When Brave Nzabamwita arrived in the United States last year, he wasn’t entirely sure how to find work that matched his experience.
He had worked as a civil engineer in his native country of Rwanda, Africa, for nine years before immigrating to Virginia with his wife and two children. He knew he had much to offer engineering firms but found it difficult to connect with businesses and business leaders. Then, a friend living in Kentucky told him about ABES Engineering and its founder, Emmanuel Tuombe, who is also from Rwanda. He learned that Tuombe launched his engineering firm in Memphis in 2014 and had steadily grown it into a respected engineering company.
“I emailed Emmanuel, and he scheduled an interview,” Nzabamwita recalls. After the two talked, Tuombe scheduled an interview between the entire ABES Engineering team and Nzabamwita. “I wanted the rest of the team to meet him and learn more about his experience and his skills. We are a team here at ABES, and it’s important that we are all on the same page as we grow,” Tuombe says.
Currently, ABES Engineering, which is a Minority Business Enterprise, has employees from around the country and around the world. Many, like Nzabamwita and Tuombe, speak multiple languages and have experience with other cultures. Tuombe recognizes the importance of diversity in engineering and sees it as a huge benefit to his company. “Having a diverse staff like we do gives us an advantage. Our team brings diversity of thought to problems and challenges and a wide range of diverse work and life experiences,” he says. “All of that benefits the company and our clients and partners.”
He saw Nzabamwita as a good fit into this philosophy and a strong candidate.
Nzabamwita says the meeting with the team gave him an opportunity to show his enthusiasm and outline his expertise, which ranges from transmission lines and substations to design processes. He also has extensive experience as a project manager. The meeting also gave him a chance to see what the team brought to the table.
“It’s a strong team,” he says. “Most of them are senior engineers. We spoke about careers, projects and the things I’m able to do. It was really good to talk to the team because I gained a lot from them. And I like them.”
The feeling was mutual. Nzabamwita was offered a position with ABES and began working in the Memphis office on July 1.
“He brings a lot to our team,” says Tuombe. “Not only is he an experienced civil engineer, someone who has worked on a variety of projects in his previous work experience, but Brave also brings an enthusiasm that’s hard to beat. His attitude is just so positive, and he’s ready and willing to take on any task, to learn new things and to help us grow ABES.”
Nzabamwita is thrilled to be joining ABES and to learn from Tuombe. “My dream is to work with ABES and to help it grow,” he says. “I also have a dream of being an entrepreneur like Emmanuel. I want to get experience … to learn about being an entrepreneur.”
Tuombe isn’t surprised by Nzabamwita’s entrepreneurial spirit. “I could tell right away that he’s got a drive and passion that will take him far in his career.”
Nzabamwita’s wife, Janviere, and his two daughters, ages 9 and 1 ½, have joined him in Memphis. The move from Virginia to Memphis was a big one, but he’s thrilled to have found his professional home. As they settle in, Nzabamwita can’t help but feel grateful for everything that’s happened. “I am so extremely happy to join the ABES Engineering team,” he says. “I want to contribute my knowledge to the team to help make ABES grow. I’m glad to be here.”
