Dance And Light Up The World – Miral Kotb

“I always say – let all your doubts happen before you commit. Once you’ve committed to pursuing something, don’t look back.”

Software engineer and dancer – these two roles don’t usually come together. But in the case of entrepreneur Miral Kotb, the combination made perfect sense. A Houston, Texas native, Miral simultaneously pursued both passions when she studied dancing in Barnard College and computer science in Columbia University respectively.

Her hard work in academics paid off when she launched iLuminate back in 2009. The company creates state-of-the-art technology coupled with dancers performing in the dark, creating a mesmerising light show on stage. Her technology took national spotlight on the popular American talent show called “America’s Got Talent” back in 2011 when performers used her products to land a top spot in the finals of the show that season.

Ever since then, her company has catapulted onto the international scene, entertaining audiences around the globe and pushing storytelling to the next level with stunning visual performances. Miral has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Grammy-winning superstars Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera and The Black Eyed Peas. The technology has also been featured on Dancing with the Stars, The American Music Awards, MTV’s Video Music Awards, and others.

We spoke to this trail-blazing female entrepreneur in the world of entertainment, to find out more about how she has come a long way to turn her passions for dance and coding respectively, into a successful career.

EARLY LIFE

Tell us more about your family background and share with us on what it was like growing up.

Dancing has always been a part of my culture. Before my parents emigrated from Cairo to Houston, my father was a performer in Egypt’s national dance troupe.

While growing up, I was always dancing. Eventually I landed at Columbia University to study coding and at the same time, I pursued dance training separately. I landed at Bloomberg and became a software engineer, but my free time was spent expressing myself through dance and learning all areas of the craft.

How did your upbringing shape the person you are today?

My mother was an economist, which I feel was where I got my love for math and science. When I was nine, my parents brought home our first desktop computer and I was obsessed with it!

I had a natural knack that was evident from the start. They enrolled me in a computer coding class and I quickly began writing code for fun, making my own games in the process. When people played the games I created, it was fulfilling. It became a way for me to bond more with American culture.

How would you sum up your childhood?

I had an incredible childhood and was always very curious in life, which I think is what led me down this path. My journey was always about doing what I love.

JOURNEY

Why did you decide to take the path of entrepreneurship and start your own company?

It was a long path! When I was at Bloomberg, I had finally reached a point where I was ready to leave my job and put all my time into dance as a career. But I had the biggest life sideline when they found a tumor in my right hip. The diagnosis was so bad that there was a potential for my leg to be amputated and I’d never be able to dance again.

I was very lucky in that they didn’t have to remove my hip, so I could continue pursuing dance. I ended up staying with Bloomberg for six years before becoming a freelancer focusing on website coding which I did while traveling around Europe.

After returning to America, I decided to attend Apple’s App Developer Conference where I learned about wireless chips getting so small that they could be put in everyday devices and a eureka moment instantly clicked in my mind – dance!

You could put a chip on a dancer and be able to communicate with them wirelessly in real-time while performing. This would make shows more organic and different every night. I then cultivated that idea into having the chips control lights attached to the dancers; and with that, iLuminate was born.

How did your interest in computer coding and dance come about in your early years?

I had a passion for both at a young age, but the concept for iLuminate emerged while I was developing iPhone applications. When I realized I could take my love of art and my passion for technology and merge them together to make this really cool, immersive experience that was unlike anything I had ever seen – it just all started to make sense!

I used my friends as guinea pigs, and I had a prototype for the ‘lights suit’ built in a matter of weeks. Since then, I have not stopped working on the technology since. We eventually caught the eye of many celebrities that wanted to use this technology and of course, went on to appear on America’s Got Talent where we came in third place.

Along the way, what were some hard decisions you faced and challenges you had to overcome?

Years after my first fight with cancer, I was diagnosed for a second time, this time with leukemia that was caused from the radiation from the first cancer.

This was in 2017 and I was one of the youngest people known to get this particular type of leukemia. During the fight I decided to make a video of my story to say thank you to everyone who had helped me and to remind myself that life is worth living, and this setback is only temporary. It helped me to realize that love and people will get you through anything.

I was in quarantine for nine months and while it was torture, it also gave me time to be with my family, to think and create. Shortly after getting out of the hospital, I started to put my iLuminate team to work for the show in Las Vegas. We were set to launch March 26, 2020…and we all know what happened to the world that month – Covid-19 caused a global pandemic.

Another setback in life, but another opportunity to continue to create and make things better while we had the time…a lot of time!

ACHIEVEMENTS

Which achievements/milestones are you most proud of and why?

I am really proud that I have had so many hurdles in life, but I have never lost sight of my goals and my passion to leave a mark on this world. A major milestone happened this October when we officially launched the iLuminate show on the famed Las Vegas Strip.

What do you think are the key ingredients to your success?

I always say – let all your doubts happen before you commit. Once you’ve committed to pursuing something, don’t look back. I say this with experience – not just in relation to battling cancer myself or going through a worldwide pandemic, but at every step of the way, have conviction and commit to yourself.

Even the 2021 launch of iLuminate had its ups and downs but I learned to stay true to myself and my vision and not be afraid to step back and reevaluate.

Share with us some anecdotes or experiences that you think played a significant role in your success.

My team has definitely played a significant role in where I am today. My “team” includes not just my work team, but my family and friends (although all of those categories are interchangeable with each other!).

These people have helped me push myself to become a better person, a better boss, a more creative show producer and coder…If you surround yourself with a positive, hard-working group of people, it opens up your mind to endless possibilities!

PERSONAL (LIFE)

What is your life motto (Or core values) if any?

‘Everything happens for a reason’

I really try to look forward and not back – ‘Everything happens for a reason’ is a motto I try to keep at the back of my head. Otherwise, you can go crazy with the “why did I…” or “what ifs.”

‘It’s all in the pre-production’

On the work side – “It’s all in the pre-production!” Planning is the best way to make sure things are executed well in theater. It is part of the creative process.

‘Stay true to yourself’

“Stay true to yourself!” I have spent the last few months trying to do what others told me I should for my company/brand and it backfired. I lost my way and I am even more convinced that staying true to yourself is the way to be.

To you, what are the most important things in life?

The people you surround yourself with are the key to success in life, regardless of what “success” looks like to you.

What’s worth mentioning on your life’s bucket list that you have not done?

I want to start a family. This is dear to my heart. I also want to see more women and artists writing code.

Writing code can be a really creative endeavor and the more people learn about it, the more people will realize that it is not impossible to do or only reserved for certain ‘types of people’.

I would also like to have more shows internationally and a Broadway show soon too!

Why do you do what you do? (What drives you everyday)

I get to express myself and to be creative each and every day which keeps my mind sharp and allows me to continue to grow. I’m like that ABC mantra – Always Be Creating!

Who are the role models and influences in your life?

Richard Branson is one of my many role models because he’s truly an artist at heart and he uses creativity in business too.

What are some things that many people don’t know about you?

I am learning to play the piano. I LOVE IT! It is one of my favorite parts of the day. One day I hope to play in a jazz band.

I also do gymnastics, love to cook (my family owns a restaurant and my mom is the chef), and I am still dancing (for fun!).

What are some life lessons you will take to your grave?

I go back to “Stay True to Yourself” and also that friends and family always come first.

Try to find what you love to do and stick to it if you can, because life is too short to go about it any other way.

VIEWPOINTS

With your background in coding and software engineering, you decided to partner with code.org to create an educational video for elementary school students around the world. Why do you think it is important for children to learn coding at an early age?

Coding is so fun and creative! When you finish a project, you have an incredible piece of art to share with your friends and family. Having something to share that YOU created helps boost confidence and brings out a different way of developing critical thinking skills.

The world is changing and technology is becoming more and more important. Pretty soon we will run out of software developers to fill in the roles. I, myself, still struggle to find strong software developers.

Ever since your technology was showcased on America’s Got Talent, you have become a mentor to young women in coding and an advocate of bringing more women into computer science. Is there a lack of female representation in computer science and how do you hope that can change?

Absolutely! My hope in changing it is to show a successful woman in the field who is also embracing her feminine and creative side. The stigma behind what a computer scientist looks like is a big reason why girls are dissuaded from pursuing coding. But if we can get more women who code in “cool” and “popular” ways, it may help.

You are a survivor of cancer and have supported cancer foundations in various ways. How did it shape your journey and perspectives of life and success? What advice do you give to other cancer survivors who want to pursue their passions just like you did?

There IS life after cancer. I will not lie, I still deal with the side effects of having had cancer twice, but that just makes every moment and accomplishment that much more special because I am so thankful each day to be here and I fight that much harder for what I love and believe in.