We are the Shahids! I am Anwar, and my wife is LaKesha. I was born in Atlanta, and LaKesha was born and raised here in Montgomery. I attended Alabama State University, and LaKesha attended University of Alabama-Birmingham. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English, LaKesha moved back to Montgomery to attend Thomas Goode Jones School of Law. I received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from ASU in 2000. While we both lived in Montgomery, we had to travel to Birmingham to the Magic City Classic to meet each other. I married my bride on February 9, 2008, and we have been rocking out with each other ever since!

 

For a long time, it was just the two of us, traveling and enjoying life. In August of 2019, we received two of the biggest surprises ever—one, that we were pregnant, and two, that we were pregnant with twins. We welcomed our double blessings, Alex and Aaron, during the height of the pandemic, right after the shutdown. Our boys are now two years old and keep us on our toes with their dynamic and active personalities.

 

I’m a proud Army veteran and the CEO of my cybersecurity firm, Propelled Technologies. I'm a recent graduate of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business (10KSB) Program, National Cohort 17, and I’m a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Having accrued more than 25 years of professional expertise, I've served Propelled Technologies as the founder, president, and chief executive officer since 2006. Earlier, from 2016 to 2018, I was the principal cybersecurity consultant, as well.

 

On August 28, 2006, Propelled Technologies was founded in a small two-bedroom apartment. That year, a gorgeous, brand-new attorney named LaKesha Baker helped me form an LLC and filed it with the Secretary of State. In my small office apartment, I had the PT logo on the wall with a goal board next to it that said, “Anwar Shahid, CISSP.” Three years later, in 2009, I earned that certification. I was building websites and fixing local IT problems while working full-time. My company now has a new office downtown and is a government and commercial cybersecurity firm. I married that beautiful lawyer that took my company to the next level, gave me beautiful sons, and made our house a home.

 

I served 11 years as a sergeant first class with the U.S. Army Reserves and later joined the U.S. Air Force as a GS-12 civilian. I have worked hard to attain the SBA 8(a) certification, as well as other business certifications for Propelled Technologies LLC. In addition, I currently hold membership with some of the most prestigious organizations in the country, including the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, lifetime member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., and Who’s Who in America.

 

LaKesha is a partner in her law firm, Shahid & Hosea LLC. She has been practicing law for 17 years. She has dedicated her practice to advocating for children and the underserved. Her practice areas include family law/divorce, personal injury, estate planning, custody/child support, adoptions, and juvenile criminal defense. LaKesha is very active in the community with organizations such as Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., The Links, Incorporated, and The Order of Eastern Star. LaKesha serves as treasurer for the Montgomery County Volunteer Lawyers Program. Additionally, she serves on the board for Sistas Can Survive, an organization that offers support to newly diagnosed cancer patients and cancer survivors. She is a member of Capital City Bar Association, Montgomery County Bar Association, and Alabama Lawyers Association. LaKesha tirelessly gives her time and dedication to worthy organizations and is still a super mom and wife!

 

Together, we love to travel and experience new adventures. In my spare time, I love to work out and compete as a professional natural body builder. When LaKesha isn’t working or serving, she loves to read, dance, and step.

 

When my wife and I were dating, a favorite pastime of ours was to drive around neighborhoods and look at homes to get ideas for our forever home. Little did we know that our double addition would make that move happen sooner than we thought. Wynlakes has always been “that neighborhood” for us. Our favorite thing about Wynlakes is just being able to walk around with our twins and greet our fellow neighbors in this beautiful peaceful neighborhood. We are excited for our children to grow up in this house and community. We are so delighted and excited every day just to come home and drive through this serene neighborhood of ours.