A LIFE OF WORK, SERVICE & COMMUNITY
GROWING UP
I was raised in Newark, California, a working- and middle-class suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area. I see Hutto struggling with many of the issues I saw growing up in Newark, where other cities were reaping the rewards of the tech boom through strategic planning, we were bleeding money on dead-end projects which failed to serve our town. In 7th grade Newark Jr High School could not afford to have elective courses and in 8th grade they could only afford to bring back Band, Drama, Choir, and Dance. This was while my friends in the town next door were learning computer programming, automotive, and other such electives with their city council's partnering with the burgeoning tech industry in the area to facilitate all that.
After my father suffered multiple strokes and became paralyzed, I was largely raised by my older brothers in a multi-family household. From them, and from my father's example as a chemistry professor and student advocate, I learned the value of education, civic engagement, and standing up for what you believe in. Growing up during the tech boom and bust, the aftermath of 9/11 as a South Asian Muslim child, and graduating high school during the 2008 financial crisis shaped my understanding of economic instability, social responsibility, and the importance of strong communities.
To me the struggles of immigrant families navigating through their new home and finding a place to belong are not talking points, they are my lived reality which I share with many of our friends and neighbors right here in Hutto.
A LIFE SHAPED BY WORK AND ECONOMIC REALITY
I began working before I turned 16 and have spent over two decades working across fast food, retail, hospitality, consumer electronics, technology manufacturing, and corporate technology environments. These experiences shaped my belief that government should work for everyone, not just those with access and privilege.
In 2014, my family moved to Central Texas due to the rising cost of living in the Bay Area. I attended Texas State University's McCoy College of Business, earning my Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics in 2017.
I later built a career in the technology sector as a New Product Program Manager. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I remained civically engaged and served as a delegate representing Williamson County at the Texas Democratic Party Convention.
In 2024, I lost my job in the tech sector and spent eight months unemployed. That experience showed me how quickly stability can disappear for working families and reinforced my belief that we need leadership that understands real economic pressure in an era of automation and rapid economic change.
In 2025, I joined Sam's Club in South Austin as a Sales and Training Manager, where I worked alongside hardworking people navigating real economic and social challenges every day.
My work experience over the past nineteen years has given me the opportunity to know folks from all walks of life. What it has taught me is simply this: we all want to live in a community where we are welcomed, respected, and can afford to provide for our families.
SERVICE, FAITH, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
In Central Texas, I became deeply involved in civic engagement, serving as a Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrar, precinct chair, and campaign volunteer. I have also worked in community outreach and census organizing, helping connect underrepresented communities to civic participation.
Over my last 12 years in Central Texas I have been involved with my local Faith organization, serving as the Social Committee Chair from 2022-2024. In that capacity I helped organize community picnics, poetry nights, and annual youth led poetry sessions which invites young folks from all over Texas.
WHY I'M RUNNING
In 2020, my wife and I were married during the height of the pandemic in an intimate ceremony attended virtually by family and friends. In 2022, we purchased our home in Hutto to build our future here.
I will be honest; we were priced out of Austin and were seriously reconsidering whether we would ever be able to afford a place. We were fortunate to have found our home in Hutto, where community ran deep with hippo pride and we could afford to grow as a family.
On January 14, we welcomed our son, Ziyan. Becoming a father has deepened my commitment to building a stronger future for Hutto families.
After conversations with mentors, friends, and community members, I answered my call to public service and officially filed to run for Hutto City Council shortly after my 35th birthday.
