About
Interdisciplinary creative exploring the intersections of entrepreneurship, research, and technology
Hi, I'm Zaki
I'm an entrepreneur, experimental musician, and creative technologist completing my undergraduate degree in Entrepreneurship at Florida Gulf Coast University. My work centers on identifying complex problems and building comprehensive solutions across business, technology, and creative domains.
As a natural problem-solver, I thrive at the intersections: where entrepreneurial thinking meets academic rigor, where experimental sound practices inform business innovation, where emerging technology becomes a tool for creative expression. Recently, I defended my honors thesis examining temporal consciousness across jazz, Arabic maqam, and Javanese gamelan traditions. This work earned a pass with distinction and reflects my commitment to interdisciplinary exploration.
Beyond academics, I've founded ventures like Aspen Da'nee, developed volunteer management platforms through extensive customer discovery, built and managed creative communities of 500+ members, and maintained an active experimental music practice with 20+ released albums. I'm also Executive of Creativity for FGCU's CEO Club and served as a Teaching Assistant across five entrepreneurship courses.
What drives me is solving deep-rooted problems. The kind that require systems thinking, creative approaches, and the ability to bridge multiple domains. Whether developing business models, composing experimental sound works, or integrating emerging technologies into workflows, I bring entrepreneurial mindset and creative problem-solving to every project.
Background
Academic Foundation
B.A. Entrepreneurship (Expected Spring 2026)
Florida Gulf Coast University, Honors College
Master's Degree (Target 2027-2028)
Undergraduate Honors Thesis: Defended with Distinction
Teaching Assistant: 5 Entrepreneurship Courses (45-100 students/semester)
Executive of Creativity for FGCU's CEO Club
Workshop facilitator: Ideation, Business Development, Core Entrepreneurial Values
Creative Practice
20+ albums released (Aspen Da'nee / ScilentSymphony)
Experimental electronic, ambient, sound art
Logic Pro, TouchDesigner, AI-assisted workflows
Audio-reactive media and generative systems
Philosophy
Interdisciplinary thinking as methodology
Bridging academic rigor and creative experimentation
Technology as creative collaborator, not replacement
Cultural sensitivity in cross-traditional analysis
Research Methodology
Bilateral Exploration
Expanding outward to gather diverse perspectives and inputs, then contracting inward to synthesize patterns and core insights.
Ground-Up Conceptual Mapping
Building frameworks from first principles rather than imposing existing models, allowing systems to reveal their own logic.
Analogy-Driven Understanding
Using cross-domain comparison to illuminate underlying structures and generate transferable insights across seemingly unrelated fields.
Applied Interdisciplinary Frameworks
Translating abstract analysis into practical tools, rubrics, and systems that can be implemented in real-world contexts.
What I'm Working On Now
Building Ventures & Solutions
Developing entrepreneurial projects including Aspen Da'nee brand expansion, exploring new business opportunities, and applying customer discovery methodologies to identify market needs.
Completing My Degree
Final semester at FGCU (Spring 2026), exploring graduate school opportunities in interdisciplinary research and business innovation.
Opening Collaborations
Seeking commission work, strategic consulting opportunities, and entrepreneurial partnerships across creative and technology sectors.
How I Work
Rigor + Experimentation
I bring academic thoroughness to creative work and experimental thinking to research, both benefit from this tension.
Cultural Sensitivity
Cross-cultural work requires humility, deep listening, and acknowledgment of what we can and cannot know from outside a tradition.
Technology as Tool
AI and emerging tech are powerful collaborators, but human intention, cultural context, and artistic vision remain central.
Iterative Process
The best work emerges through feedback, revision, and willingness to follow unexpected directions when they reveal themselves.
Beyond Work
When I'm not researching or creating, I'm likely exploring new music across genres and cultures, experimenting with creative tools and workflows, engaging with philosophy and systems thinking, or navigating the complexities of building a sustainable creative practice in this uncertain world.
Let's Connect
Interested in collaboration, have questions about my work, or just want to chat about music, research, or creative technology?