OPIT Academic Year Inauguration, Sept. 12th

Becoming a successful entrepreneur is the dream for many aspiring inventors and creators. Maria Brilaki achieved that dream, thanks to the ability to remotely study for and achieve an MSc in Responsible Artificial Intelligence from the Open Institute of Technology (OPIT).

She recently spoke to BlueSky Thinking about her experience studying with OPIT and her resulting MedTech development. Her insights could help other budding entrepreneurs find the right educational pathway to success.

Quick Summary

• Maria Brilaki is a successful entrepreneur and MedTech developer.
• Learning with OPIT gave her the ability to utilize AI to create a medical device inspired by her diabetic daughter.
• OPIT’s remote courses meant she could learn and work simultaneously.
• The rigorous curriculum allowed her to develop her AI skills to the point where she could develop hardware.
• Maria now hopes to make the personalized MedTech device she has created commercially available.

Meet Maria Brilaki: MedTech Entrepreneur

Maria Brilaki has had a fascinating career, first training as a civil and environmental engineer, then launching an e-learning health platform: Fitness Reloaded. She’s also written a best-selling health book and was Senior Product Manager at Fiery, a digital front-end (DFE) server and workflow solutions provider.

While working at Fiery, Maria was the lead on many AI-powered products. However, she wanted to take things further. She wanted to get to the point where she could create with AI. That required some additional training and education. For this, she went to OPIT. OPIT’s MSc in Responsible Artificial Intelligence gave her the skills she needed to create a wearable, non-invasive device for measuring blood sugar levels.

She now hopes to launch this product as a solution to painful needles and other invasive treatments and monitoring associated with diabetes.

How Maria’s Invention Works

The device brings together Maria’s passions for engineering, AI, and wellness. However, the inspiration came directly from her daughter. A few years back, Maria’s daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Since then, she’s had to endure painful injections and pin-prick blood tests, plus the skin irritation associated with current continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology. Maria noted that many current CGM devices offer delayed readings that can pose a health risk.

Maria’s solution is based on optics and how light interacts with different compounds in the skin. The device is wearable and uses near-infrared (NIR) monitoring to assess glucose levels. There are no needles or under-skin sensors, removing the pain and irritation associated with CGM.

The creation of this advanced MedTech device occurred as part of Maria’s OPIT MSc course. The course culminates in a Capstone Project and Dissertation. Students get the chance to work on a real-life project or piece of research with industrial relevance. Students can also pursue internships with relevant organizations to complement their project work.

Maria chose to solve the problem of painful CGM. Her work included the development of the device, plus a careful study of 25 participants to understand the impact of the device.

Challenges on the Road to Success

As with any new technology, there were a few bumps in the road to success. Maria noted that the physics of the problem were very challenging. Everyone’s skin compounds are unique, making the creation of patterns for monitoring tricky. She circumvented this problem by calibrating the device to the individual.

Maria also observed that being a female entrepreneur has its own challenges. Very few women-founded startups receive the same level of funding compared to their male-run counterparts. However, she said that having a working prototype, thanks to her OPIT studies, has changed conversations. In Maria’s words, “Hardware backed by data commands attention.”

What’s Next for Maria?

Maria’s ultimate goal is to remove the need for needles in blood sugar monitoring. If her device becomes widely adopted, it could take the pain out of diabetic monitoring and treatment, improving the quality of life for patients all over the world.

Without the opportunity to learn remotely with OPIT, she would never have had the chance to apply machine learning on a person-by-person basis or create a piece of AI-powered hardware from scratch. She’s now working on commercializing the prototype and gaining FDA approval for her device.

Key Takeaways

• Entrepreneurs are more likely to achieve success with a working prototype of their product or service.
• Remote education in tech-specific subjects can empower entrepreneurs to do more.
• OPIT offers flexible, remote education for professionals and entrepreneurs wanting to expand their skillset.

Discover Your Own Pathway to Successful Entrepreneurship

Maria’s advice to other budding entrepreneurs is, “…focus on solving meaningful problems. The bigger the problem, the more it is worth putting your attention to. Don’t be afraid by the size of it; instead, focus on what it would mean if you were to solve it.”

You can discover the program that led to Maria’s success at OPIT. The MSc in Responsible Artificial Intelligence is a 1.5 to two-year course that you complete remotely. It’s a fully accredited level 7 course and offers opportunities to create a meaningful project and connect with businesses across multiple industries, just like Maria.

If you want more details on this program, get the brochure and discover how easy it is to get started with OPIT.

FAQ

How can an AI degree help me become a successful entrepreneur?

An MSc in Responsible Artificial Intelligence can give you the skills you need to create something unique and tailored to solving a specific problem. You’ll learn about ethics and AI, programming, data analytics, and natural language processing, which are all skills you can combine to create something purposeful and commercially viable.

Can I earn a Master’s degree in AI online?

Yes, with OPIT, you can complete an MSc in AI in as little as 1.5 years, and the course is entirely remote. The final project may involve an internship with a research lab or company, or you may decide to focus entirely on the Capstone Project and Dissertation without pursuing an internship.

How long does it take to remotely complete an MSc in Artificial Intelligence?

The course may take up to two years to complete and is classed as a full-time course. However, many learners complete the course in as little as 1.5 years and manage to balance their studies with existing commitments and jobs.

The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) has given crypto industry enthusiasts and tech professionals a behind-the-scenes look into the blockchain world through the latest episode of its podcast: OPIT EDGE. The episode involves an interview with Kalidou Diagne, a senior frontend engineer at one of the biggest organizations in the industry, the Ethereum Foundation.

Quick Summary

• The latest episode of the OPIT EDGE podcast involved an interview with Kalidou Diagne.
• Diagne is a senior frontend engineer with the Ethereum Foundation.
• During the podcast, Diagne discussed his transition to Web3.
• He highlighted the importance of independent learning and a focus on practical problem-solving.
• He discussed big crypto trends, like a growing focus on privacy and Zero Knowledge architecture.

Introducing OPIT EDGE

OPIT EDGE is a student-driven podcast project from the Open Institute of Technology. It’s oriented around the tech industry, with episodes exploring the technological world from various perspectives, providing intriguing insights and advice to students and graduates alike. Each episode features a special guest from a specific field, like quantum AI, big data, or, in this case, Web3.

Episode 4: Inside the Ethereum Foundation – How to Break into Web3

The fourth episode of the OPIT EDGE podcast is entitled “Inside the Ethereum Foundation – How to Break into Web3.” It features the podcast’s host, Levi Mandji, sitting down with Kalidou Diagne, architect at the Ethereum Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the Ethereum ecosystem via research, project funding, and protocol development.

As the title indicates, the episode largely revolved around Diagne sharing his journey as he progressed from conventional software development into the Web3 ecosystem. He touched on several topics during his discussion with the host, including his views on education, advice for those who wish to follow a similar path, and interesting industry trends related to crypto and blockchain.

Here’s a closer look at some of the main talking points from this episode.

Web2 vs. Web3

Before discussing his work in Web3 in detail, Diagne explains how Web2 and Web3 actually differ. He explained how Web2 is the centralized internet that is largely dominated by big tech corporations, such as Meta, Google, etc. With Web2, users effectively trade data for services, entering their email addresses or phone numbers to create profiles on platforms like Facebook, for example.

He notes that arguably the biggest difference with Web3 is how it has a completely different power dynamic. Instead of central authorities like Google holding the power, Web3 is built around open-source code and peer-to-peer protocols. He explained that this also makes Web3 development and engineering completely different from working with Web2.

Diagne’s Transition

Given the vast differences between Web2 and Web3, it can be difficult even for experienced developers and engineers to move from one ecosystem to the other. They may struggle to adapt to the unique elements of Web3 that simply don’t exist in Web2, and vice versa. Diagne, however, was able to make that transition and explained how he did so during the interview.

He discussed how he took his transition into his own hands by actively contributing to open-source projects on GitHub. He would also seek out projects with bugs or other problems that needed solving and apply his skill set to provide solutions. This helped him gain valuable practical experience with Web3, and it even led to his first job offer from a U.S. company working with NFTs.

Self-Learning Mindset

Diagne emphasized the importance of a “self-learning mindset,” a proactive, growth-oriented approach to education. People with this kind of mindset are naturally curious and eager to improve their skills, gaining personal knowledge not just through books or lectures, but through putting their skills to the test on real-world projects and problems.

Diagne explained how, over the course of approximately six months, he would work on GitHub projects, watch YouTube videos to learn more about Web3, and go as deep into the field as he could. He saw challenges as opportunities to learn, and always sought to test himself; even if he encountered problems or wrote code that didn’t work the first time around, he’d work hard to perfect it.

Degrees vs. Skills

In many ways, Diagne is an autodidact. He explained that he began educating himself about development in his free time during high school. Upon leaving school, he had a choice: go to university or enter the working world. He decided to go directly to work, concerned that if he spent several years on a degree, the technology would evolve so quickly that much of his knowledge could be irrelevant.

So, he honed his skills over time, through trial and error. With that said, he still underscored the importance of education in general, noting that while some companies prize skills and experience, others will only offer roles to those with qualifications. He added that, while the self-study approach worked for him, others may find higher education a much better option to gain the skills they need.

AI-Assisted Coding

Diagne also took a moment to touch on the topic of AI-assisted coding, otherwise known as “vibe coding,” and tied this into a larger discussion of how AI is changing the face of the tech world today. He shared his belief that AI will “revolutionize” most industries, but also warned students and aspiring developers against becoming overly reliant on it.

He highlighted an example in which an app was created via vibe coding, but had a major issue in its backend, which led to users’ private data being leaked. Diagne cautioned that AI-assisted coding can be useful for the basics, but urged those wishing to work in technology to make sure they have their own coding skills and not to simply expect AI to write all their code for them.

The Ethereum Foundation and Crypto Trends

Diagne also shared insights into working in the heart of the crypto industry as part of the prestigious Ethereum Foundation. He mentioned a few of the big trends shaping the industry at the moment, including:

• Privacy: Diagne explained that privacy is a top priority for many organizations in the Web3 world right now, adding that they are experimenting with new ways to keep data private without compromising the security of Web3 tools and services.
• Zero Knowledge: He added that “Zero-Knowledge” technology is becoming a bigger part of the industry, too. This revolves around special cryptographic techniques used to verify statements without relying on potentially personal or sensitive information in the process.

Advice for Aspiring Developers

When asked to share what advice he’d give to someone wishing to break into the Web3 world, Diagne stated that they should not simply fixate on learning, but actually put their knowledge to the test. He recommended that aspiring developers actually try to replicate the things they learn, build their own projects, and implement skills on a regular basis.

In addition, he strongly encouraged students to keep up to date with new trends and technologies as they emerge. He recommended following tech news and blogs so that they don’t get left behind, which is so important right now as the tech world evolves at an increasingly rapid rate.

How OPIT Can Help Aspiring Web3 Developers

OPIT’s unique brand of technological education aligns cohesively with Diagne’s advice, as the institute focuses on giving students practical skills and knowledge they can apply to solve real-world problems. It’s not just about reading books and memorizing statistics; OPIT goes further, helping students get ready to embark on technological careers with confidence and valuable skill sets.

The institute offers several courses geared towards those who wish to work in Web3, from introductory courses like the Foundation Program through to master’s degrees, like the MSc in Digital Business and Innovation. Learn more on the OPIT website, or submit your application online today.