Solving Problems Using AI: Meet Regent Alumnus, Alex Nolla, Full Stack Developer based in Canada
Alex Nolla, is a Regent alumnus from Cameroon, who graduated in 2013.
Alex enrolled at Regent University College of Science and Technology in 2009 after a family friend recommended Regent to him.
He opted for the BEng. Applied Electronics and Systems Engineering Programme (Intrumentation Engineering option) offered at Regent, which he believed would equip him to be a problem solver and enable him to acquire skill-sets that would be in demand in the future.
“I didn't know what to expect. All I knew was I wanted skills for the future and to position myself strategically in the world of work,” he shared.
He began his career after graduation, consulting for a technology company, after which he proceeded to work at Access Bank and later First Atlantic Bank.
While working in the banking sector, his work entailed providing technical support to banking applications.
He received on-the-job training in the implementation and support of banking IT solutions.
After a few years of working in the banking sector, Alex transitioned from banking to programming.
“I wanted to solve problems that would make life a little easier,” he shared.
He resigned from his banking job to concentrate on acquiring software development skills.
During this period, Alex did a number of freelance IT consulting projects, such as providing clients with reporting services using SQL and Oracle databases.
“Whenever the jobs I applied for required a computer science degree, my engineering background gave me an edge over other applicants.”“My education at Regent in applied electronics and systems engineering has played a significant role in my current career as a software engineer. While the specific technical knowledge from my academic background may not directly apply to software development, the problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and the ability to work with complex systems that I acquired during my studies have been invaluable.”
Alex is passionate about continuous learning and takes pride in being self-taught.
In the course of his work, and continuous learning, he developed a love for the field of Artificial Intelligence.
After a client who owned a restaurant reached out through LinkedIn to Alex for assistance in boosting the online presence of her restaurant and increasing sales, Alex accepted the challenge.
After discussing her goals and challenges, and scoping the project, he developed a voice-assisted menu for her restaurant.
The system enables customers to order full-course meals from starter to dessert just by interacting with an AI-trained voice assistant.
“Upon seeing the success of the project, a customer of hers who used the platform contacted me and asked me to replicate the same concept with his e-commerce website.”
After realizing the extensive training required for the AI, Alex developed a model to track customer ordering habits, analyze their comments, and teach the AI to make suggestions based on probability.
Alex is now exploring ways in which Artificial Intelligence can be deployed across Africa to help expand accessibility to payment and other financial and business solutions to remote areas.
“Payment is still a big deal in Africa so I am working on a payment gateway that will favor people in remote areas.”
Alex now works in Canada as a Full Stack Developer with Pinzeria, a US-based start-up that leverages AI for customer service.
“No one can predict the future, but everyone can work towards future goals. The fact that I see a problem every day gives me a new opportunity and purpose,” said Alex.
