CELINA LEE

Co-Founder and CEO of Zindi Harnessing Data with Africa’s Innovators

by Dave Gordon

Celina Lee once worked in a corporate setting in New York, where she quickly realized she wanted something more meaningful out of her career. In 2002, she turned her sights to becoming a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama and continued working in international development with non-profits and multi-lateral organizations.

She always wanted to enter the tech sector, given that she has a Bachelor's of Science in Applied Mathematics, with a minor in Computer Science from Columbia University, and a Master's of International Affairs.

Venture capitalists from Silicon Valley are starting to take note, she says, that certain markets in Africa are already making waves as tech hubs, such as Nairobi, Kenya; Lagos, Nigeria; and Cape Town, South Africa.

“Part of it is that the innovation coming out of Africa is unique and has tremendous value to the entire global ecosystem. That’s one of the reasons we were driven to create Zindi. Personally, even I recognized that for AI or any tech to live up to its full potential, it’s to ensure everyone has a seat at the table — especially if the technology is going to end up impacting all of these people. What better way than to involve them in the process?”

Africa, for example, could solve a challenge with current AI facial recognition software. She says it tends to be less accurate with people of colour. “It’s a problem when video camera imagery is being used as criminal evidence, and mistakes can be made,” she says. “The point is, that for AI to have a full positive impact, we need to make sure everyone has a chance to contribute.”

Recently, Zindi was featured by Google Deep Mind — one of the leading AI companies in the world. Deep Mind recently sponsored a challenge on Zindi to crowd source algorithms that would perform facial recognition on sea turtles, which would eliminate the need for tagging sea turtles. “So it really benefits conservation efforts,” she says. “The solutions were really cool. We made those publicly available to the field. Deep Mind recently did a whole write up of the experience.” Whether it’s weeks, months, or years, there are bound to be major disruptions from the collective minds of 50,000 young data scientists in Africa. And we have Celina Lee, her colleagues, and Zindi to thank for it. //

What made you interested in business development?

Before touching base on what inspired me to do this, I think it's important to note my experience in this industry. My experience in the finance industry saw me working at TD Canada Trust, doing everything from the entry-level teller position, all the way to a financial and investment advisor, working in lower-income areas. I had a ton of people coming to see me on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to get a short-term loan for an emergency that may have happened. Like a car tire popping, the need to put food on the table, or getting an emergency surgery. It wasn't me approving or declining these people, it was an algorithm.

The majority of people that were declined would go to the payday lender in the same plaza to get an insanely high-priced interest loan. Over time, as their financial advisor, I noticed their financial health deteriorate. It got to a point where they were getting payday loans from institution number one to pay off institution number two and getting paid from institution number three to pay off institution number two. They were just trapped in that cycle of debt that they couldn't get out of. I always knew I wanted to do better. I wanted to build a bank for marginalized communities and lower-income Canadians.

What was your experience like on CBC’s Dragons’Den?

I was on CBC’s Dragons’ Den where I was able to pitch my idea to all the Dragons. It was a great experience. Normally, I don't have an issue when it comes to pitching my ideas to anybody, but this time, it was a bit overwhelming because of all the Dragons that I was able to see on TV for many years. All the “lights, camera, and action” was overwhelming. Fortunately, we were looking for $500,000, and we were able to get the $500,000 from the partners that we wanted.