Grounded in a robust scientific background and shaped by a lifelong practice of creative exploration, Makaya’s work bridges disciplines. She believes that futures adaptation requires both specialization and breadth: the ability to move fluidly between biology, material science, strategic design, and artistic expression. Her projects emphasize cyclicality, multifunctionality, and the delicate interdependence between nature, the built environment, and human health.

Makaya’s philosophy argues for a return to a more intimate, regenerative relationship with our surroundings, adapting and embellishing natural systems to meet contemporary needs without severing their origins. She champions the role of the generalist in an increasingly complex world, where crossing disciplinary boundaries is essential for meaningful innovation.

Her work has been exhibited at Techstars, ClockShop LA, AltaSea, and Forecast Foundation, and she has collaborated with organizations including AltaSeads Conservancy, Homeboy Industries, Homeboy Recycling, Homeboy Threads, Keck Hospital, Keck Medicine of USC, USC Architecture, USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy, USC Landscape Futures Lab, and USC Visions and Voices.