Kush Abdulloev

Khushbaht (Kush) Addulloev has lived in Lincoln, Nebraska for the past 15 years. He’s been a Nebraskan for more than half of his life, but it’s only by chance that he ended up here at all.

Kush was born and raised in Tajikistan until he was 15, when he was prepared to move to Colorado by himself as part of a business education exchange student program. When his original host family was unable to take him in as planned, he ended up staying with a family in Lincoln.

“I consider them my American family,” Kush said.

While his move to Nebraska may have been a coincidence, Kush’s decision to stay was anything but.

“I have had nothing but good experiences here,” Kush said. “I love the community in Lincoln.”

Kush met his wife in a philosophy class at Southeast Community College, and the couple is now raising their 5-year-old daughter in the city where they met. Initially, Kush says, he didn’t intend to stay in the state after graduating, but the career opportunities proved too good to pass up.

Kush has worked in marketing and human resources at Spreetail, an ecommerce company, for seven years. Between the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, which Kush worked with on incentives while Spreetail was opening its new offices, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which provides a great talent pool, Kush has found that business in Nebraska is booming.

“I think the business climate is very supportive of growth,” he said.

In his role as a recruiter at Spreetail, Kush has struggled to get out-of-staters to consider Lincoln due to misconceptions about Nebraska, but once they see the vibrant downtown atmosphere and feel the sense of growth throughout the city, he said most peoples’ perceptions change.

“People are surprised how awesome Lincoln is,” said Kush, noting the city’s quality trails, parks, libraries and restaurants as some of his favorite parts of life in Nebraska—after the people, of course.

When he’s not busy with work and family, Kush also meets twice a month with his TeamMate. Kush says he’s trying to give back to the community in Lincoln that he’s always felt supported by.