Hey! I'm Alykhan.
I’m a strong believer that the content we consume shapes how entire societies think, what they believe, and how they perceive their own realities. I’m excited about working with media and entertainment businesses so I can play a small role in how they influence the communities they serve for the better. I’m a proud Canadian building a career in sunny Los Angeles, although I’ve also worked internationally in Europe and Central Asia.
Work Experience
I started to work in media back in 2011 through an international marketing internship at Corus Entertainment, one of the largest multimedia conglomerates in Canada. Fortunately for me, I discovered I loved it, and I never looked back. Since then, I’ve worked with Fortune 500 companies in television, film, music and gaming, both in developed and emerging markets.
Other Projects
If you know me personally, you know I’m a sucker for side-hustles. I spend my evenings and weekends working on projects that energize me, and that give me an opportunity to learn about topics I wouldn’t normally learn about in my day-job. Here are a few of my favorites.
Kabul Dreams
I’m the Manager for an indie rock band called Kabul Dreams, the first rock band from Afghanistan. While the band formed in Kabul in 2008, I didn’t discover them until 2012, when I was working in Afghanistan. Ironically, our paths didn’t cross until years later in California.
World Music Expo
In 2019, I was invited to speak at WOMEX, the largest international music expo in the world. During the event in Tampere, Finland, I had a chance to share my perspective on the role of music during revolutions and times of social instability.
Kutchi Language Online
Kutchi Language Online is a cultural retention project aimed at documenting the vocabulary and syntax of the rapidly declining Kutchi language. This project was the first easily-accessible documentation of the language, worldwide
In the News
It’s always great to share what I’m working on, especially when it leads to a discussion about the ideas I’m most enthusiastic about. Here are a few select pieces of coverage that were particularly fun to be a part of.
Playing for Keeps
As a kid growing up in Vancouver, Alykhan Kaba’s dream was to be a video game designer and his plan was to go to art school and study animation design. His career choices expanded to the broader media and entertainment world while attending Ivey, and discovering the countless opportunities in the esports area.
Managing Afghanistan’s First Rock Band
Alykhan Kaba, a 2018 graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, manages Kabul Dreams, Afghanistan’s first rock band. To craft a curriculum in music entrepreneurship, Kaba took courses through the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and the Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Kabul Rocks
If you drove around Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2012, you couldn’t miss the billboards promoting Kabul Dreams, the country’s first rock band. “Seeing the images of three rockers all around Kabul wasn’t something many people expected,” says Alykhan Kaba ’18 MBA, who at the time was working in Kabul for a telecom company that sponsored the band.
Kellogg Announces 2018 Youn Impact Scholars
Using media and entertainment as a platform for social advocacy, Alykhan Kaba is working to build both industries in post-conflict zones as a vehicle for social and economic development. One example is his work managing Kabul Dreams, the first rock band from Afghanistan. The band serves as a voice for Afghans fighting radical ideologies and a cultural bridge between Afghans, Muslims and Americans.