Stéphanie Assi Durand

Côte d’Ivoire

After a decade-long career in the United States, this Abidjan native chose to return home and develop tailored digital solutions.

She could have continued building a brilliant career in the United States. But after ten years of professional experience at IBM, Accenture and McKinsey, this software development and artificial intelligence engineer chose to return to Abidjan, believing that her work would have greater meaning and impact there. She is particularly interested in fintech, seeking to reinvent financial and banking tools through new technologies. In 2017, she co-founded Moja Ride with entrepreneur Jean-Claude Gouesse, a booking and payment platform that allows Ivorians to use a dedicated payment card to book transport and a range of other services, including food delivery. In 2021, the entrepreneur launched one of West Africa’s first digital factories: Meraky Tech—the name inspired by the Greek word meraki, meaning “to do something with care and creativity”—provides companies with tailored technology solutions, from digital product design to the integration of artificial intelligence tools. Stéphanie Assi Durand aims to build the sub-region’s first major tech hub, developing an ecosystem rather than simply another start-up. In its five years of existence, Meraky Tech has completed more than 700 projects and has been named a “premium member” of the US Chamber of Commerce. Also a member of the Abidjanaises in Tech club, the businesswoman is active with the NGO KS Africa, which promotes careers in science and technology among young girls: “I learned a great deal from my parents about the value of doing a job well, determination and, above all, the meaning of sacrifice.”