Aknur Abdikarim

AI Agent Engineering @SylphAI | Co-Founder at @ CALI | FIRST Robotics Alumni | Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence @ Minerva University

San Francisco, California, United States

About

I’m a junior Computer Science major at Minerva University, passionate about using technology to solve real problems and eager to grow in fast-paced, impact-driven environments. I have experience across AI/ML, backend, and full-stack development, with proficiency in Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Next.js, Node.js, Firebase, and SQL. In past roles and internships, I’ve contributed to AI-powered applications and scalable backend systems, always with a focus on learning quickly, adapting to new tools, and delivering outcomes that matter. What I bring to any workplace: ● Fast learning & adaptability – I pick up new technologies and concepts quickly, turning them into concrete results. ● Collaborative energy – I’m communicative, open, and proactive in building strong teamwork. ● Purpose-driven mindset – I care about meaningful impact and align my work with broader goals. ● Positive ownership – I take responsibility, stay curious, and contribute to both team performance and culture. My aspiration is to keep growing in fast-paced, growth-oriented environments, where I can build, learn, and contribute to teams that are pushing boundaries.

Experience

  • AdaL (San Francisco Bay Area · On-site)
    • AI Engineer Intern
      May 2026 - Present · 3 mos

    • Quality Assurance, Software Engineer Intern
      Dec 2025 - Present · 8 mos

  • Co-Founder, Founding Software Engineer at CALI - Central Asian Ladies Initiative
    Nov 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 9 mos

    Central Asian Ladies Initiative (CALI) is a forum for women from Central Asia in Silicon Valley, where they can connect, develop professional skills, empower each other, and contribute to the community. - Built virtual (multipage website) and physical platforms in the form of monthly events and workshops (30–40 attendees each) for 550+ women; - Developed a responsive UI and increased the mobile visits to 50% in the first 2 months

  • Software Engineering, ML Intern (AI Startup Sustainability Lab) at The Nippon Foundation
    May 2025 - Aug 2025 · 4 mos

    - SpoilSense: Developed end-to-end AI app using OpenAI API to predict product spoilage from image inputs. Integrated geolocation, weather API (temperature, humidity), and user-defined storage data. Built with Next.js, Firebase; implemented image-based inference, data persistence, and notification system. - Devastation: Built a satellite image analysis app to detect disaster damage and suggest emergency actions. Integrated custom ML models, geolocation, satellites real-time image API, and OpenAI API for automated damage reports. Tech stack: Flask, Next.js.

  • Software Engineer, API Team Intern at UNIPORT
    Jan 2025 - Apr 2025 · 4 mos

    - Implemented end-to-end API encryption using AWS KMS and envelope encryption to protect international student records from 3+ South Korean universities - Built secure key management with CMK/DEK separation and JavaScript encryption logic - Ensured GDPR compliance and reduced development time using trusted libraries

  • Minerva University (11 mos)
    • AI Startup Sustainability Lab Intern
      Jan 2025 - Apr 2025 · 4 mos

      Food Spoilage App is an AI model that allows users to predict how a fruit will look in 24 hours, see how temperature affects it, identify if a fruit is rotten or not, and share products with other users. - Worked on Hyperparameter tuning using Optuna - Expansion of the LSTM model on different fruit types such as melon and watermelon - Handled business side of the project by strategically reaching out and negotiating with sustainability startups in the USA

    • Software Engineering intern - Web-Scraping Project
      Sep 2024 - Jan 2025 · 5 mos

      Employed web scrapper tools such as Selenium and BeautifulSoup to build a Python code for professors to access editable data in Forum (our proprietary LMS) Workbooks outside of the system as PDF zip files

    • Opportunities Curation Intern
      Jun 2024 - Aug 2024 · 3 mos

      Used UI and UX principles to redesign key features, including 1000+ student opportunity databases and search engine