Texas State Rep. Salman Bhojani said his desire to serve stems from his upbringing and personal experiences, instilling in him a commitment to leaving a positive impact on society and giving back to those in need. Bhojani was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.

"My mom has always said ‘leave this planet better than you found it, give back to your community whenever you are able to,’” said Bhojani on a recent edition of the Texas Talks Podcast. “I have been a recipient of a lot of help, during the time when I came to America, like I talked about, I worked minimum wage jobs. I was a stocker at Walmart.”

“It's always been on my mind that I need to pay it forward," said Bhojani. “I may not be able to help those same people that helped me because they're, they're doing much better than I'm doing, but I need to pay it forward to other people that may not have the same opportunity. I've lived the American dream."

Bhojani is a Texas attorney specializing in real estate law, having previously worked at Haynes and Boone, LLP. He has raised $140M for real estate projects, resulting in an 18% net return. Bhojani made history as Euless City Council's first minority member, later serving as Mayor Pro Tem, and in 2022, he became the first Muslim and South Asian elected to the Texas Legislature. He holds degrees from the University of Texas at Dallas and Southern Methodist University, along with a Comparative Law diploma from the University of Oxford."

Texas Talks podcast is hosted by Brad Swail. The weekly show is focused on public policy in the state of Texas, with insights from the people and organizations that influence it.

The podcast is available on Simple Cast and YouTube.