Diarra Bousso (Senegal)

Diarra Bousso

(Founder and Chief Creative Mathematician of Diarrablu)

www.diarrablu.com

Diarra Bousso, the visionary behind Diarrablu, has successfully merged her passion for fashion, mathematics, and education to create an innovative brand at the intersection of mathematics and fashion design. Drawing inspiration from her African heritage, Bousso uses mathematical concepts and equations to develop unique textile prints that form the foundation of her clothing line, ranging from dresses and palazzo pants to jewelry and shoes. Her groundbreaking approach has gained recognition from esteemed publications such as Forbes and Vogue, as well as from CNN. 

From an early age, Bousso held dreams of becoming a fashion designer, artist, mathematician, and ballerina. With three of those aspirations fulfilled, she also ventured into the field of education, expanding her influence as a teacher. Hailing from a family of artisans, with her father's relatives excelling in leather craftsmanship and her mother's side adept at designing clothing, Bousso exhibited a talent for painting from a tender age. However, her fascination with mathematics, influenced by her banker father, led her to pursue a degree in math, economics, and statistics at Macalester College in Minnesota. Following a brief stint as a bond trader on Wall Street, she began to yearn for her homeland and decided to return to Senegal. 

It was during her time in Senegal that Bousso encountered a life-altering accident, prompting her to reevaluate her career path. Eventually, she embarked on a journey of entrepreneurship in the fashion industry, simultaneously teaching math at the International School of Dakar. This experience fueled her desire to deepen her knowledge of math education, prompting her to relocate to California. There, she pursued a master's degree in Mathematics Education at Stanford University, immersing herself in the groundbreaking work of Professor Jo Boaler, who emphasizes the creative and visual aspects of mathematics. Bousso's encounter with Boaler proved transformative, reshaping her perspective and solidifying her commitment to integrating math, arts, and culture.

Bousso's tireless pursuit of her passions led her to complete her Master's degree in Mathematics Education at Stanford University, gaining exposure to the renowned Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford Center for Computational Research in Music and Acoustics along the way. Now, as the founder and chief creative mathematician of Diarrablu, she leads a global team spread across Dakar, New York, San Francisco, and Sao Paulo. While dedicating significant time to teaching and researching Creative Mathematics in Silicon Valley, Bousso remains driven by her profound dedication to fostering a multidisciplinary approach to inclusive and responsible innovation in teaching, learning, and design. 

Under Bousso's guidance, Diarrablu has become a trailblazing brand that combines African artisan traditions with technology, championing ethical and sustainable practices in the fashion industry. The brand's design process leverages mathematical algorithms to generate thousands of print iterations, enabling them to produce only what is needed based on customer feedback, thereby reducing textile waste by 60%. With its vibrant prints, clean style lines, and waste minimization policy, Diarrablu has experienced remarkable growth, achieving a 900% increase in revenues in 2020 and reaching customers in 40 countries. Notably, the company was also selected as a top 10 finalist out of 54,000 applicants for Jack Ma's Africa Business Heroes competition. Diarra Bousso's innovative vision and commitment to sustainable fashion have positioned Diarrablu as a leading force in the industry, marrying creativity, culture, and mathematics to shape a brighter future. “At the end, reality is just a support for our dreams to stand” - Diarra Bousso

(Information from Stanford Graduate School of Education, CNN, Africa's Business Heroes, Diarrablu, Quartz)