Stacey Bonareri — Compliance Analyst at Appruve
With a background in law and a love for technology, Stacey steps out of her comfort zone to join a legal hackathon. Little did she know that would begin her journey to being a part of the Appruve family.
In this instalment of People of Appruve, we learn about Stacey, — our compliance analyst, here at Appruve.
● What role do you currently occupy at Appruve?
I am currently a compliance analyst at Appruve
● Where are you from and where do you currently stay?
I am from Kenya and currently reside in Nairobi County, Langata Constituency, Mugumo-Ini Ward.
● Tell us a bit about yourself
I have been engaged in technology and law matters in the past year and this
has enabled me to research, and work with individuals in the area of technology law.
I was recently admitted to the bar which of course is a milestone for anyone who decides to pursue law as a career.
Although it has been 7 years of ups and downs, pursuing a law degree has shown me the importance of being at the forefront of ensuring that every person is treated fairly.
When I joined the Kenya School of Law, my perspective changed from wanting to be a conventional lawyer; I wanted to do more for the creative industry- hence my passion for technology and other areas such as sports.
In my free time, I code and learn programming languages such as Python. I hope to become a good developer and disrupt the legal space.
● How did you find your way to Appruve?
Paul, Appruve’s CEO and I met at the African Law Tech Festival which was held earlier this year in Nairobi. During our meeting, we had a conversation about technology and the law and it has been smooth sailing ever since.
Paul was impressed with the fact that I was learning to code as a lawyer and gaining different skillset other than my legal expertise. I think it was also my willingness to learn and engage with him in the area of data protection as this is when he told me about Appruve.
I got fascinated by how the integration of a system can help businesses to detect fraud among other things. We also spoke a great deal about Data protection that was when I indicated to him that I would love to work with Appruve and get a deeper understanding of this field.
● At what moment did you know you wanted to work at Appruve?
I knew I wanted to work at Appruve right from the point of our interaction when Paul told me about the innovation being brought to financial institutions to combat fraud and anti-money laundering.
● How did your previous work experiences prepare you for your role at Appruve?
I have worked both in a government office and a law firm. My time in both offices was spent researching international laws as well as other law fields the institutions provided.
From each, I improved my legal research skills and writing. In addition, I was equipped with problem-solving skills. These experiences have contributed to the execution of my role as a compliance analyst at Appruve.
● What are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of participating in this year’s global legal Hackathon and stepping out of my comfort zone. It was indeed a great honour to be part of a group of people coming up with technology solutions to legal issues. The project I worked on was centred on leveraging technology to provide access to justice in relation to family law matters.
In Kenya, most of the legal cases fall under family law. Many people are unaware of what is required of them so they spend time litigating the matter in court — which can be very emotionally draining to some parties. The idea behind the project I worked on was to develop a game simulation that helps people understand the family law procedure and the importance of other alternative methods to dispute resolution other than litigation.
Ultimately, the hackathon sparked up in me, the idea of leveraging technology and law to provide justice. It also lifted my spirit and taught me to believe in myself and what I have to offer.
● What do you like the most about working at Appruve?
Appruve is quite a multicultural company, I’m working with talented people from Africa and other parts of the world. In addition, I love the hands-on experience I get from every piece of the task I work on.
● When you’re not working, what are you doing?
I spend my time reading about and learning new technology languages. At the moment I am learning Python and hope to be proficient in the language. I have interacted a bit with Angular — although I’m not fully proficient with it. Right now, I am focusing on being great at Python.
● What is your vision for the Compliance Analyst function at Appruve?
To help Appruve meet its goals by offering support to the legal team with research functions.
Most importantly, for Appruve to be a reliable and dependable tool for its customers.
● What has your time at Appruve been like?
My time at Appruve has been a beautiful experience — working closely with colleagues from different countries and getting to share experiences outside the working space.
It has also been one of learning different concepts such as “Know Your Customer” (KYC) as well as consumer protection and data laws.
● Any last words?
In our ever-changing world, it is important to understand the impact of technology and ways it can be used to bring about change. The law does not have to play catch up but should embrace these changes so as to protect not just the developers but also the consumers.
At such a time, I am grateful to Paul and Appruve for giving me the opportunity to work with the team and learn more about technology and the law
