About
Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to a Russian mother and Ethiopian father, I am the eldest son in a loving family with two younger brothers. My brothers and I attended the Italian School in Addis, where we learned everything in the Italian curriculum during the day, and everything in the Ethiopian curriculum during the afternoons/evenings. Life was very simple until I turned 13 and our family moved to suburban Maryland, USA, right after the blizzard of ‘96. Life in the US turned into nothing but a hustle. My mom was holding down 3 jobs, while my dad was doing his research on a student visa at the University of Maryland. We learned to love our new home in the poor immigrant neighborhood on Piney Branch Rd and Flower Ave. That’s where I became “americanized.”
My dad’s passing due to brain cancer, while I was an undergrad in college, is the single biggest most powerful event in my entire life. That moment broke everything that I was back then and made everything that I am today. I am always thankful for the humble, loving, and disciplined way of life that my parents instilled in me, and I attribute all my success to them.
I have a passion for everything space, entrepreneurship, technology, and art. I am a realist, a perfectionist, a hustler, a peace-maker, and I always have an ear out for good advice. I currently work as an aerospace engineer for a big Aerospace/Defense contractor in suburban Maryland. Virtually all of my time outside of work is devoted to chasing the next big dream, whatever it is.
