Farhana Alarakhiya
Chief Data Innovation Officer
farhana.alarakhiya@aku.edu
Farhana Alarakhiya is a highly accomplished Software Executive with over 25 years of experience in the world of Big Data and AI. Currently serving as the Chief Data Innovation Officer at the Aga Khan University, Farhana combines data and smart individuals to drive impactful change in Low Middle Income Country settings.
Prior to her academic role, Farhana spent her career in High Tech, where she was known for leveraging data to deliver unimaginable insights. Her roles spanned across a diverse set of industries including Shopify where she was Vice President of Product to IBM where she spearheaded an integral acquisition for the launch of Watson Health. Farhana holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and Management and provides advisory services to various AI tech firms. She also serves on the boards of BGCO, Pulsar Collective, and the Scientific Advisory Board for Universite Catholica's Biomedical Research Institute. Outside of work, she is a passionate advocate for women's rights and closing socioeconomic gaps.
Stephen Peter Wong
Principal Data Lead and Architect
stephen.wong@aku.edu
Stephen Wong has spent over three decades helping organizations realize and enable their data and analytics strategy. He launched his career working at SAS, the largest privately owned software company and leader in enterprise analytics, where he worked with multiple Fortune 100 companies across the full data life cycle. He is currently the Principal Data Lead and Architect at the Aga Khan University in the office of the Chief Data Innovation Officer. At AKU, he is bringing his vast experience and knowledge to build Big Data platforms focused on population health management with the objective of improving the quality of life of communities in East Africa. Prior to AKU, he was Director at CIBC and Scotiabank, two of the largest banks in Canada. While there, he focused on Enterprise Data Governance so is well versed in the complexities of regulatory compliance and data governance policies.
Amos Bunde
Lead Data Engineer and Architect
amos.bunde@aku.edu
Amos is the Lead Data Engineer and Architect at the AKU Office of Chief Data Innovation Officer. His journey is a testament to his expertise in data engineering and architecture. Holding a BSc in Applied Statistics with Computing mirrors his dedication to transforming data challenges into strategic opportunities. Within Aga Khan University, he spearheads the creation of data architectures that steer research objectives. His scope extends to various domains including cloud infrastructures, pipeline construction, data workflow abstraction, machine learning and design. Beyond technical skills, Amos leads by example, mentoring cross-functional teams and nurturing a culture of innovation. Amos views himself as a perpetual learner, fueled by a genuine enthusiasm for machine learning, data streaming and quantum computing. Yet, above all, his leisure lies in activities like swimming, reading books, basketball, darts and soccer.
Nigel Thuku
Data Scientist
nigel.kamotho@aku.edu
Nigel Thuku is an introspective and thoughtful individual. He is working as a Data Scientist under the Data Innovations Office at AKU. He has a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Nigel believes that given enough time and effort, anyone can learn anything they set their mind to. This mindset is Nigel’s biggest asset and has carried him through during the new and unique challenges that come from world of data science. He enjoys finding creative solutions to problems. When he is not working with numbers, Nigel enjoys painting, gardening, and spending time with his family. His expertise lies in Data Science, Data Protection, Data Storytelling, Machine Learning, Statistics, Python and SQL.
Antony Kagure
Product Marketing Specialist
antony.kagure@aku.edu
As a Product Marketing Specialist, Antony brings life to the work the team does in the domain of data by providing awareness internally and externally on how the Aga Khan University uses data to transform outcomes. He is passionate about storytelling, particularly, transforming the complex into easy-to-consume simplicity. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a Marketing specialization from the University of Nairobi. His expertise lies in Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Management, Data Storytelling, Community Building.
Allan Zablon
Senior Data Engineer and Architect
allan.zablon@aku.edu
Allan Zablon is a very experienced data engineer and architect with close to a decade spent building and supporting large-scale data systems for organizations that rely on dependable, well-governed information to make decisions. His work spans Government, international aid and development , tech consulting, and research environments, where he has focused on bringing structure and stability to complex and often fragmented data landscapes.
At Aga Khan University, Allan works on advanced data and analytics infrastructure. His role includes building federated analytics frameworks, shaping cloud-native architectures, and introducing newer AI capabilities, including language-model based tools, in ways that are thoughtful, responsible, and aligned with the university’s academic and operational needs. Outside his role, Allan volunteers to the development of professional standards in data and AI through external expert review and certification activities. He holds certifications as a Microsoft Fabric Data Engineer, Fabric Analytics Engineer, and CompTIA DataX. His approach combines architectural clarity with grounded engineering, aiming to create systems that remain trustworthy, adaptable, and genuinely useful over time.
