Having gone through the worst of times at a young age, Hamed Wardak knows the meaning of suffering. Those who suffer learn how to sacrifice, and this he learned well. Though fortunate enough to have been given the chance to a new and better life, Hamed never forgot his old one. He strives not only for himself but more so for others. Every endeavor has a singular goal in mind, to be of service to others, to pay it forward.
Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, son to Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak, Hamed had to flee the country of his birth to elude the clutches of the Soviet occupation, as did six million more others. He came to the United States and took refuge in it. With innate intellectual abilities and unceasing perseverance, he pursued his education. He graduated at the top of his class as valedictorian, with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Government and Political Theory from Georgetown University in 1997. In-depth and comprehensive studies in Government and Politics coached him on the intricacies of the government and motivated him to appreciate his father’s life work with greater understanding. Thereafter, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship – 1997. This recognition is granted only to thirty-two students a year, college graduates who exhibit uncompromising integrity and a zealous commitment to improving the quality of life for others.
Hamed Wardak went back to his country to answer the need to do his part in alleviating the indigence and affliction of his people during the Afghan civil war.
Hamed returned to the United States and was employed by Merrill Lynch handling high profile commercial mergers and negotiations. He acquired a very impressive distinction in the business world that Technologists, Inc., a prominent and illustrious construction company sought him out to hire him. He became the Managing Director of International Relations giving invaluable contributions to the company.
Hamed’s ardor for research and brilliance equipped him with the knowledge and ability to go into entrepreneurship. Hamed spread his wings and eventually founded his own clothing brand, Ludan Athletics. This undertaking allowed him to augment his efforts towards extending aid to the Afghan refugees’ cause by giving a portion of each sale for their benefit.
He was also engaged as a contributing author for the Huffington Post where his articles mostly spoke of his home country, what he went through, and more significantly, his people’s ordeal.
Always searching for more and better ways to reach out to people, Hamed left his comfort zone and gravitated toward music. It is the ultimate form of communication as far as he is concerned, he created and produced his unique brand of techno music under the name Valen of Wicked. His music is the instrument by which he can reach out and send his message across to all kinds of people. To those who might feel that they are all alone and that nobody even cares. He wants to tell them someone cares, he does.