KENT - Asad Khan said he recalls the summer day in 1995 when he approached J. William Doane, then the director of the Liquid Crystal Institute at Kent State University, about what he should do upon graduation.
"I walked in to talk to Bill Doane and asked him where I could find a job," Khan said. "He said there's this little place in Kent, you should apply."
That "little place" was Kent Displays Inc., which Doane himself had co-founded with venture capitalist William Manning.
According to the company, Doane and Manning were working to develop cholesteric display technology into commercial applications. This work led to consumer products that can be used in multiple places, from classrooms and education to healthcare communication to home and office applications. One of the products, Boogie Board writing tablets, came out in 2009.
Khan has worked at Kent Displays on Portage Boulevard in Kent ever since, becoming the company's chief executive officer in 2020. He told this story and others Oct. 29 during the annual Bowman Breakfast in the Kent State University Ballroom.
About 150 people attended this year's event, which had the theme of "Rooted & Rising: A Kent State Story with Global Roots."
According to his profile on Kent Displays' website, Khan earned a master's degree in physics and a doctorate in chemical physics from Kent State University. He also serves as an adjunct professor of chemical physics at the Advanced Materials & Liquid Crystal Institute.
Khan, who grew up in Pakistan and has lived in other countries such as Libya and England, said the immigrant population adds value to a community. Khan moved to the United States 36 years ago and is now a naturalized citizen.
"I think international students really, truly improve the space in the community," he said.
He has lived in Kent for 30 years, and he and his wife have three teenage children. He said it is the longest time he's lived anywhere.
"I am energized all the time that I am appreciated here for what my diversity brings to the table," Khan said. He stressed the value of the passport and the ability to travel the world, something he loves to do. "It's an incredible document that allows you to go anywhere."
Everyone should take the opportunity to venture elsewhere, even if it's just to leave Portage County, Khan said. He also stressed the importance of community and staying grounded.
"This is where we are rooted," he said of Kent. "I've had an amazing 30 years in Kent. We need to keep working in the community and working with others. I don't think you should complain about the (State Route) 59 construction. It should inspire us to make more improvements."
Work on State Route 59, a $25.5 million renovation of a three-quarter-mile stretch of East Main between Willow Street and Horning Road, started in the summer and is expected to take about three years to complete.
Khan said that while he felt he learned some things about the United States before moving here, it was important for the country to learn more about other nations.
"The U.S. exports its culture very well," he said. "But it doesn't import culture as well. I remember as I was walking around once in 1989, I had people ask me if Pakistan had roads."
Recent actions at the federal level have made it more difficult to get and retain workers from other countries, Khan said.
"One of our outstanding employees is being sponsored by an H1B visa, we are sponsoring him," he said. "First, it's a lottery system, which is ridiculous. Two, the costs are increasing, which a small company like this can't afford. You want to make bringing in talent easier, not harder."
Emerging AI technology, Khan said, "is a defining moment in our world." The implications and its uses are still being figured out but eventually people will need to adapt to it.
"AI is a hammer," he said. "Use the hammer, don't keep trying to push the nail in with your thumbs."
Dennis Campbell Jr., the executive director for the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce, said that Khan was selected to be this year's speaker at the Bowman Breakfast "as a highlight of Kent State Works."
The Bowman Breakfast started in 1963 and brings together university and city leaders to address community issues.