Anwar Saleem is the Executive Director of H Street Main Street, Inc., a position he has held since 2007. Mr. Saleem founded this non-profit organization in 2002 to guide the revitalization of a critical and long-neglected neighborhood commercial corridor in Washington, D.C. He served as chairman of the Board of Directors until taking the direct responsibility for the delivery of commercial revitalization and business retention services as executive director. Mr. Saleem's interest in H Street NE began long before 2002. He has owned a hair salon on the street since 1989 and has purchased several buildings over the years. A native Washingtonian, Mr. Saleem, grew up in the surrounding neighborhoods and remembered the commercial street in its heyday. The economic growth strategy that Mr. Saleem developed has resulted in more than 3,600 new jobs on the H Street corridor. Through direct recruitment and partnerships, he helped to attract more than 300 new businesses to H Street NE. His efforts have drawn more than 6.5 billion dollars in additional investment and development to the community. He has developed alliances with D.C. Government officials who bring substantial resources into H Street, including a leg in the new streetcar system and Tax Increment Financing. As a small business owner himself, Mr. Saleem understands the challenges that independent entrepreneurs encounter. He has helped business owners successfully apply for grants and loans to upgrade storefronts and the interiors of their buildings. Increasing H Street's marketability has been a priority for Mr. Saleem. He led the rebranding of the commercial district into an arts and entertainment district. He created the H Street Main Street's Clean Team, which removes debris, graffiti, and snow to create a more appealing and safer environment for business clients and the residential community. He was a key leader and a driving force behind the initial planning of the corridor. Mr. Saleem's commitment to marketing and promotion includes the annual H Street Festival. Attendance has grown from 5000 people in 2007 to more than 150,000 in 2019. For many corridor businesses, the Festival generated revenue is equivalent to the retail "Black Friday" that much larger downtown commercial districts experience. The event was awarded Best Neighborhood Festival & the Best City Festival (Washington City Paper) from 2011 through 2019. Also, the event was awarded the Best City Festival from 2017 through 2019 by the Washingtonian Magazine. The H Street Festival generates over 6.1 million dollars in spending. With a commitment to future generations, Mr. Saleem has annually recruited, hired, and mentored over 600 DC students in summer work-and-learn programs.

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