As a Southern California native, Layla Shaikley ‘07 has never been one to waste free time. While an undergrad at UCI, the political science major could be found anywhere from the slopes to the surf, soaking in the outdoors when she wasn’t busy with the Associated Students or coming up with new creations for her digital arts minor. Now, nearly a decade after finishing her degree, she admits that free time is harder to come by – but that’s just fine with her. 

The active Anteater has earned two graduate degrees in architecture—one from California Polytechnic University and one from MIT—in addition to completing various internships for organizations such as NASA. She’s worked as a research affiliate at MIT, co-founded TEDxBaghdad, and held a post with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. She’s also co-founded Wise Systems—a company that helps businesses make more streamlined and efficient delivery decisions. But one of her most widely publicized ventures has been “Somewhere in America” – a video she produced and styled with the group Mipsterz, an online community of self-proclaimed Muslim ‘hipsters’ who hope to change the perception of Muslims in America.

The video, set to Jay-Z’s “Somewhere in America,” depicts stylish young Muslim women, donning hijabs while participating in various “hip” activities—skateboarding, hanging out with friends, posing for selfies, etc. Seemingly overnight it garnered international attention, inspiring media from CNN, Huffington Post, Jezebel, NPR, and others to participate in the discussion about what it means to be Muslim in the U.S. The original posting has been deleted and re-uploaded numerous times so the total view count has been lost, but to date more than 1,600 articles have been written globally to address the video. While the attention was uncomfortable at first, Shaikley is thrilled about the conversation it’s sparked.

We sat down with the multi-talented mogul to find out exactly what motivates her—and how she hopes Mipsterz will change the world.

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First of all, what personal attributes do you think allow you to be successful in so many ventures?

Curiosity—and extreme focus.


Is it possible to maintain a work-life balance with so much going on?

I am still working on this! I think focus is the key to success. If I set tangible and focused goals, I know where not to spend my time. Circle back for results.


How did you make the jump from your UCI major in political science to architecture and then starting your own tech company?

I’ve always had a creative edge and have been drawn to high impact professions. During my undergrad, I wanted to work in post-conflict zones. By my junior year, I saw post-conflict design as the most likely career to realize creative solutions—I had spent years studying the politics of developing markets at UCI.

After earning my graduate degrees, I focused heavily on post-conflict zones and worked on the ground before realizing that I was fascinated by patterns of data. This realization occurred in Baghdad, while I was helping a UN agency develop housing. Car bombings would happen daily. I wondered, why wasn't the violence tracked? The data from smartphones could generate patterns and insights around the violence to keep people safer. So, I transitioned my career from architecture to tech. And after a series of experiences and steps (and meeting the right people at the right time), I started a company that focused around big data.


What advice would you give current undergrads—particularly women—who hope to start their own companies one day?

Don't be afraid and do it ASAP! Starting a company is humbling—and daunting at first. There is a lot to learn and mistakes are inevitable. Anybody who gets a head start on the mistakes in a low-risk environment has a leg up. Find a mentor and figure out what resources are available for young student founders. There are tons of business plan competitions with free money for students. There are also free legal services for students that will help you incorporate, etc. Take advantage of them!


How did you get involved in Mipsterz?  

Mipsterz started out when a core group of my friends started a tongue-in-cheek list serve. It was an organic way to connect, get together, and exchange ideas over email for young American Muslims. While many on the listserv don't even identify as hipsters, it was a great way for us to connect. We realized there was a deficiency in spaces for young American Muslims to connect on issues like poetry, music, pop culture, alternative culture, politics, etc. We saw it grow, without marketing, and today it is mostly a thriving group with very rich dialogue. Watching it become so large has been fascinating, especially as one of the people behind what I refer to as an accidental social movement.


What did you want to show and illustrate with the video?

I was sick of telling “my story” as a Muslim woman. It had become a defensive correction of popularly perpetuated myths related to violence and oppression rather than my own personal narrative. Likewise, my network of Muslims is high-powered, educated, game-changing, and driven—a living refutation of the media’s perpetuated violent image of Muslims. I realized that conversations about my identity had been consumed by reclaiming my personal narrative from Islamophobes and terrorists alike who had equally hijacked it. So, in producing and serving as fashion director for this film, I wanted to show an honest depiction of the women that form a majority of my Muslim American circle: confident, ambitious, stylish, trailblazing ladies—a diverse group of people, with many stories and contributions to society.


What does being a 'Mipster' mean to you?

To me, being a Mipster represents the unapologetic reconciliation of my multiple identities—as a Muslim in America who is proud of both identities.


How did you feel about some of the more negative reactions to the video? (Some claiming that the video is not an accurate depiction of them or the American Muslims they know)

The negative feedback has been wonderful in the sense that it has represented my thesis exactly: Muslims are not a monolith. We are a multi-faceted people, with different opinions and representations.


How do you feel about wearing a headscarf? Does it affect your day-to-day styling?

Hijab has been a part of my identity for a long time—unfortunately, for as long as the falsely constructed narrative around hijab and Islamic identity has been a part of my identity. For too many of us young Muslims in the West, our identity has represented violence, submissiveness, and other qualities that are far from who we are as a result of an image perpetuated by Islamophobes and terrorists. My identity and beliefs, as a Muslim woman, are far from that. I am adventurous, stylish, I love travel, I love science—and I am an independent thinker. My style is a representation of myself, and I use style as the most tangible form of expressing my mixed identity. As a Muslim, as an American, as an Arab, as a Californian. Getting ready in the morning is my creative outlet. I dress how I feel. And I have never seen religion or identity as paradoxical from self-expression. Islam is one of the many ingredients that defines me.

What was your initial reaction when the video went viral?

I was on a UN Mission abroad when we went viral. I logged into social media to see more than 200 notifications. Instantly, I knew that this video had grown much larger than I had anticipated. There was something surreal about having such a global dialogue on my identity. It was uncomfortable, but liberating. The hype that this video generated really showcased the stark underrepresentation of Muslims in the West.


What's next for the Mipsterz?

I hope the video has inspired Muslim women and other marginalized communities to tell their story—to take control of their narrative and representation.

As for Mipsterz, amazing things are generally coming out of the group, such as ishqr.com, a matrimonial site founded by a few Mipsterz after a heated dialogue on the challenges of marriage in America within the listserv. I anticipate a continuous flow of projects that meet the needs of young Muslims in the West.


Is there anything you'd like to emphasize about the project?  

Let's keep the dialogue on identity going and feel empowered—as women—to represent ourselves.

—Bria Balliet, School of Social Sciences

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