Darshani Persadh

With over 15 years of experience as an e-Technology expert with extensive practice in helping businesses stay secure, Darshani Ranjith Persadh is a highly accomplished engineer and is currently the Technical Co-founder of DARJYO, an emerging technology R&D startup with a key focus in; Cloud, AI, Data Science, the Internet of things, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, 5G and Quantum Computing.

Spearheading corporate strategy while working with multiple client sets, at age 21 her corporate portfolio included the likes of Volvo, BP, Voith to name just a few. Darshani worked for various companies and gained valuable experience by implementing technology into cross industries.

At DARJYO, Darshani is responsible for overseeing the technical development of the company’s products and ensuring they are delivered on time and to a high standard. She also plays a key role in shaping the company’s strategic direction and is involved in all major decision-making processes.

In addition to her work at DARJYO, Darshani is also a mentor and advocate for women in tech. She has spoken at various industry events and conferences and is passionate about promoting green investments and gender diversity in the tech industry.

• As a 2020 Inspiring Fifty Women in STEM Award Winner, her continuous goal is to educate, motivate, and promote awareness  in STEM.
• Her start-up in its 1st Year won the SMME/Start-Up Influencer Brand at the 2020 Africa Brand Summit.
• Mid 2021, DARJYO won Digital Innovation Disruptor of the Year – Africa at the MEA Markets’ African Excellence awards;
• Following that, she earned a place as a Record Participant in the Guinness World Records Official Attempt for ‘AI-for-India 1.0’ to Build a Facial Recognition app using Python in 24 Hours.
• Recently she was recognized by CDO Magazines list of Top 100 Global Data Founders for 2022.

Being involved in the tech industry for more than a decade, she has gained extensive experience in software engineering, product development, and project management.

• Currently she is writing for the IBM community sharing her best practices, discussing industry trends, and exploring the latest advancements in Global Data and AI, Sustainability software.
•  As a contributing Author for leading academic publisher Pearson, she writes strategic and focused content on digital transformation.
•  An Alumni Member of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women, a global initiative that fosters economic growth for women entrepreneurs. She offers continuous support and provides valuable advice and guidance on various topics, such as career advancement, entrepreneurship, work-life balance, and personal development.
• A member of the MIT Technology Review Global Panel, a community of business professionals. She shares her thoughts, insights, and opinions on the latest trends in technology and their impact on business, the future of work, and more.
• Being a part of a select group of Fortune Panel Advisors gives her various opportunities to share her thoughts and opinions on a wide range of topics
• A member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, an opt-in research community of business professionals, where her input and thoughts on the articles they publish are valued through exclusive invitations like judging the award for best HBR article for the HBR Mckinsey Awards.
• As a ForbesWomen forum member, she has found intellectual comfort in an off-the-record space with the best and brightest female minds forging connections, sharing ideas and trading words of encouragement.
•  An official Member of the ForbesBLK community creating equitable pathways for Black and Brown professionals, she is part of a hub for elite leaders of colour who are breaking down barriers, creating more equitable economies, and driving a new culture of connection, collaboration and change.
• A verified member with the Gartner Peer community, her insight and expert advice guides technology and business decisions to help direct peers, reshaping industries.

She has become a trusted advisor for businesses seeking to harness the power of technology for their advantage. By engaging regionally—and globally—she shares experiences, support, resources and market insights to elevate her business and it has allowed her the opportunity to provide ground-breaking research and innovative application of technology.

Melanie Hawken is quoted to have said this about Darshani: “The world needs innovators right now, and particularly those with entrepreneurial minds that can take those innovative ideas and turn them into reality. Darshani and her team at DARJYO are focused on powering new ways of thinking, of doing, and creating, and their business stands poised to help other businesses to do the same.”

Darshani is a qualified Software Engineer and over the years she has completed a number of professional development courses to enhance her skills and knowledge. Prior to founding her startup, she spent 9 years as an International Assessor teaching tertiary level Design and Technology under the Pearson and City & Guilds syllabi. In 2019 pre-Covid, she left full-time teaching, choosing to co-found her tech start-up where the inclusion of STEM empowers her and her team to solve real world situations through a practical approach. Emerging Technology is an area in which she is making strides commercially and in community with a core focus on empowering the girl-child. Mentorship is one of her driving factors in reaching out towards solving common global issues with innovative solutions in the business arena.

STEM has been a passion of hers since her school days, the greatest catalyst for her interest in pursuing it was when she became involved in NASA STEM: Engineering Practices and the National Geographic Educator Society, she had completed a capstone project built on the NatGEO Learning Framework and created coursework using breakthrough technologies to accelerate exploration and conservation.

Pre-Covid she ensured DARJYO teamed up with a mentor program called SynergyLAB at a local All-Girls school to help young ladies achieve academic excellence during their final year in high school.

Even after becoming an Entrepreneur, she has not taken off her Educator cap, she understands that educators are struggling to implement STEM in their curriculum and if DARJYO can contribute just a little towards an emerging stream of young women in STEM, then that’s a small step towards closing the gap to promote the STEM movement. Darshani is committed to improving diversity in technology by helping more girls choose the STEM path and supporting women-owned businesses.

Darshani’s work doesn’t just end at encouraging young girls to opt for STEM careers, but also empowers women in STEM to periodically upskill themselves and move towards successful career journeys.

COVID-19 and its associated consequences gave all a sense of insecurity, fear and uncertainty. While the fear is justifiable, within a year of launching her start-up she has achieved unparalleled success during the pandemic. Darshani showed up, through bringing in real results, new revenue and securing major new clients/partners (DARJYO is an IBM Silver Business Partner, Intel IoT Solutions Partner, Microsoft Cloud Partner, Amazon Technology Partner and a member of Google Cloud Partner Advantage).

“Her life changed Christmas 2018; doctors told her that she could have lost her right eye. I believe during her recovery she gained insight, and in 2019 took a decision that has made her happy ever since. She co-founded her startup, she balanced work during the day, and tried to make it work during the night – it didn’t work out well, then she took a risk, I like to believe it was a leap of faith. She left her job at the end of November 2019 and has ensured that DARJYO as a women-led startup was founded to inspire and empower you to accelerate innovation, scale effortlessly, and create new possibilities for tomorrow.” Says her Co-Founder Jyothika Persadh

Darshani is an accomplished and highly respected figure in the South African tech industry. Her technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to promoting diversity & inclusion make her an invaluable asset to both DARJYO and the wider tech community. She is a firm believer in building a reputation such that when she advises on particular areas of importance, people listen to her. So when the South African “Department of Communications & Digital Technologies” Honourable Minister Ms. Khumbudzo Ntshaveni marked her debut into new leadership last Spring, chose Darshani and her startup for a 3 page feature covering her growth and contributions to South Africa’s digital landscape in her maiden report, Darshani could not refuse the opportunity to emphasise that even though she is making her mark globally, Durban is home to DARJYO and Darshani loves living on the East Coast. She believes Durban as a Tech Hub can stand just as tall, not only with Cape Town and Gauteng but with the rest of the world.

DARJYO’s vision of tomorrow’s Africa?

There is a critical global shortage of Emerging Technology professionals and workers. In the next three years, as many as 120 million workers in the world’s twelve largest economies will need to be retrained or reskilled as a result of AI and intelligent automation. Africa is no exception in this regard and ranks with a high need for an Industry 4.0 skilled workforce.

With a commitment to providing guidance, resources, and tools to uncover new opportunities, they continue to scale by building cutting-edge solutions for various segments of the emerging technology market. Darshani’s contribution to this new African story is to delve deep and provide solutions to the challenges faced in order to showcase the best practices and to bridge the gap.

The AI capacity in Africa in terms of the skills landscape, trained professionals, expertise, AI ecosystem, and training courses that are currently offered in Africa as well as courses planned for the future require a more open, inclusive, and sustainable approach.

How does Darshani want to contribute to this new African story?

Given her background and willingness to take risks, Darshani and her start-up DARJYO are able to ensure that the quality of content they avail is regionally on par with global standards.

Darshani encourages STEM in Early Education: Children should be allowed to think of technology and the potential it holds right from their formative years so that it can funnel into their crucial decision-making years later in high school.

DARJYO is an innovative business that is doing things differently. And when that innovation is combined with a social mission, it’s well-motivated without compromise. Darshani Persadh works on cutting-edge technology that has the potential to revolutionize several industries, from healthcare to transportation. But what really sets her apart is her social mission – she is committed to making a positive impact on society and the environment.

She has already achieved some impressive milestones, including winning several prestigious awards. But what’s really moving is her commitment to scaling her social impact alongside her business growth. She’s not just in it for the profits – she is actively working to make a difference in the world.

Her strategic method of utilizing technology is a stand out approach which traditionally differs from the mainstream methods adopted commercially. Emerging tech such as machine learning, blockchain, and IoT. are those which provide impressive results, with early adopters reporting significant improvements in efficiency, productivity, and cost savings.

With her personal drive to make a positive impact on society where she is using her technology to tackle some of the world’s most pressing problems, from climate change to healthcare access. She is doing it all in ways that are sustainable, scalable, and socially responsible.

When she chose to study Software Engineering in 2001, She didn’t suspect ever being the best, and certainly not even a contender. But she must have had a gut feeling that she could do this because some 20 years later it doesn’t look like she is just here to be great at Tech. Darshani is here to make sure her role in technology enables her to achieve transformative business results and accelerate value while also making a positive impact on society.