Imran Alam's World

Mohammed Alam [Imran]
IT Architect, Cricket Enthusiast, and Halal Food Connoisseur

I’m a self-proclaimed storyteller—which is a fancy way of saying I talk too much at dinner parties, but with structure.

By day, I architect IT Data Analytics / AI Systems. By night, I’m a husband, dad of three, and the designated GPS for every Halal restaurant within 500 miles. From the biryani in Hyderabad that changed my life, to hidden gems across the U.S., I’ve turned eating into an extreme sport.

I grew up in rural India, in an upper-middle-class bubble of loving luxury. No gadgets, no fancy cars—but we had servants. I never did a single chore. Meals appeared, clothes folded themselves, floors magically swept. I had no clue how any of it worked. Spoiler: life had plans for me.

I’ve coded in New York, feasted in Hyderabad, and played cricket on U.S. national grounds—which is humbling, because nothing makes you feel more foreign than an American asking, “So… is this like baseball?” After 26 years here, I still can’t explain cricket to save my life. I’ve tried diagrams, hand gestures, even PowerPoint. Nothing works. Now I just say, “It’s baseball, but smarter,” and move on.

The boy who never did chores now fixes the Wi-Fi, unclogs sinks, and still can’t fold a fitted sheet. Karma.

I discovered The Moth on NPR back in 2003–2004 and knew I had to do it. Life got in the way—until 2025, when I found live StorySlams in Chicago. I finally stepped on stage. Six stories later, I’ve tied for Storyteller of the Night—which means I came in first, but so did someone else. Still chasing that solo win.

Three countries, six U.S. states, and enough cultural collisions for a Netflix special—I’m just getting started.

Architect. Biryani critic. Cricket player who can’t explain cricket. Former village prince, now doing his own laundry. And a storyteller who believes the best tales come from the kitchen, the keyboard, and the pitch.

Let’s see if I can turn that tie into a win—or at least get a good meal out of it.