Rasheed Ali

Background

About Rasheed Ali

I have been very fortunate to travel within many different worlds and follow many intellectual currents and projects. In both art and in business, my life continues to travel at the speed of light. I have traveled in the world of entertainment, which has been almost like a universe unto itself. From the traditional brick & mortar record business to the current e-record business. From the world of theatre and live performance to the world of new media and music video. From the world of television to the world of mobile streaming. In the world of business, I was fortunate to witness a quantum shift in the financial world when I was brought on as a stockbroker at Security Pacific Bank in Los Angeles. We were the first bank in the entire US to trade securities. I was one of the original six brokers in that historic trading room. That moment was made possible by taking on a dare to try my hand at being a Wall Street stock broker. When I moved on to Union Bank I was part of a new hybrid, an Investment Officer who could interact with other banks as well as priority banking customers and businesses. All this from the unique vantage point of working in the Treasury department of a major international bank. What I learned on Wall Street still serves me everyday. In the world of education the primary lesson learned is one of selfless devotion to service. When you are entrusted with the imagination and vision of a child, you are part of an unwritten social oath. What I learned about art forms and expression, I learned from the fertile minds of my elementary school students. I could never foresee that one day I would be transitioning from teaching fine arts and music in the classroom, without any technology support, to teaching both artistic disciplines in an integrated multimedia format using digital editing software. For me, the journey through these different worlds continues to blend experience with future visions. Specialties: Multi-media and new media messaging innovation.