Maths to Models: Teni’s First Win on Zindi

“A career in AI can be overwhelming at first, but consistency is key. If you really want to do this, keep working and never stop learning.”

Teni Fagbemi is a college graduate of Computer Science and Mathematics in Nigeria. Mathematics was one subject Teni grew fond of while growing up, which led to her passion for the data science field. She recently ranked among the top three women in the International Women’s Day challenge on Zindi.

She saw an opportunity to challenge herself and joined Zindi in her second year in college. Teni tackled the International Women’s Day challenge head-on, using XGBoost and CatBoost to build models while fine-tuning her feature engineering and preprocessing skills.

“The challenges bring out the best in us, and the platform is a great place for people to showcase their brilliance. I’m so grateful for Zindi’s emphasis on encouraging more women to participate in data science. That’s something I’m truly passionate about.” Teni shared in a recent interview.

Teni plans to further her education; she intends to pursue an MSc and PhD in AI and data science. Her ultimate goal is to become an AI researcher.

Alongside her tackling various real-world challenges on Zindi, Teni is currently an intern at a leading AI and data science company, ROBOTICS & ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE NIGERIA (RAIN), where she is gaining practical experience and exposure to cutting-edge technologies and methodologies, complementing her academic background and competitive achievements in data science.

Teni enjoys unwinding by watching K-Dramas and reading books. Her most recent read? Atomic Habits by James Clear, which she highly recommends. Teni is now taking time to explore new hobbies and interests that she didn’t have the time for during her days in college. “School was intense, so now I’m just starting to relearn and get into new things,” she says.

Teni’s advice to women starting in the field: “The field moves fast, and you have to stay on top of it to succeed.”