Within the context of Black History Month, I met and spoke with Sandra Nzeneu, a determined and inspiring woman, about her experience as a Black woman in STEM.
Sandra, tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Sandra Nzeneu and I’m originally from Cameroon. I’m a masters with project student in information technology at École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) and a member of Les Ingénieuses. I’m also the founder of HEEP Bot, a startup specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing that develops conversational robots in order to humanize and improve companies’ customer experience. I chose to study engineering in order to use technology to provide solutions to real issues.
What are your biggest accomplishments?
I’ve had a rather atypical journey, as I like to say. I originally graduated as an engineer of automotive technologies with a mechatronics specialization from École Nationale Supérieure Polytechnique de Douala in Cameroun. During my fifth year of university, I heard about artificial intelligence for the first time and it provoked this great curiosity in me to learn more. It’s during confinement, when practically everything was on pause, that I discovered a passion for coding, but even moreso a desire to satisfy my curiosity for artificial intelligence by trying to see how it could be useful for my environment.
As a member of WETECH (Women in Entrepreneurship and Technology), I was able to improve my web development skills, as well as skills I’d taught myself through online courses. Later, along with a group of dynamic women, I started working on Sandra-CovidInfos237, a conversational robot capable of performing quick Covid diagnostic tests through Messenger in order to provide an indicative opinion on an individual's symptoms. The success of this chatbot led to the creation of HEEP Bot.
With the goal of setting up one of the largest technology solution companies in mind, I enrolled in the information technology program at ÉTS to learn and most importantly to take on practical projects and reach the level of expertise required.
What is HEEP Bot?
HEEP Bot (Human, Empathic, Enthralling and Personalized Bot) is a startup that offers services for developing intelligent conversational robots in order to help companies reinvent their business processes and how they manage their customer relationships through virtual assistance.
The pandemic contributed to rapid e-commerce growth and many companies have had to adapt their strategies in order to be profitable in a digital space. However, many of them were not prepared for the high demand of customer support that this would require. In light of this, HEEP Bot is well positioned to improve companies’ sales processes with conversational chatbots that integrate an AI model capable of understanding client requests and providing responses, as well as facilitating access to information on products and services. All this using any social messaging platform - Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Slack, web sites…
Today, our goal is to expand in Quebec’s business market.
What are you most proud of?
One of my greatest sources of pride is my entrepreneurial journey which hasn’t been a long calm river. On the contrary, it’s been filled with many rich experiences. It’s allowed me to step out of my comfort zone to challenge myself to create an impact. I have also had the privilege of meeting the extraordinary people who have accompanied and encouraged me.
What’s more is that continuing my studies in a domain that I’m passionate about and successfully integrating into Canada as a Black woman in STEM and as an immigrant is a journey that I’m proud of.
What is an obstacle that you have had to face and how did you overcome it?
One of my biggest challenges has been resuming my studies, two years after my previous degree. I found myself upon arrival in a new education system, a new culture. It was a bit complicated at first, but I worked hard, doubled my efforts and always kept in mind that I am able to make it and excel.
I remember that my vacation at the end of my first semester in the summer was dedicated to improving my programming skills, as I was afraid of not having the same level of reactivity as my classmates when the teacher presented a concept.
What do you think of Black History Month?
Black History provokes a strong emotion for me because it reminds me of where I come from, my origins and my culture. Most of all, it’s an occasion to highlight and better showcase the achievements of the Black community, especially Black women in STEM.
How can we help the Black community flourish?
In my opinion, the best way is to value and learn to spotlight rising stars in the Black community. Most of the time, during Black History Month, we bring up fears, challenges and Black Trauma. However, there are whole generations that are working hard, particularly Black women, moving the line forward in all domains, especially in STEM. There are generations that need to be better recognized so let’s spotlight those people.
What does it mean to be a Black woman in STEM?
Being a Black woman in STEM means working hard for your dreams, having to do more to stand out in the eyes of others. It also means making a meaningful impact to break stereotypes by paving a way that is admirable.
Why is representation important?
Representation is important for more inclusivity and equality. Representation creates a strong presence and role models in the Black community for younger generations. As a young Black person, seeing Black role models is something encouraging and hopeful - it allows you to see yourself and say that person is like me and if she’s done it, then I can too.
What piece of advice would you like to give young Black girls who would like to pursue engineering?
The advice I give to any young girl who would like to study engineering is to believe in your potential, dream and dare. Keep in mind that the impact you will have is not only for yourself today, but also for a better world tomorrow.