10 Things to Know About Huzeir Kurpejović

I had a relative who worked in parliament.
On my father’s side, I had a relative who was once the President of Parliament of Socialist Montenegro during the SFRY days from 1983 to 1984. I don’t know the specifics of what he did, but I feel like his role is one of the greatest achievements accomplished by someone in my family.

I don’t like huge crowds.
It’s not that I get some sort of physical or visceral reaction from them, but my social battery drains very quickly.

I indulge in numerous forms of media.
I love watching history, war, crime, and nature documentaries—it’s fascinating that we live on the same planet as all these other species, and I believe protecting them would bring serious benefits to our world. I enjoy TV shows like “How It’s Made,” “Black Mirror,” and “Dr. Who,” too. I also enjoy anime and reading manga, but I don’t like talking about it!

I love cats.
Growing up, I took care of stray cats. They were friendly and fun to play with. They also helped me cope during hard times in my life, and I’m grateful that I was able to take care of them when I could.

I’m not an American.
I’m one of the two Canadian board members at BAPA. Originally, I was born in Croatia. My father comes from the Sandžak region of Montenegro, and my mother’s from Bosnia proper. I’m also ¼ Albanian.

I love to learn.
Despite being an underachiever in school (deadlines are not my thing), I truly love learning about different subjects, including psychology, history, science, foreign languages, astronomy, law, and biology. When I first started using a computer at four years old, I loved it and wanted to know more. At 11, I assembled and disassembled a PC in working order. At 15, I learned programming languages, notably Python. Since then, I’ve toyed around with numerous programming languages, frameworks, and technologies. I also own a 3-D printer and use it often!

I used to (and sometimes still do) produce music.
I learned how to play the keyboard and the guitar at a young age. I also learned how to use FL Studio to make trap and drill beats.

I know two CEOs.
In college, I met the CEO of a local IT company, Frank Abbruzzese. He was down to earth and very friendly, and his passion for IT drove me to pursue my current career path. I also met Jake Karls, one of the CEOs of the chocolate snack brand Mid-Day Squares.

I’m the eldest son.
I have one younger brother!

I love the work we do at BAPA.
I enjoy helping the organization make a positive impact and represent who we are as Bosnians in the US (and Canada).