Mahbuba, a descendent of public servants in Bangladesh, dreamt of becoming an architect since age 10. After an international architectural career, Mahbuba formed her own practice in 2011 and established a clientele in the local and federal government and private sectors. In 2016, she joined the City of Dallas to manage bond-funded capital projects as a Senior Architect, which allowed her to reach out to residents, craft municipal buildings and park standards, promote sustainability, encourage diversity and improve the quality of life for residents. Her commitment to public architecture was strengthened by a master's in public administration (MPA) degree from the University of North Texas with honors in 2021. In 2022, Mahbuba transitioned to the federal government as a Technical Lead Architect to manage technical aspects of healthcare and community projects by leading architectural and engineering firms in the South Pacific Division.