CEO, Data Science Nigeria/DSNai
Dr. Olubayo (Bayo) Adekanmbi is a C-level Business and Technical leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Innovations, and Geospatial Data Science with over 22 years of experience. He is recognized as one of the top 50 Data Innovators in the world by the US-based Corrinium Intelligence. He is a winner of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Global Grand Challenge for his work on the use of Artificial Intelligence Large Language Models for Financial Inclusion. Bayo has led his team at Data Science Nigeria/DSNai to build many AI for social good products, five of which have been recognized by UNESCO/IRCAI as part of the Global Top 100 list of AI products for social impact in 2021 and 2022. He is a leading academic researcher whose work has been published at top global AI conferences, including NeuRIPS, AAAI, CVPR, ICLR and ICML.
He has worked on Telecoms strategy, mobility data, consumer behaviour and diverse geo-referenced datasets for many years as C-level executive in charge of advanced analytics, innovation and data strategy for Africa's 2 largest telcos (MTN Nigeria/South Africa and Airtel Africa) across over 30 African countries and working on datasets of over 250 million subscribers.
He is the CEO of Data Science Nigeria/DSNai, where he leads world-class Artificial Intelligence knowledge, research, and innovation ecosystem which delivers high-impact & transformational research, and business use applications, He is the author of “The Future is Shared” and “Beginners Artificial Intelligence and Python Programming”. He has also built many industry best practice approaches in geospatial and generative Artificial Intelligence and its diverse application
CEO & Founder, Zindi
Celina Lee is an international development executive turned entrepreneur. As the co-founder of Zindi (www.zindi.africa), she has built a platform that is a driving force behind Africa’s AI revolution. Zindi is the leading professional network of AI and data talent in Africa. Zindi has built a database of over 70,000 data and AI practitioners across 52 African countries and 190 countries world-wide and serves clients including Google, Microsoft, ABSA, and Ernst & Young.
Celina has 20 years of experience working at the intersection of data and impact. Originally from San Francisco, she has lived and worked across Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Celina holds a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and computer science, and a Master’s degree in International Affairs, both from Columbia University in New York City.
Research Scientist, IBM Research-Africa
Dr. Sekou L. Remy is a Research Scientist with a keen interest in the ways systems (i.e. technology) can interact with daily life. More broadly, he is also interested in developing appropriate technologies which will transform Africa, and the world.
A proud alum of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Electrical Engineering), and of Morehouse College (Computer Science), Sekou has spent time learning, teaching, and doing at IBM Research - Africa, Clemson University, the University of Notre Dame, Spelman College, and at the University of Washington.
At IBM, Sekou has worked on a portfolio of projects considering practical applications of Machine Learning in decision support with the aim of increasing the scale and the scope of evidence used to make decisions.
Co-Founder & CTO, Chapa
Israel Goytom is the Co-founder and CTO of Chapa, an Ethiopian fintech company focused on solving payment problems for ambitious businesses and governmental organizations in developing countries, mainly in East Africa. Before co-founding Chapa, he was a researcher at NBU-MSE Lab.