Person sitting on a stool in front of abstract art and smiling.

Hey, I’m Maksoom (mak-soom)!

I’m a grad student at FIT in NYC, diving deep into the world of Cosmetics and Fragrance.

By day, I’m an Innovation Manager at the Estée Lauder Companies—where I explore AI & Emerging Technologies and build programs that spark innovative ideas.

At my core, I’m endlessly curious. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with one question: How does beauty move us? Because I believe beauty isn’t just seen—it’s felt.

3 Words that describe me:

Curious
Creative
Connected

Current roles

Black and white photo of a person standing in front of abstract artwork, wearing a striped jacket and a white top.

GRAD STUDENT - Cosmetics & Fragarance Marketing and Management (FIT)

INNOVATION MANAGER - AI & Emerging Tech (Estée Lauder Compaies)

A person smiling with a white dog and a brown dog resting on a couch.

DOG MOM - Introducing Zeke & Simba

Recent EXPLORATIONS

(Places & Projects)

Interior of a cosmetics store with shelves full of hair care products, lotions, and toiletries. Customers are browsing the aisles. The shelves display various brands of shampoos, conditioners, hair dyes, and body wash. Overhead, bright lighting illuminates the store.

Brazil / Mexico: Conducted on-ground research to understand the Latin American beauty consumer, an increasingly influential and diverse audience within a high-growth market.

Graying Hair, NA: Explored the graying hair market in North America through focus groups, uncovering consumer perceptions, emotional drivers, and daily care routines.

Group of people smiling at a Cosmoprof North America Miami event.

Attended Cosmoprof Miami 2025, exploring the latest in global beauty innovation, product trends, and emerging technologies.

Shelf filled with numerous small bottles, each labeled, possibly containing chemical or laboratory substances. The bottles are neatly arranged and vary in color and size, suggesting a collection for research or experimentation purposes.

Product Development: Currently exploring the full lifecycle of fragrance and cosmetics, from concept to creation. through hands-on coursework in formulation, sensory experience, and brand strategy.

Fragrance Category Expansion Course project focused on fragrance category expansion—using Gen AI to support brand storytelling and launch strategy.

Developed using Gen AI (Sora)

What’s been sparking my mind lately?

Black and white cat sitting on a bicycle with a wicker basket on a blurred tree-lined street.

Krea is a one-stop shop for Gen AI Creatives. Their focus on not replacing creativity but amplyfying a creative’s imagination could be key to adoption.

Question: If creativity is the goal, should designers really have to worry about the tech behind it?

TechCrunch

With rapid advancements in science and technology, we may soon reach 'longevity escape velocity'—a tipping point where each passing year could extend our lifespan by more than a year. This breakthrough sparks exciting possibilities for cosmetics, wellness, and functional anti-aging treatments.

Question: How can we effectively integrate functional anti-aging technology into everyday cosmetic products?

TechCrunch

Man with headset on blue background, green text panel stating "BIOTECH & HEALTH. Want to stay young? Peter Diamandis says survive the next 10 years."