Born in 1938 and brought up as a Sikh in Punjab, India, Dr. Hardam Singh Azad came to the U.S. on a student visa in 1963. After receiving his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. (1968) degrees in Civil Engineering from three top U.S. Universities, Dr. Azad worked in the private sector solving environmental engineering problems and managing various consulting groups for a quarter century. He was naturalized as a U.S. Citizen and received an ‘Exemplary American Citizen’ earned his coveted Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation in 1998.

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Dr. Azad started his commercial Real Estate (CRE) Investment & Management (I&M) business in 1995 with the acquisition of a class D REO property in Houston, Texas. By 2022, this CRE I&M (5 Rivers CRE) has grown to 3.2 million square feet of rental area in 21 class A and B centers across 7 states, with a market value of just under $500 million. A strong foundation has been laid for the continued growth of many ordinary people’s savings that have been put together in buying into these big shopping center businesses.

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Following the Sikh practice of sharing one’s blessings, Dr. Azad contributes generously to many Sikh and other charitable causes. He also supports original U.S. constitution based, small government and related teaching and advocacy organizations. Practicing his Sikh faith, Dr. Azad firmly believes in and lives equality, inclusion, and acceptance among a wide diversity of cultures and religions.