Mohammed Maaz
Quadri

My father, Imran Quadri, is a Telecommunication Engineer at Omantel — one of Oman's leading telecommunications companies. But to me he has been so much more than a professional. He has been my first teacher in innovation and problem-solving.

My journey with innovation started in childhood, long before I understood what the word meant. Whenever one of my toys would break — a remote-control car with a jammed motor, a robot missing its battery cover, a speaker with tangled wires — my father would patiently take it apart. I remember sitting beside him, watching as he carefully removed each screw, exposed the circuits and explained how each component worked.

Those moments were magical. While my friends were simply playing with their toys, I was learning how they worked. My father turned broken toys into lessons in engineering. He never just fixed them for me; he fixed them with me, narrating every step and answering every "why?" with patience and enthusiasm.

That curiosity — the desire to understand how things work and then to build something better — became the driving force behind my robotics passion, my IoT projects and my approach to problem-solving. When I'm designing a circuit or programming a microcontroller, I can still hear my father's voice explaining the principles.

But there is more to my father's legacy than technical skills. He has always believed in me — sometimes more than I believed in myself. He constantly reminds me: "You are the best." His confidence in me became the confidence I have in my own potential.

My mother, Humera Fathima, works as a primary teacher at Indian School Muscat, where she brings creativity and innovation into education every single day. But beyond the classroom she is an accomplished public speaker and confident conference presenter — the kind of person who walks into a room and commands attention, not through loudness but through genuine confidence and authentic communication.

Watching her present, speak and inspire others showed me what excellence in communication looks like. While my father taught me to build, my mother taught me how to inspire others to care about what I build. She demonstrated that technical knowledge without communication skills is incomplete, and that the world needs people who can be both smart and eloquent.

She pushed me to step into uncomfortable spaces — public speaking, drama, music, poetry, storytelling. When I doubted my ability to perform on stage, she believed in me and encouraged me to try. Through her encouragement I discovered that I could express myself through design, video, writing and performance.

Today, every presentation I give, every skit I perform, every conference I speak at — these all have her fingerprints on them. She is not just my mother; she is my mentor in effective communication and creative expression.

My parents gave me two superpowers: the ability to build (from my father) and the ability to communicate (from my mother). This combination is rare. Many engineers struggle with public speaking; many creative professionals lack technical depth. Because of my parents' influence, I can do both.

My father taught me to think like an innovator. My mother taught me to think like a creator. Together they showed me that the best path forward isn't choosing between logic and creativity — it's mastering both.

Every robotics project I've built has been accompanied by a compelling presentation. Every innovation I've conceived has been wrapped in beautiful design. Every technical skill I've developed has been paired with the ability to explain it to an audience. This is the legacy my parents gave me.

As I continue my journey as an innovator, creator and leader, I carry both of them with me. Every time I solve a complex problem, I think of my father fixing my toys. Every time I inspire an audience, I think of my mother encouraging me to be brave. Their influence is the foundation of everything I do — and it will continue to guide me into the future.