Her first job was as a videographer.
She started editing videos and sending music to customer’s phones. For her birthday she managed to make 90 dollars then celebrated her birthday. iCog launched in 2013 and Ethiopia’s tech industry is set to take off even faster this year following the liberalization of the country’s economy under new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Dessie has inspiring projects such as “Anyone Can Code where Dessie’s teaches young Africans the basics of artificial intelligence, robotics, blockchain and other emerging technologies. She is currently looking for funding for a project called “The Sophia School Bus.” Her vision is to have a bus that will be equipped with laptops and other electronic materials such as 3D printers to create more awareness about technology. With the help of Sophia the robot, Dessie hopes to inspire the next generation of coders in Ethiopia and Africa more broadly – particularly girls.
