#11: Excellence embodied - Dr. Shikoh Gitau on Innovation, intentionality, leadership and faith

In this episode the duo hosts the brilliant Dr. Shikoh Gitau (LinkedIn) and the conversation ranges from technology solutions for Africa to the personal too - from routines to matters faith. The episode explores Shikoh's experiences from creating solutions from her brainchild Ummeli while pursuing her PHD in her late twenties, to working at Google, Microsoft, Safaricom and more through to building Qhala. Gems galore from managing and building teams, lessons from bosses past, women thriving in STEM and in the workplace, being cheerleader in chief, to the essence of prayer, letting God defend Himself, to joys, tears, twins, wins, making chapatis in Capetown, compassion and more!

 

Brought to you by: FunKe Science

 

Dr. Shikoh Gitau is a leading computer scientist in Africa with ten plus years of experience in ICT4D technology design & implementation. She is the CEO of Qhala, a digital innovation lab, whose goal is to catalyze Africa's Digital Future. She previously led Product at Safaricom Alpha, Safaricom's innovation lab, worked with the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) advising governments on ICT, been a UX Researcher at Google, a Research Assistant at Microsoft Research, and also co-founded iHub Research. She sits on several Boards as a director including the COVID-19 ICT Advisory Committee of the Government of Kenya as a member, and the Guetings Trust as Chair of the Board of Trustees.

 

In 2010, she was the first African to win the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship based on her inventions in Computer Science. She has featured in the Top 40 under 40 Women in Kenya by the Business Daily, awarded as an Aspen New Voices Fellow, and has been recognized by the Next Einstein Forum as the Face of Science, Kenya. Shikoh holds an MSc. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Cape Town, where she created the super successful UMELLI.

 

Links:

- The Innovators Dilemma by Clayton Christensen

- How will you measure your life? by Clayton Christensen 

- Four Phases of Women's Careers, The potential of the 40s, 50s and beyond Forbes article

 

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