BAPA was founded in April 2013 by Kanita Lipjankić, Amra Ferhatbegović, Arminka Željković, Mustafa Samerić, Zlatan Prste, and Meša Željković in Salt Lake City, Utah. The founders set out with the following mission: providing networking opportunities to foster career growth for Bosnian American professionals.
Kanita Lipjankić, Nidžara Pečenković, and Mersiha Cerić successfully organized the first BAPA forum in Salt Lake City, Utah, which featured Bosnian writers in the US. BAPA raised funds to support the Bosana Foundation’s scholarship fund during this event, kicking off a long-standing partnership.
In 2014, BAPA launched its monthly in-person networking series called “Fildžan Kahve,” which means “a cup of coffee" in Bosnian. These get-togethers strengthen the Bosnian American business network by reflecting the Bosnian tradition of connecting over coffee. That same year, BAPA expanded its Board of Directors by recruiting new committee members in support of scaling our foundation. BAPA also established a presence in both Chicago and Southern California.
BAPA received its 501(c)(3) determination letter in 2015, becoming a government-recognized nonprofit organization. BAPA also held its first scholarship fundraiser and awarded two $1,000 scholarships to high-achieving Bosnian American students at the second annual forum/Bosana's Gala in Los Angeles, California.
In 2017, BAPA's annual forum took place in Phoenix, Arizona. For the first time, BAPA scholarship recipients were invited to present their scholarly research as part of the forum's programming. That year, BAPA awarded three $1,000 scholarships.
In 2019, BAPA hosted its sixth annual forum in Chicago, Illinois. We reached another milestone by awarding two $2,500 scholarships!
Prioritizing the health and safety of the Bosnian community, BAPA's seventh annual forum went online in 2020. This virtual environment allowed for people across the country to attend our forum. That same year, BAPA also introduced the digital iteration of our Fildžan Kahve events, ensuring our networking opportunities became more accessible.
Additionally, BAPA celebrated its fifth year of awarding financial aid to Bosnian American students. We awarded two $3,500 scholarships. Since the inception of our scholarship program, BAPA awarded 10 scholarships as well as 8 travel stipends meant to support scholarship recipients’ attendance at our forums.
In 2021, BAPA's forum went back to being in person after the bulk of the pandemic passed. At our forum in Seattle, Washington, BAPA awarded two $5,000 scholarships.
BAPA hosted its ninth annual forum in NYC, where we partnered with the Bosana Foundation to award an additional $5,000 scholarship. Through this partnership, the total number of scholarships awarded that year was four.
BAPA’s tenth annual forum took place in Jacksonville, Florida. This forum featured presentations from scholarship recipients and keynote speakers, covering topics like Creativity & Innovation; Entrepreneurship; and Leadership & Management. BAPA also formally introduced our Forum Sponsorship Tier and brought back the in-person Fildžan Kahve series, hosting it in Louisville, Kentucky.
BAPA raised $20,000 in scholarship funds, allowing for the awarding of four $5,000 scholarships and an additional scholarship through our partnership with the Bosana Foundation. BAPA hosted its annual forum in Detroit, Michigan, which was attended by over 100 Bosnian Americans professionals, making this our most successful forum to date! In January of 2024, BAPA also launched a social fundraiser to support our scholarship program, with the first event taking place in NYC.
In 2025, BAPA achieved another milestone by awarding over $100,000+ total in scholarships since the creation of the program. As BAPA continues to grow, we remain committed to providing networking opportunities and fostering professional growth for Bosnians in the diaspora.