DSN AI Bootcamp 2024: A Week of Learning, Connection and Inspiration

by Monioluwa Ajisafe

The 2024 DSN AI Bootcamp was more than just a bootcamp. It was a journey into the heart of data science, where knowledge met community, and inspiration sparked new ambitions.

This was the first fully physical boot camp since 2019, and I’m particularly glad for that reason because the experience was much richer with all the participants present in person. I met a lot of wonderful people who are doing awesome work. It was a diverse mix, not just culturally but across industry and experience levels. We had beginners, working professionals, undergrads, postgrads, and researchers.

It was a week of learning, with learning sessions exposing us to the cutting edge of artificial intelligence — what is possible now and what would be possible in the future, as well as tools and methods for data science; a week of connection with wonderful people from all over the country, and in a way that speaks to the intentionality of DSN; a week of being inspired.
I was inspired by the speakers and how some of them had similar journeys to mine — Dr. Orieke Nnanna and Dr. Sanmi Koyejo, like me, have backgrounds in electrical and electronics engineering and are now experts in artificial intelligence. I was inspired by the fact that some speakers had sat in my position a few years prior as participants of the bootcamp, and how some of them are women thriving in male-dominated spaces. I was inspired by their humility, kindness, and grace in imparting knowledge and attending to the curiosities of participants.

I was inspired by my fellow participants. I did not meet one person that I was not impressed by in some way. I was inspired by their dedication and never-give-up attitude, their thirst for knowledge, their plans for the future, their great questions that enriched the learning experience for everyone else, and their commitment — many travelled several hours (some more than 48!) just to be at the bootcamp, and of course, their brilliance. I will miss the camaraderie we were able to build in that short time.
I was inspired by the team at Data Science Network — bright minds doing great things from a small place, their dedication to excellence and making things work, and their sense of togetherness and community.

I was inspired by the man who started it all, Dr. Bayo Adekanmbi, and his focus and intentionality in building this ever-expanding network. He spoke a lot about giving back and he leads by example in every way, showing the kind of good that is possible when we choose to live, not just for ourselves.
This chapter will stay with me and I will constantly revisit its pages (literally, I took a lot of notes). I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned here, to dive into further learning in the rapidly progressing field of machine learning and artificial intelligence, and to become an active member of the community. The end of the bootcamp marked the beginning of a new chapter and it’s one I won’t write alone.