Ekow Duker

Associate Professor, Public and Development Management, Wits

Ekow Duker is the founder and CEO of The AI Shop, an innovative start- up that transforms enterprise workflows with cutting-edge AI. A seasoned entrepreneur with a deep commitment to digital transformation, Ekow’s diverse background includes co- founding Zindi, Africa’s largest community of data scientists and AI practitioners.

He was also the Chief Analytics Officer at the Retail and Business Bank at Absa/Barclays Africa and worked as an oilfield engineer for several years with Schlumberger Oilfield Services. Ekow has a proven track record of scaling businesses and leading cross-functional teams to drive growth and operational excellence.

Ekow holds a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an MBA from INSEAD. His strategic and analytic capabilities are matched by hands-on experience in various sectors, including financial services, energy, and consulting.

Ekow is also an accomplished novelist and a voice for creating value through data, and often contributes in public forums to shaping the future of digital strategy and innovation in Africa.