All it takes is the right connection that could lead to your next chapter. Software engineer Gbenga Akingbulere can attest to this.
In 2010, Akingbulere had his first experience using technology to solve problems and build community, as he clarified to AFROTECH™ via email. In Nigeria, where he was born, he developed EduSocial using a no-code platform called Ning that gave people in the country free internet access. He connected it to Facebook, MySpace, and blogs, attracting over 500 users.
“At the time, internet access in Nigeria was very expensive and most people relied on basic phones with Opera Mini browsers,” Akingbulere told AFROTECH™.
“I discovered a way to adjust network configuration on mobile phones that made browsing more affordable, and I used that as a way to attract people to the website…The project eventually ended when Ning switched to a paid plan that I could not afford, but it was my first real experience using technology to solve problems and build community, and it ultimately sparked my passion for software engineering” he continued.
Akingbulere’s studies centered in the STEM field. In 2018, he earned a bachelor’s degree in applied science in mathematics and statistics from the University of Lagos, his LinkedIn states. He told AFROTECH™ that mathematics gave him the critical reasoning to solve problems. Still, while at the university, he wrote code and created a quiz application to train students to pass exams.
“Nigeria is one of the hardest in the world in the sense that you’re going to do a series of exams, and then after passing the series of exam, you are now going to do a highly competitive exam to the school…The school that I went to, which is University of Lagos, the acceptance ratio is less than 5%. It means that over 25,000 people are applying to that same school, but they can only admit 3,000 to 5,000 people. So it makes that process very, very difficult for people to be admitted into university,” Akingbulere said.
His drive to solve “world-class problems” ultimately solidified his career path as a software engineer. Following his university years, he worked in various roles in Nigeria, including as software engineering lead at Instiq Professional Services and senior software engineer at Spinel Consulting, his LinkedIn states.
His New Chapter
Still fueled by a desire to learn more, Akingbulere moved to the United States in 2022 on a scholarship to earn a master’s degree in statistics, machine learning, and probability from Oklahoma State University. When he completed his studies, he secured a role at Palo Alto Networks as a staff software engineer, where he remains today. He credits the 2023 AFROTECH™ Conference, held in Austin, TX, for securing the role.
He connected with a company recruiter at the expo hall and, after the conference, completed four rounds of interviews before receiving an offer.
“It was like a dream to me, a dream come true, because during that time, I went to read about the company. I saw how big the company is. I saw that, in fact, the company is one of the top 1% cybersecurity companies in the world. So, I felt excited to join them,” he expressed.
In 2024, Akingbulere returned to the AFROTECH™ Conference in Houston, TX, as a Palo Alto Networks ambassador, and will attend again this year as it returns to Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center from Oct. 27-31.
