Amanze Darlington Ogbonna-| Surulere, Lagos | - |
linkedin.com/in/amanze, www.amanze.me
PROFILE
Born in Lagos Nigeria on Thursday, July 5th, 1990, into the house of Edward Ogbonna Akor and
Paulina Ulumma Akor. I have always been a curious person who wants to know how things
work. I ventured into science to find answers, and I fought my way into becoming a Computer
Scientist. After being selected from thousands of candidates to join the Meltwater
Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) community in 2015, I met my cofounder. She and
I were able to raise $50,000 to solve a problem in the Agric sector.
I am also a Software Engineer, Product Designer/Manager, Entrepreneur who is familiar with the
West African tech-entrepreneurial landscape. I am also experienced in managing a strong
software development team (remotely and on-premise) and bringing the best out of everyone I
work with.
I believe everyone is special in their own way, and I do not discriminate based on immutable and
preferential traits (like Age, Gender, Sexual-orientation, Religion, or Race). I am humble enough
to admit when I am wrong. I am always open to hearing the other side, even when I disagree
with them. I don’t have all the answers, so I am open to learning every day.
WHY YOU’LL NEED ME
I am a Hacker (engineer) and I live, breathe, and sleep with Software Engineering. I am an
Architecture Designer, Team Lead, Software Developer and Engineer. I am experienced in
creating and converting concepts into understandable presentations or documentation, and
working products. This enables the unification of ideas between Dev and Business.
I have run a Tech business before, and I am aware of the struggles co-founders and businesses
face.
I am also comfortable with your current technology stack, plus I am comfortable with the future
technical evolution of the current stack (bring the challenge on)
I have successfully migrated/created API cores and managed Serverless applications, thus
making me more efficient in making overhauls, fast changes, stable production systems, and
microservices.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology, Accra, Ghana - (Aug 2015 - Aug
2016)
Entrepreneur
African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria- (Jul 2013 - Dec
2014)
MSc. Computer Science
Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Nigeria- (2007 - 2011)
BSc. Computer Science with ICT options
RESEARCH
MSc. Research with Prof. Mohamed Hamada (University of Aizu) on Hybrid Recommender
Systems.
- In this research, I under the supervision and guidance of Professor Hamada researched
one of the many approaches to produce an efficient recommender system. By
combining Content-based filtering with Collaborative (using Pearson correlation
coefficient) filtering, I was able to make a working Hybrid-recommender that ran on a
Java Tomcat Server and used an Android app as the client.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Senior Full-stack Web Engineer, Evenito AG., Zurich, Switzerland (REMOTE) [Jan 2019 - Present]
Evenito is a software company that provides Event Management tools to businesses or Individuals
who need to manage complex events.
Evenito is rebuilding its tools to serve a more modern audience and also handle the scaling issue
modern applications face. Thus rebuilding the tool into a distributed solution of software web
services that can meet the rigor of the modern-day. I was hired into the 3.0 Team.
- Responsibilities:
- Led the backend team of the project (3.0).
- Maintain ER model of the Backend DB.
- Maintain Architecture Documentation.
- Maintain the Backend API codebase (Docker, NodeJS, Rust, Python, PubSub,
PostgreSQL, Kubernates).
- Defining tickets from Epic to Story to Feature-Tasks
- Writing documentation for the backend API (Swagger).
- Writing Tests for Backend Changes and Endpoints (Mocha, Chai, Jest, Pytest).
- Implement frontend features assigned by the Product lead using VueJS
(occasionally).
- Adding Features and Fixing bugs on both the frontend and backend.
- Code review (Frontend and Backend).
- Occasional technical Interviewing of new candidates.
- Research concepts (Spike) and generate an analysis of feasibility and possibility.
- Write Test for Frontend Changes (Jest, Vue-test-utils, Cypress).
- DevOps for the Backend.
- Achievements:
- Leading the Engineering Team after the First CTO (v3) was fired.
- Rebuilding the 3.0 Backend by transitioning away from Firebase to AdonisJS to
NestJS.
- Develop a Messaging Microservice using ExpressJS, Redis, AWS SES, Postal, and
SendinBlue (now Brevo).
- Led the Project as an Unofficial interim CTO/Tech-lead for 4 months.
- 70% of Frontend MVP Development scope covered (no-longer working with the FE
team more frequently).
- 100% of Backend API MVP, and continuous development and management of more
micro-services.
- Continual improvement to API and APP security in order to improve Pentest scores
and remain ISO compliant.
- Implementation of our notification-service async-job management and notification
across services
- Implementing DB-level auditing in our authorization-service for proper paper-trail.
Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer, Ghalani Ltd., Accra, Greater Accra Region [Mar 2016 - 2019]
Ghalani Ltd is an online software company that provides software solutions to different stakeholders
in the agricultural value chain.
For farmers, we provide a farm management solution. For Aggregators, and Out-growers we provide
a Supply Chain management solution. For Organizations that support farmers and or out-growers,
we provide them with data analytics.
- Responsibilities:
- I led Product management. Planning the resources needed to complete the project.
- Product design: I translated vague concepts into human understandable designs.
- Software business logic design: I take the market research data and customer
feedback, and use that to come up with business logic.
- Database modeling: I translate the business logic and plan how each data point will
be stored in the database.
- Design and Prototyping of new platform or tool: I conveyed proposed solutions in
form of design and prototype to my team, so we can improve it and get more
feedback.
- Creation of the Backend and API documentation: I convert the solution into code that
runs on a Web Server using REST and occasionally GraphQL to interact with the code.
I only write the documentation or rules of how to talk with the server.
- DevOps (Computing Infrastructure management) - Cloud Computing: I create and
maintain the machines that run on the cloud that also houses our code, database,
storage, and other computing. Most of our operations are on Amazon Web Services
(AWS)
- Backend Test writing: It is my responsibility to write tests so the API server passes
and fails in certain scenarios. If the tests don’t pass. They don’t go into Production.
- Code review (for readability, efficiency, and speed).
- Quality Assurance: I am also part of the quality assurance team. I try my best to break
company code or products in-house before it gets into the wild.
- Hiring and training of new Developers: I seek and hire technical talents into the team
- Manager of the company’s technical expenses (eg. AWS, G Suite, Adobe, MailGun): I
manage the expenses that the company makes from other technical services that we
depend on.
- Achievements:
- Raised $50,000 seed funding from KOSMOS Innovation Center to build an Agritech
company that empowers agribusinesses with tech.
- Secured the company of $15,000 in AWS credits
- Development of our first Backend API (Ruby on Rails) - Farm management system
API
- Managing the Development of our First mobile App (Android) - FMS Client
- Development of our second API (NodeJS Adonis JS) - Supply Chain Management
System API
- Development of our second mobile app (Progressive Web App) - SCM client
- Development of the SCM Dashboard (VueJS, Vuetify, GraphQL)
- Getting into the German GIZ MakeIT-Africa program
- Partnering with Ghana’s Largest food processor BlueSkies
Android Mobile Developer, FooFans.com, Abuja, FCT [January 2015 - July 2015]
I headed the mobile team of Foofans.com and brought the mobile client of the company to market.
Unfortunately, the company died before release.
- Responsibilities:
- I led the creation and maintenance of the Android app client for the FooFans.com
website.
- Creation of the Mobile Client’s API that feeds the app with the right data and also
manipulates the data on the servers.
- Achievements:
- Was able to complete the Development of the first Foofans mobile API (PHP)
- The development of Foofans’ stable Android social media app
Web software developer, Challydoff Ltd, Abuja, FCT [February 2013 - July 2013]
I worked in this IT consultancy firm after my National Service, as a web developer supporting the
existing client of the firm and also working on ongoing web projects.
- Responsibilities:
- Redesigning and maintenance of existing client websites. From paper to code.
- Creation of new websites for customers, and the development of prototypes to use
for bidding.
- Writing technical documents that the company uses to bid for tenders.
- Doing research on technologies to use for upcoming projects, such as HTTPS,
Encryption, Private servers.
- Achievements:
- Redesign of cseaafrica.org website
- Training of CSEAAfrica.org staff on managing the website’s content
- Creation of prototype website to bid for the development of NTBLTC - National
Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre’s official website.
- Creation of one of the country’s earliest e-commerce sites, Zidoff.com.
IT support, Ministry of Finance Nigeria, Abuja, FCT [February 2012 - November 2012]
I was posted to the Ministry for my compulsory 1-year National service, I was able to work with the
Procurement and IT department of the ministry as a technical support personnel
- Responsibilities:
- Troubleshooting faulty computers used by the civil servant working for the ministry,
and also configuring their machines for the internet
- Replacing hardware components from computers in the Ministry or Peripherals that
were bad.
- Installing of software (including customized operating system)
- Troubleshooting the Local network of the Ministry
- Achievements:
-
-
-
Troubleshooting of up to 100 computers and network issues
Replacements of 100s of computer components
Configuring and installing the servers used to power the Nationwide SURE-P program
Computer Hardware support and maintenance, TDPlus Zinox Technologies, Lagos [Jul 2010 October 2010]
Served as a technical support intern in this TDPlus, a support arm of Zinox technologies, the biggest
Computer Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in Nigeria.
- Responsibilities:
- I attended to the front-desk technical issue of customers
- Installing software (including the operating system) for customers with faulty
operating systems and reinstalling their previously owned software
- Replacing hardware components from faulty computers. This includes Zinox’s
computers and partner companies like HP, Toshiba, Dell computers.
- Achievements:
- Troubleshooting of tens of computers and network issues
- Replacements of many computer components
VOLUNTEER WORK
Community Mentor, Google Andela Learning Community [May 2018 – Present]
I help mentor about 80 individuals across Africa study Mobile Web technology on Udacity and
eventually make them able to take the Nanodegree.
Online Video, YouTube - [2015 - Present]
I create videos online to teach people how to code and show them how my software journey is
currently going.
HOBBIES AND INTEREST
● Biking and Hiking
● Research and application of new technology (new Computer hardware & software
technologies, renewable energy).
● Fixing broken items.
● Exploring renewable energy sources.
● Drawing / Sketching.
● Photography.
● Play Ping-pong.
● Recycling Laptop batteries.
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND TOOLS
Backend Software Development:
● Python
● NodeJS
● TypeScript
● ExpressJS
● Docker
● PostgreSQL
● Rust
● Ruby on Rails
● Firebase
● Golang
● Experience with CI/CD tools (such as Bitbucket Pipeline, CircleCI)
● Redis
● Creating RESTful and GraphQL APIs
Testing
● Jest
● Pytest
● Mocha/Chai
● Cypress
● Supertest
Web Frontend Design and development:
● HTML
● CSS - SASS, VueMaterial, Vuetify, Bootstrap, SemanticUI
● JS - NodeJS, VueJS, ReactJS
DevOps:
● AWS (EC2, ECS, S3, RDS, ELB, EBS, Cloudfront, Lambda, CloudWatch)
● Google Cloud (Cloud SQL, Cloud Compute, Cloud-functions, Cloud Bucket, Pubsub,
KMS)
● Kubernetes
● Firebase (Firestore, Storage, Hosting, Auth)
● Redis
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Heroku
TravisCI
Github
Gitlab
Bitbucket
Docker
Linux Bash
Mobile Software development:
● Advanced Android Java, C#
Software modeling:
● Entity Relationship Diagram
● Unified Modeling Language
● API Design
Video editing:
● Premiere Pro
● Davinci Resolve
Graphic Design and Prototyping:
● PhotoShop
● Illustrator
● Adobe Experience Design
● Zeplin
● Whiteboard or Pen and Paper
