“I really love Portland,” said Fazeed Ali. He shared that it didn’t take long for Portland to feel like home after moving to the city from his homeland, the Caribbean island of Trinidad.
The Ali family’s life was deeply rooted in agriculture. They managed small sugar cane, coffee, and rice plantations alongside a large livestock business. Ali comes from humble beginnings. He recalls having one school uniform and one pair of shoes that had to last the entire year. He walked 3 miles to and from school, as there was no public transportation. “I’m not embarrassed by it,” Ali said. “It made me who I am.”
From an early age, Ali showed a natural passion for machines and mechanics which often led him to take apart electronic toys and put them back together, eager to understand how they worked…