From Bootcamp to the Global Stage: Mohammed Bukhari’s Journey
This spring, instructor Sepher Khosravi and course manager Mohamed Bukhari led Gen-AI Bootcamp, an online course offered through Berkeley Startup Studio. In just four weeks, students learned how to build and launch their own web app from scratch using AI.
We connected with Mohammed Bukhari, to learn more about his journey and accomplishments beyond the bootcamp.
Mohammed’s Path to SCET and Startup Studio
Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, Mohammed was fascinated by aerospace from a young age. In his freshman year at UC Berkeley, Mohammed joined several campus clubs to further his interest in aerospace, but he quickly began to realize that he was not as fulfilled when focusing on narrowly defined goals, such as working on a small screw on a rocket. Rather, he wanted to broaden his scope and skillset, and pursuing entrepreneurship was an avenue to develop a greater sense of ownership in his work.
As a sophomore, he enrolled in the bi-annual ENGIN 183B – Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp taught by Gigi Wang, his first introduction to the world of entrepreneurship and startups. He and his team developed an idea not at all related to aerospace, creating a platform to connect people in need of 3D printing services with those who have access to the equipment. This experience, though unrelated to aerospace, sparked a transformative change in perspective for Mohammed, and, inspired by this experience, he decided to double major in Aerospace and Industrial Engineering to develop his business acumen.
“I really loved the sense of entrepreneurship and improvisation—we had to pivot so many times during the bootcamp. So that experience was a great exposure to entrepreneurship.”
Deeply inspired by his first exposure to entrepreneurship at SCET, Mohammed was committed to continuing his momentum. He proactively reached out to learn more about how he could stay involved in SCET. Since then, Mohamed has been working as an Operations Intern, Sponsorships & Partnerships Intern in addition to his role as course manager for the Gen-AI Bootcamp.
The Road to Competing in Korea
As the course manager of Gen-AI Bootcamp, Mohammed worked to ensure that the course ran smoothly, from handling all of the logistics to student communication platforms. Though his role initially began as a supporting role from the course, he learned alongside the students in the Bootcamp to create his own project, one that would take him across the world.
Though Mohammed is familiar with the fundamentals of coding, he deepened his understanding of vibe coding through experimenting with the platforms Sepher was introducing to the class. Over the course of four weeks, Mohammed worked with a team to build a platform to analyze chemical formulas to determine whether it is safe for animal testing. Using the tools he learned in Gen-AI Bootcamp, he built an interactive front end of the platform to demonstrate clearly how the data would be displayed and how the product would work.
In just a couple of weeks, Mohammed and his team members prepared their application for the Animal Free Initiative Global Challenge in Korea, where participants are challenged to design ideas to reduce animal testing. The team took first place, earning a $7,000 prize, and the panel of judges specifically noted that the clear visualization of the product contributed to their success at the competition.
When asked about the future of the project, Mohammed was optimistic about its trajectory. With the team’s momentum, they are hoping to work on their project more professionally, as they were approached by several investors at the AFI Global Challenge.
Reflections on his Journey
Mohammed’s advice to entrepreneurs just starting out is to simply “be scrappy” and build something truly fun.
“Don’t be afraid of change. It doesn’t have to be useful from the beginning, especially when you’re trying to learn something new. We had to pivot 20 times as our ideas kept changing.”
As he continues on his career path, Mohammed hopes to continue to work to reduce animal testing, an idea he strongly believes is feasible in the future. In the longer term, he is excited about a career in space technology and working in Saudi Arabia’s space industry.
This spring, instructor Sepher Khosravi and course manager Mohamed Bukhari led Gen-AI Bootcamp, an online course offered through Berkeley Startup Studio. In just four weeks, students learned how to build and launch their own web app from scratch using AI.
We connected with Mohammed Bukhari, to learn more about his journey and accomplishments beyond the bootcamp.
Mohammed’s Path to SCET and Startup Studio
Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, Mohammed was fascinated by aerospace from a young age. In his freshman year at UC Berkeley, Mohammed joined several campus clubs to further his interest in aerospace, but he quickly began to realize that he was not as fulfilled when focusing on narrowly defined goals, such as working on a small screw on a rocket. Rather, he wanted to broaden his scope and skillset, and pursuing entrepreneurship was an avenue to develop a greater sense of ownership in his work.
As a sophomore, he enrolled in the bi-annual ENGIN 183B – Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp taught by Gigi Wang, his first introduction to the world of entrepreneurship and startups. He and his team developed an idea not at all related to aerospace, creating a platform to connect people in need of 3D printing services with those who have access to the equipment. This experience, though unrelated to aerospace, sparked a transformative change in perspective for Mohammed, and, inspired by this experience, he decided to double major in Aerospace and Industrial Engineering to develop his business acumen.
“I really loved the sense of entrepreneurship and improvisation—we had to pivot so many times during the bootcamp. So that experience was a great exposure to entrepreneurship.”
Deeply inspired by his first exposure to entrepreneurship at SCET, Mohammed was committed to continuing his momentum. He proactively reached out to learn more about how he could stay involved in SCET. Since then, Mohamed has been working as an Operations Intern, Sponsorships & Partnerships Intern in addition to his role as course manager for the Gen-AI Bootcamp.
The Road to Competing in Korea
As the course manager of Gen-AI Bootcamp, Mohammed worked to ensure that the course ran smoothly, from handling all of the logistics to student communication platforms. Though his role initially began as a supporting role from the course, he learned alongside the students in the Bootcamp to create his own project, one that would take him across the world.
Though Mohammed is familiar with the fundamentals of coding, he deepened his understanding of vibe coding through experimenting with the platforms Sepher was introducing to the class. Over the course of four weeks, Mohammed worked with a team to build a platform to analyze chemical formulas to determine whether it is safe for animal testing. Using the tools he learned in Gen-AI Bootcamp, he built an interactive front end of the platform to demonstrate clearly how the data would be displayed and how the product would work.
In just a couple of weeks, Mohammed and his team members prepared their application for the Animal Free Initiative Global Challenge in Korea, where participants are challenged to design ideas to reduce animal testing. The team took first place, earning a $7,000 prize, and the panel of judges specifically noted that the clear visualization of the product contributed to their success at the competition.
When asked about the future of the project, Mohammed was optimistic about its trajectory. With the team’s momentum, they are hoping to work on their project more professionally, as they were approached by several investors at the AFI Global Challenge.
Reflections on his Journey
Mohammed’s advice to entrepreneurs just starting out is to simply “be scrappy” and build something truly fun.
“Don’t be afraid of change. It doesn’t have to be useful from the beginning, especially when you’re trying to learn something new. We had to pivot 20 times as our ideas kept changing.”
As he continues on his career path, Mohammed hopes to continue to work to reduce animal testing, an idea he strongly believes is feasible in the future. In the longer term, he is excited about a career in space technology and working in Saudi Arabia’s space industry.