It is with a heavy and excited heart that I’d like to let the community know that I will be leaving Zindi at the end of this month, to start a new chapter of my professional career.

I joined Zindi in April 2019 as intern Amy, with CEO Celina taking on the world to transform data science in Africa. That vision has since evolved to take on the world itself – and you, the Zindians, have embraced it with incredible energy and impact.

I want to thank every single Zindian. Starting as an intern and now stepping into a senior role was only possible because of you – your challenging discussions, creative solutions, and code that constantly broke (and rebuilt) my brain. Reviewing your work has been my biggest teacher, showing me new coding practices, creative thinking, and just how brilliant this community is.

I learnt at the feet of the master, Celina Lee. Celina has a way with challenge hosts that makes them feel at ease, and it’s something I’ll carry forward. To my line managers, Megan Yates and Paul Kennedy – without your compassion (while still pushing me hard), I wouldn’t be operating at the cutting edge I am today. “Output over perfection” might be the motto of a start-up, but you taught me that quality must always stay at the forefront.

To the data team I have had the privilege of working with – we faced scary deadlines, huge datasets, and seemingly impossible tasks. Yet, every time, we did it. Zindi, and working in the data science field, isn’t just about modelling and numbers. It’s about understanding the entire landscape – from marketing and user engagement with Cleo, to contracting, legal, and finance with Sue and Leah, to sales with Janet.

And now, I officially pass the baton to my partner in data, Joel. Push him as hard as you pushed me.

Watching the growth of Zindi’s data science community has been phenomenal. In 2022, winners were using ArcFace and Siamese Networks for sea turtle facial recognition with Google DeepMind. A year later, DINO appeared – and soon, you were using it with ease. Now, in 2025, we’re already exploring vision large models. I’ve had the privilege of learning at the cutting edge of data science because you’ve all pushed me to keep up.

I remind you that I started as an intern. I applied to over a 100 positions, to have 3 interviews and only one job offer. The job market is TOUGH, however perseverance is key.

If you’ve seen me on webinars, you’d never know how nervous I used to be. I’d spend hours rehearsing in front of the mirror. Now, I look forward to them. Growth takes time, practice, and kindness to yourself.

Remember: soft skills matter just as much as technical ones. Read other people’s code. Ask questions. Build with others. Make mistakes – they’re where the best learning happens. Be the brave one who asks the stupid question everyone else is afraid to.

Thank you for pushing me while showing compassion along the way. This isn’t the end of our connection. I’ll continue following your journeys on Zindi – from your first submissions to your senior roles and, one day, your own companies. See you on the leaderboards!