BIO
Abraham Madha was born in Pakistan while his parents were visiting and just remembers Burma in 1956 during a time when there was significantly less nationalization/militarism in Southeast Asia. He spent 9 years in Burma, about two years in Bangladesh, two years in Pakistan, and some time in France before traveling to the US at age 14 to attend South Texas Junior College. Madha recalls growing up under Buddhist and Catholic influences and having a particular propensity for reading while growing up. Mr. Madha went on to receive his Bachelors of Science from University of Houston as well as an MBA that was completed at Western Governors University. He has several other degrees from Military Universities. His most recent job was a position as Chief of Plans and Integration at Global Strike Command from 2010 to 2013. He also spent time in the Chief Information Officer role at ENGlobal—a full service engineering company—and in Strategy and Product Management at JMI—a combined venture capital and investment banking firm. This interview covers Madha’s life story across a large variety of both cultural identities, religious identities, and interdisciplinary interests. It especially goes into depth on his own personal philosophies about diversity and learning—and finding the value of cognitive diversity within his own broad range of studies: the process of “wearing different hats.” The interview also ties into Madha’s exposure to war and the military, especially in terms of the new discoveries and relationships he made there. It additionally covers his thoughts on dating and romance, and his core values. Finally, he covers additional thoughts on the meaning of Asian American identity and the nature of newer generations in today’s society.