Brothers Edhem and Rešad Čustović, founders of the Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation, are successful engineers who live between Australia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Due to the nature of their work, they operate internationally.

Successful careers

Edhem received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from La Trobe University in Australia, where he now works as a professor. He was one of the youngest senior leaders and board members within IEEE, the world's largest professional organization for engineers. He is the recipient of the 2022 IEEE Theodore W. Hissey Outstanding Young Professional Award - for leadership in empowering and developing technology professionals globally. In parallel with his academic career, he founded numerous companies independently and with his brother.

Rešad graduated in civil engineering from RMIT University in Australia and started his career in the second year of his studies. He was soon hired by some of the largest civil design & construction companies, where he learned construction design, project management and business operations. After numerous years of working for others, he funded several companies in the field of construction, design and today works with elite clients, tier one construction companies in Melbourne and beyond.

Positive changes

Edhem and Rešad, were born in the 1980s in Tuzla, and as boys, they left their hometown together with their parents in the early 1990s, as a result of the war in their homeland - Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On the run, they had to look far from home for a chance at life and a new beginning.

New countries, new cities, new environments, new schools, new languages... became their new reality, which taught them that life is a struggle in which the most persistent survive, and that only united can they achieve great things.

They showed their first interest and talent for entrepreneurship when they were still boys. In fact, in order to make it easier for their parents, they earned their first money in Switzerland, which was their home before Australia, and precisely that need to help, to support to each other, and others, never stopped.

In fact, it only grew through various projects over the years, until, in December 2015, the Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation was founded, and has been empowering young people through education, technology, and leadership development for years.

The name of the Foundation describes the desire of its founders - the Čustović brothers, to create a future proof and prosperity focused not for profit organisation in their homeland. An organisation that utilises almost 2 million BH professionals globally and enables them to transform their homeland into a prosperous nation by providing knowledge, global experiences, financial resources, opportunities and their extended network to assist young people of BH in becoming the best version of themselves in their homeland.

A recognizable brand

And precisely because of this, Edhem and Rešad Čustović, together with their friends, work in parallel to promote Bosnia and Herzegovina through public appearances, media appearances, and social platforms. Through the Foundation, in addition to world-renowned experts from various fields, they managed to gather successful Bosnians and Herzegovinans, who, just like them, started their stories from the status of refugees, and reached the stars in their vocations. Today, the Foundation has become a recognizable Bosnian brand, with thousands of donors, mentors, advisors, scholarship holders, alumni and others contributing to its growth. The Čustović brothers gather intelligence in BiH and beyond, which will create a better future for all its citizens!

Braća Edhem i Rešad Čustović, osnivači Fondacije budućnosti u Bosni i Hercegovini, uspješni su inženjeri koji žive na relaciji Australija - Bosna i Hercegovina. Zbog prirode poslova djeluju na internacionalnoj sceni.

Uspješne karijere

Edhem je doktorirao elektrotehniku na La Trobe Univerzitetu u Australiji, gdje sada radi kao profesor. Jedan je od najmlađih viših voditelja i članova odbora unutar IEEE-a, najveće svjetske profesionalne organizacije za inženjere. Dobitnik je nagrade IEEE Theodore W. Hissey za izvanrednog mladog stručnjaka za 2022 - za vodstvo u osnaživanju i razvoju tehnoloških stručnjaka na globalnom nivou. Paralelno sa akademskom karijerom, samostalno i sa bratom osnovao je brojne kompanije.

Rešad je diplomirao građevinarstvo na Univerzitetu RMIT u Australiji i započeo karijeru na 2. godini studija. Ubrzo su ga preuzele neke od najvećih građevinskih kompanija, gdje je učio građevinsko projektovanje, upravljanje projektima i poslovne operacije. Nakon godina rada za druge, Rešad je pokrenuo nekoliko kompanija iz oblasti građevinarstva, projektovanja i danas radi sa elitnim klijentima, građevinskim kompanijama prvog reda u Melburnu.

Pozitivne promjene

Braća, Edhem i Rešad, rođeni su 80 – tih u Tuzli, da bi, još kao dječaci, rodni grad, zajedno s roditeljima, napustili početkom 90 – tih, zbog rata u domovini – Bosni i Hercegovini.

U bijegu, šansu za život, i novi početak, morali su potražiti daleko od doma.

Nove zemlje, novi gradovi, nove sredine, nove škole, novi jezici... postala su njihova nova realnost, koja ih je naučila da je život borba u kojoj najuporniji opstaju, i da samo udruženi mogu napraviti čuda.

Prvi interes i talenat za poduzetništvo pokazali su još kao dječaci. Zapravo prvi novac, kako bi olakšali roditeljima, zaradili su u Švicarskoj, koja je bila njihov dom prije Australije, a upravo ta potreba da pomognu, budu oslonac jedan drugome, i drugima, nikada nije prestala.

Zapravo, samo se kroz razne projekte uvećavala godinama, dok se iz nje, u decembru 2015, nije rodila Fondacija budućnost u BiH, koja već godinama osnažuje mlade kroz obrazovanje, tehnologiju, i razvoj liderstva.

Naziv Fondacije opisuje želju njenih osnivača - braće Čustović, da u svom zavičaju stvore neprofitnu organizaciju za budućnost i prosperitet. Organizacija koja mobiliše skoro 2 miliona bh. profesionalaca širom svijeta i omogućava im da svoju domovinu transformišu u prosperitetnu naciju, pružajući znanje, globalna iskustva, finansijska sredstva, mogućnosti i svoju proširenu mrežu kako bi pomogli mladim ljudima da postanu najbolja verzija sebe upravo u svojoj domovini.

Prepoznatljiv brend

A upravo zbog toga, Edhem i Rešad Čustović, zajedno sa svojim prijateljima paralelno rade i na promociji Bosne i Hercegovine kroz javne nastupe, medijske nastupe, i društvene platforme. Kroz Fondaciju, osim svjetski priznatih stručnjaka iz raznih oblasti, uspjeli su okupiti uspješne Bosance i Hercegovce, koji su, baš kao i oni, svoje priče započeli od statusa izbjeglica, a dospjeli među zvijezde u svojim pozivima.

Danas je Fondacija postala prepoznatljiv bosanskohercegovački brend, sa hiljade donatora, mentora, savjetnika, stipendista, alumni i ostalih koji doprinose rastu.

Braća Čustović okupljaju pamet u BiH i van nje, koja će stvoriti bolju budućnost za sve njene građane!