Selorm Magnus
Avakame

I grew up in Accra, Ghana 🇬🇭and for most of my life climate work felt abstract , a thing discussed in reports and conferences, far from anything I could touch. That changed when I helped build Africa's first upcycled bus shelter. Working with Mckingtorch Africa during my gap year, I joined a small team that converted 3.5 metric tons of discarded flip-flops, plastic gallons, and car tires into a functioning solar-powered bus shelter in Dzorwulu, one of Accra's most under-resourced neighborhoods.

The project was covered by BBC Africa and helped reduce cholera and malaria cases in the area that month. Standing next to something built from waste people had thrown away rewired how I thought about climate problems. They are not too technical but design problems, behavioral problems, infrastructure problems , the kinds where the right interface between humans and intelligent systems can change outcomes at scale.

That insight is why I'm now studying Computer Science (HCI track) , with minors in Earth Systems and Management Science and Engineering. I want to build a company at the intersection of AI, ML, and HCI - one that takes African contexts seriously instead of treating them as an afterthought. These days, most of my energy goes into three things: AI/ML work at American Tractor Co. (where I'm joining as their first-ever intern this summer), building Katalyze Africa Ventures as an early-stage accelerator for student founders solving African problems, and exploring iOS mobile app development.

Here is what I believe : A successful graduation from Stanford means raising close to $10 million before I leave, ready to back the next generation of African student builders and founders, it is not defined by a 4.0 GPA, graduating summa cum laude, a Google or Meta full time offer or wealth for my family. I want to graduate knowing I came here , with the weight of my home continent on my back. That really is the only thing that defines success to me.

Outside of work I read a lot, take photos, read, travel, read and research all kinds of topics. I'm always down to chat about climate, AI, or African tech and development.

“The best way to predict the future is to build it.”