Talent Spotlights

Richard Matovu, a Software Engineer leading a vibrant group of Ruby Developers in his home country, Uganda, is working to bridge the gap between tech education and implementation while fostering innovation and growth in the fintech industry. His participation in the ALX Software Engineering programme played a key role in setting him on this path, and he hasn’t looked back since. Now, as a member of The ROOM Gold Fellowship – a prestigious tech career acceleration programme – Richard offers insight into his tech journey and career goals, and the conducive environment provided by the Gold Fellowship for career advancement.

What does it really take to make it as a software engineer? Beyond the bright lights of success in this fast-growing field, it takes a huge amount of grit and determination. As a winner of the 2022 ALX Software Engineering Challenge, Ethiopia-born Solomon Kebede is no stranger to this, having overcome multiple barriers to get to where he is today. In this candid interview, he shares lessons from his journey in the ALX Software Engineering programme, tips for tackling imposter syndrome, and how he managed to become a certified Fullstack Developer and Fellow of The ROOM.

She’s an Executive Assistant to a busy CEO and an Operations Associate for a consultancy firm in Tema, Ghana. But that’s not all. So dedicated to her love of lifelong learning and continuous career development, Phyllis Laryea is also a learner in the ALX Software Engineering programme. As a firm believer in the importance of empowering women with a passion for technology, Phyllis aims to use the skills she’s gaining at ALX to create green solutions through software development. She shares her advice on how to persevere through ALX’s Software Engineering programme whilst working full-time, along with her thoughts on what it takes to succeed as a woman in tech.

Passionate about software development and driven to solve global problems, Kenya-born Derrick Ampire is making remarkable strides in his career. With a background in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nairobi, Derrick’s fascination with software development propelled him to join the ALX Software Engineering programme. Since graduating in 2022, he has become a Technical Mentor at ALX, fuelling the passions of other budding software engineers. Derrick’s achievements have paved the way for his tech career, culminating in his prestigious selection as a member of The ROOM Gold Fellowship—a career accelerator for accomplished ALX tech graduates. In this spotlight interview, he shares his ALX journey, audacious goals, and how the Gold Fellowship is empowering his pursuits in the tech industry.

Kenya-born Silvia Muthangya is a two-time graduate of ALX, having completed the Software Engineering programme as well as the Cloud DevOps Engineering programme – living up to the ALX “Do Hard Things” motto! Currently working as a Junior DevOps Engineer at Software Group in Nairobi whilst developing her skills to become a certified Kubernetes Administrator, she is a firm believer in learning as the ultimate pathway to growth. As a member of the newly launched Gold Fellowship – an incredible career accelerator opportunity for selected tech graduates of ALX – Silvia shares some of her biggest career goals and aspirations in tech, along with the role models who inspire her journey.

Jilks Smith is an ALX Software Engineering graduate currently working at Cellulant in Nairobi as an Android Software Engineer. With a BSc in Mechatronic Engineering and 4 years experience in the tech field, Jilks aspires to be a Google Developer Expert for Kotlin and Android. He shares insights into his tech journey and more interestingly – his experience as a member of the newly launched, exclusive community of top tech professionals – The ROOM Gold Fellowship.

A passionate environmentalist, Grace Wambui Kamau is dedicated to raising awareness around climate change and finding solutions to mitigate its dire impacts. As a graduate of ALX, she credits the experience with motivating her to go after her mission. We caught up with this young leader from Kenya to hear more about her work and the role she thinks young Africans can play in addressing global challenges.

Burundi-born data enthusiast Fiston Tuyisenge is pursuing his mission in International Business and Trade at the African Leadership University in Kigali. Passionate about using data and financial analysis to contribute to the world’s development, he is developing his skills in his area of interest through our Data Analytics programme – his second ALX programme so far.

He wants to help businesses make well-informed decisions that will better their bottom line and improve lives in the communities they work in. Here, we get to learn more about him.