On new chapters
May 2017 marked my last month at Google — after 2 years in the Google Developer Ecosystem team in Sub-Saharan Africa, working with talented techies in Africa on the Google Developer Experts program, and collaborating with influencers, players and communities in the tech ecosystem in Africa, I got to pack my bags to the unknown (seasons of life, aye!). But the unknown got its bliss too ;) — talk of a new blank chapter, and all the possibilities aboard it!
It’s been a great 2 years, now ushering me to the next challenge.. but more importantly, a moment of reflection on my journey so far.
Before Google…
The first time I heard of Google communities, aka Google Developer Groups, was in 2012, I was in my 3rd year in undergraduate — and everything Google was exhilarating, adrenaline rushed — mapping our communities , G+ circles activities, GDG hackathons and competitions, amongst other campaigns.
This is when my passion in tech started budding — I started learning Android, attended bootcamps (can’t forget Zalego in Kenya, this is where I won what was to be my 1st smartphone, the Samsung S2!), trailed a geek-coder in our class (Koech!), heck I even interviewed for the Google EMEA Software Engineering internship in Zurich! Well, I flopped on the 4th interview, but still held strong, but now more actively self learning and up-skilling via free courses online.
After my undergraduate, I got a full time position at Old Mutual Kenya (OMK), as an in-house software developer, later Business Systems Analyst — where I worked on their investment platform, i-Invest, amongst other in-house systems and automations.
At Google…
Two years after working at Old Mutual Kenya, on one random afternoon, I get a ping from Chukwuemeka Afigbo (who would later be my manager) on a role opening in the Google Developer Ecosystem team in Sub-Saharan Africa. I interviewed and successfully got the role! When I joined Google, I was the only one in the team in Kenya, with my manager and 2 teammates in Nigeria — this is when I horned my remote working skills, talk of syncs, 1:1, stand-ups, whenever I took up projects with my team.
I knew Google was awesome, I mean, this is the big G! But I wasn’t prepared for the possibilities, networks, growth and love that was ahead of me! A few of the highlights below:
The First-in-Africa Women Techmakers Summit in Lagos, 2016 — I was part of the team that led the planning, logistics and execution of this event that brought together 100 women developers, designers and tech-entrepreneurs for a day of geeking out (250 women attended in 2017!)
Personal highlight → this is where we unearthed the 1st female Web Technologies Google Developer Expert in Africa, Ire Aderinokun!
The Google Developer Summit roadshow in Nairobi — with a section of the Google Developer Experts in Africa and Googlers from other regions. Talk of warming up for upcoming event after months of planning, syncs, creating content, burning the mid-night oil to get the ecosystem ready for the event!
Personal highlight → Met an amazing Software Engineer (Onome Ofoman) who would later prepare me for my 1st half-marathon(which I successfully did in 2hrs!)!! This is also where I used AppScripts for the 1st time (yeah, we all make use of the X for Dummies book at some point :), and automated the shortlisting of 1000 applicants (in a 2-person team, and double digit days to land a 3 locations event across Africa, this was more than handy).
DevFest Nairobi 2016 — which was one of the many developer ecosystem community events I got to attend.
Personal highlight → it’s been amazing catalyzing the gradual growth of tech communities in our region, in scale/numbers, but more so in the quality of content and speakers.
Thing about Google is there’s no one time you’ll operate in silos — teams thrive through collaboration. And as a result, I got to interact with amazing Googlers globally; the Women Techmakers team who were a constant supporter of diversity activities in Africa that I undertook in the team, the Google Developer Experts team who were super and supported the scale and activities of experts in Africa, the Developer Ecosystem Community Specialists team who were astounding in ensuring our tech communities globally were charged and excited.
I appreciate you!
So many people have helped me out, had my back, become my sound board, called me out, challenged me, in my career this far. I cannot single out each and everyone of you, but I do appreciate you deep down! In no particular order, I say thank you:
To the amazing Google Developer Experts SSA team; Eugene Mutai, Dario Mungoi, james mwai, Dale Humby, Johann du Toit, Kenneth M Kinyanjui, Ire Aderinokun, Femi TAIWO, Rebecca Franks, Prosper Otemuyiwa, Alex Koller, Hiren Patel — I loved every moment with y’all, every project, task, outreach we undertook sparked me up, and I could see that fire in you! Keep that fire burning. In my quest to unearth top-tech talent in Africa, I found you, and can now affirm that we got world-class talent in this our continent!! Let the world see Africa in our own eyes!
To Chukwuemeka Afigbo for being a great sounding board whenever I needed some wisdom in between rocks and hard places, at work and outside! You were an exemplary manager, and I thank you for setting the pace!
To the committed and able Women Techmakers Leads, GDG Leads and Country mentors in Sub-Saharan Africa— the work that you do is important, without you on the ground steering this ship, the course would be different, I applaud you, keep doing what you do ❤!
To the Old Mutual KE ICT team who continue fueling my career steps; Ben Ajowi, Calvin Barongo, Malcolm Musila — you picked me up from theory (aka campus) to practicals ;) by granting me the platform to exercise my developer skills first-hand on the company’s products, I cannot thank you enough!
To the super Developer Ecosystem team at Google in Sub-Saharan Africa Chukwuemeka Afigbo, Chimdindu Aneke, Odili Charles Opute, Aniedi Udo-Obong, John Kimani, Andy Volk — you supported my work in search of top-tech talent in SSA, via the GDE program, and further gave me gears to support and champion diversity in our region — your continued support to the tech community will take the ecosystem to higher levels!
#updwardsAndForward !!
What’s next?
I have always wanted to up my baking skills, explore mother nature more, in search of breathtaking sceneries, lecture a class in a university, conquer some mountain heights. Talk of diverse fires in me! But hey, they all make me happy! So advice_to_self → go yee into the world and fulfill your heart’s desires!
On my career progression, the masquerade continues — I am looking at doing more tech and developer outreach and advocacy, preferably with teams that have their focus on unearthing/promoting/giving a platform to top tech talent in Africa and other emerging markets because I have always been passionate about setting this lot up for success on a global platform.
As to where this desire and passion takes me, I am yet to know, still figuring that out — the hands of time will tell.
