Breaking boundaries

Thinking like a tech entrepreneur

When asked what it takes to be a successful technology entrepreneur, Fella says that, for her, being a technology entrepreneur involves staying ahead of the curve and keeping your eyes open. “The field of data science advances extremely quickly and, to keep pace, you have to remain curious,” she says. “This benefits you by renewing your stock of knowledge and challenging your accepted paradigms.”

However, the most important lessons she’s learned are about human beings. “All my projects have related to people and the changing social landscape we inhabit. This has opened my mind and made me more tolerant of myself and others.”

Moreover, organizations that nurture an entrepreneurial culture will find themselves rewarded, says Fella. “Such an approach encourages employees to develop their skills and push themselves further. It also gives them a sense of belonging within the organization because they’re involved in trying to address the challenges it faces.”

Anticipating to find solutions

“Our cultures are becoming more complex and so are the problems we are facing in the world. Entrepreneurs in technology are crucial to solving those problems. They anticipate the future needs of society. They see problems before they occur and find solutions.”

A chatbox named Flow

Going with the Flo

Fella decided to address the issue of time wasted on routine administration tasks by creating a prototype chatbot named ‘Flo’ using the IBM Watson Assistant solution, with support from Capgemini and IBM experts. ‘Flo’ can respond to inquiries on a range of subjects, but is geared towards answering new starters’ inquiries, thereby reducing the admin burden on team leaders and HR staff. “The aim was to enhance employee experience as much as possible, centralize access to information, support newcomers and improve talent retention,” says Fella.

Women leaders in AI

This project led to Fella’s inclusion on the IBM list, and it demonstrates how an entrepreneurial approach can bring success.

“It’s a great honor to have been included in this list and see my work recognized globally,” she says. “It makes me more ambitious to go further. I’m also extremely proud to be among these incredible women. That’s been one of the huge benefits: making connections all over the world and learning about the capabilities of AI for other applications.”

While Fella is pleased to be personally recognized, she sees the award as crucial in fostering a more inclusive and balanced future for AI. “According to the World Economic Forum, only 26% of the global AI workforce are women. This competition matters because it encourages women to take part in AI projects.”

“AI is going to shape the world for the next 50 years,” says Fella. “It’s vital that men and women are equally involved in this project to ensure systems reflect the gender equality of the world and to guard against bias.”

Words of advice

“To be entrepreneurial, we must always stay in motion,” says Fella. “Draw energy from a group because no-one can innovate on their own. Also, remember that innovation always implies risk, so evaluate the risk and design the right tools to minimize it.”

Shaping the future

Perhaps most importantly, Fella underlines the importance of a broad, positive view of human progress. “Technological advancements go beyond enhancing human behavior, they shape it – and the direction of the world. So instead of just focusing on technology skills, stay curious about the wider world, about what people need and the social and economic realities of our times.”

Towards an inclusive AI

We explore this question in our report “The key to designing inclusive tech: creating diverse and inclusive tech teams.’

Read the report

Business recognizes the challenge

In the UK, Capgemini has joined the Microsoft Partner Pledge, supporting a positive societal impact in five key areas.

More about the Microsoft Partner Pledge

Inside stories

Future-shaping projects

Hunting for dragons

Sarah Gonçalves wasn’t always a data engineer. She began her career as an archaeologist, unearthing the secrets of the past in sites across France before retraining as a data engineer. She brings the same curiosity to her new vocation at Capgemini, using artificial intelligence (AI) to uncover what lies beneath the surface.