phoenix.
KCOMM’s dedication to strategic programs and results-oriented campaigns has earned the firm several PROTOS awards, the highest honor bestowed by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The effectiveness of KCOMM’s strategies has become so widely recognized that the firm’s clients have now extended beyond the realm of technology to include elected officials, municipalities and multi-national organizations.
As a consummate entrepreneur and philanthropist, Kanatsiz takes his community responsibilities seriously. In addition to mentoring high school and college students, he is often asked to speak about entrepreneurship and the Internet. He has held engagements at several universities, including USC, Chapman University, UCLA, Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine, UC Irvine, and Cal Tech. Additionally, he has been a keynote speaker at the Future Business Leaders of American (FBLA) National Conference and is often called to speak on a variety of topics including Social Media, Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing, Modernizing Government and the future of the Internet.
Kanatsiz’s belief in the power of entrepreneurism and politics led him to be the original founder of a group called Generation NeXt in 2004, a network of young business and community leaders committed to making a difference by empowering others for the betterment of the next generation. Additionally, he founded the Internet Marketing Association (www.imanetwork.org) in 2000, which has a large number of professional members worldwide and its own conference series called “IMPACT.” Past events have included the executives and founders of Google, SalesForce, Tesla Motor, SpaceX, Yahoo, Facebook, Microsoft, St. Regis Hotel, Wahoos, Quest Software, Amazon and YouTube to name a few. Kanatsiz is currently expanding the group globally and involving leaders from Europe, the Middle East, China and India, working to create the largest association dedicated to Internet Marketing in the world.
While the IMA is a large, global organization, Kanatsiz recently created a spinoff in (2017), called the International Executive Council (IEC), which he founded to focus on the top 100 leaders in Southern California (www.iecnetwork.org). The organization has been hosting monthly events around topics including Social Emotional Learning, Cryptocurrency, Leadership and The Creative Process to name a few.
Kanatsiz holds a B.A. in Communications, with an emphasis in Public Relations, and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership with a certificate in Human Resources, all from Chapman University. Kanatsiz was designated Alumnus of the Year by Chapman University in the year 2000. He was also the recipient of the Community College of California Alumnus of the Year Award in 2005. Sinan was named in the Hall of Fame for Santa Ana College in the year 2006. He has also been named as 40 under 40 and a featured Entrepreneur of the Year by OC Metro Magazine. Recognized for his philanthropic involvement, Kanatsiz was appointed a Knighthood and invited to become a member of the Royal House of Savoy by Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy in September 2018. Sinan received the 2019 Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his work in non-profit organizations, public relations, and internet marketing.
To this day, he credits his accomplishments to his Four Pillars of Success: personal integrity; coaches and mentors; family; and education.
Kanatsiz, his wife, Kai, son Archer, and daughter Arden, reside in San Clemente, California.
Media Contact: Rachel Reenders, [email protected]
SOURCE Internet Marketing Association
