Cameroonian data scientist and Zindi Ambassador, Leonce Pidy, grew up in the quiet town of Dibombari in Cameroon’s Littoral Region. The eldest of five children, she found herself thrust into a leadership position quite early in her life. By the time she was in Class 4, her parents (both nurses by profession) were working in the city of Buea. In their absence, Leoncy became the primary caretaker, a tutor, a cook, and a problem solver to her siblings.
“I would warm up food, help my siblings with their homework, and explain lessons they didn’t understand,” she told ImpactAI News. “I didn’t know it then, but I was already learning to observe, understand, adapt, and share knowledge.”
These early responsibilities inevitably shaped the foundation for her mission in life. Today, Pidy is a PhD researcher, educator, and Zindi Ambassador, using data science to solve real-world challenges whilst empowering young Africans, especially girls.
What sets Pidy apart in the crowded field of data and artificial intelligence is not just her technical mastery, but the distinctly human lens through which she approaches her work. For her, data science is not just about algorithms and automation; it’s about insight, empathy, and impact.
From Screen Heroes to Code Warriors
Pidy’s interest in computers wasn’t sparked by classroom lessons or coding bootcamps, but by television. Growing up, she was captivated by powerful, tech-savvy women in American series like 24.
“I was fascinated by brilliant women in American TV series (like Chloe O’Brian in ’’24), who mastered computers and unravelled complex situations using technology. They held a quiet, yet powerful kind of influence. I wanted to be like them. That dream led me to study computer science.”
But even then, she felt a deeper pull towards something more applied, something more relevant to the realities around her. She found that pull in data science, a then-unfamiliar field in her local context.
A Defining Summer
A few years ago, Pidy worked alongside young talents from across Africa at Vallet Foundation’s Summer School in Artificial Intelligence. During this time, she collaborated on a hands-on project: building an autonomous vehicle. She recalled that, “It was the first time I applied AI concepts to a real-world challenge in a collaborative, practical way. Seeing that prototype come to life gave me clarity.”
The experience helped to deepen her technical skills in Python, robotics, and machine learning and expanded her sense of what was possible, especially within the African tech ecosystem.
From Learner to Leader
But her journey wasn’t without obstacles. As a young woman entering a male-dominated tech space in a resource-scarce environment, she had to become her own instructor by leveraging online tutorials. Quality training, equipment, and mentorship were often out of reach.
Even as her skills grew, gender bias remained a persistent challenge. She recalled that there were moments when her ideas were dismissed or her presence underestimated. But instead of retreating, she leaned in and even established Dare to be Women Tech, an initiative aimed at creating safe learning spaces for young girls exploring STEM.
A Natural Fit for Zindi
In her search for African-led data science initiatives, Pidy discovered Zindi, the pan-African platform that connects data scientists to solve problems rooted in local realities. The platform’s mission resonated deeply with her own.
“What immediately drew me in was the fact that Zindi is both a pan-African platform and a vibrant community of data scientists. It brings together talent from across the continent to work on challenges that are rooted in our local realities.”
Becoming a Zindi Ambassador was the next natural step. Through this role, she organises workshops, leads hackathons, and introduces the world of data science to students who might never have imagined a place for themselves in it.
She told us that her favourite challenge on Zindi was the SheCures: AI for Diabetes Prediction hackathon, which she organised on International Girls in ICT Day. Before the competition, she led a free training programme to help girls new to the field gain their footing.
Building a New Future, on Her Own Terms
Beyond the accolades and ambassador titles, Pidy is focused on building something more enduring: a pipeline of African tech talent rooted in inclusion, relevance, and purpose.
Through her PhD research, she’s exploring how artificial intelligence and VANET (Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks) can improve urban mobility in developing countries. But her ambitions don’t stop at academic impact.
She dreams of launching a community-centred training hub, offering affordable, hands-on data science education in underserved areas. “I want to democratize data science. Make it something you can touch, build with, and apply even if you’ve never touched a computer before.”
To Pidy, the future of artificial intelligence in Africa depends on three things: accessibility, ethics, and cultural relevance. And she’s hopeful. “We’re seeing more women enter the field, more local languages being integrated into models, more open-source communities taking root. It’s a beautiful moment of awakening.”
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