South African Equitech alumnus turned Venture Fellow talks about Qala

By Anodya Mishra

Riedwaan Fakier, a 2023 alumnus of the Civic Tech Institute at Equitech Futures, earned both his undergraduate and honors degrees in information systems from the University of the Western Cape. Just a year later, he found himself flying to London on a commonwealth scholarship to pursue a master's in Public Administration.

"Policy, development, and public administration were fields I never considered during my undergraduate studies. In fact, I never envisioned studying abroad either. But when opportunities come knocking, you seize them."

When Riedwaan was pursuing his honors degree, he was working a part-time job and simultaneously managing his studies.

“There were a lot of students in my class who were working and studying. This created an atmosphere of camaraderie among us because our experiences outside the classroom helped us supplement our classroom learning. It was during this time that I learnt of a scholarship to study in the United Kingdom. I applied and got into my first masters program in strategy and innovation at Maynooth University. Although I enjoyed the experience I was still left a bit underwhelmed, I still had an itch that I needed to achieve more and transition into a field outside of ‘corporate’”.

Thereafter Riedwaan applied for his second masters through the commonwealth scholarship, and ended up at University College London for a masters in public administration. “This was the first time I was exposed to a crowd who were interested in policy and politics because a lot of people from the cohort were going for programs in the policy field. That was my introduction into the field.” 

While out for a coffee with a friend, Riedwaan got to know about the Civic Tech Institute and realized there was one day to go for the deadline. “It was a new program, but when I saw the faculty page and the course brief, I was instantly drawn to it. I thought it would align perfectly with my vision for my career. I was always interested in virtual reality, so much so that I wanted to pursue another masters in virtual reality! Thus, having a course that blended the realm of artificial intelligence and policy was a great fit for me.”

After graduating from the Civic Tech Institute, Riedwaan pitched an idea for a new venture to Abhilash Mishra, founder of Equitech Futures. “I think one of the biggest benefits I received from Equitech Futures was the support and encouragement from the faculty to pursue my entrepreneurial project. I wanted to work on a venture which would cater towards the issue of unemployment in South Africa. There are a lot of portals worldwide through which people search for jobs today, but the process of finding a job, interviewing, paperwork, and analyzing the right fit is a lengthy process. I wanted to make this process more efficient. My venture, Qala, uses AI to conduct the first few steps required in a job application. This helps both the employer and candidates because the process becomes more seamless and quicker.”

The path towards starting his own venture was not an easy one for Riedwaan.

“There’s a lot of steps to starting your own company. After conducting market research, collaborating with peers, talking to funders and pilot testing our product, we are off to a good start now. But the road ahead is long and challenging. Having the support of Equitech has made this journey easier though, because I have Abhilash and Linda Kinning as my advisors and I meet them every week to update them on my progress.”

Riedwaan fondly remembers his experience at the Civic Tech Institute which brought together 15 scholars from across the world. “Each and every person at the Civic Tech Institute brought in their own skills into the classroom. Somehow we created a space where everyone could be themselves and each person played their role to make the programme a memorable experience. Our varied experiences enhanced the cohort as some people were strong in the policy space, others in economics, social justice, healthcare, education, technology and business. It was a space that brought in both researchers and innovators, which led to a flavourful blend of diverse fields.”

Riedwaan candidly added his advice for future scholars at Equitech Futures. “The most helpful advice I can give scholars is to make the maximum use of opportunities presented to them. You have brilliant minds around you and sometimes all you have to do is ask for things to happen. Also, when you sign up for something, have faith in the process and complete it. Don’t fool around for certificates because you can get that in any online course. So, take up this course only if you are 100% sure you can and will complete it!”