Data scientist & designer

Azadi Gathui

If it challenges assumptions, connects disciplines, or helps real humans live better, I'm probably already thinking about it.

Let’s create meaningful impact together.

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Product

  1. Leja
  2. CarNayo
  3. Jireh Health

Editorial

  1. 3408 Belva
  2. SID Kenya
  3. AFRIYOCCC
  4. LCOY Kenya
  5. CIFF / COP27
  6. inABLE
  7. UNFCCC Champions

Branding

  1. Herbivore
  2. Lizopendwa
  3. Belva Homes
  4. Qoba
  5. KWETU Pride

Data & ML

  1. Zindua School
Fig. 1Roles and projects since 2020. Select one to jump to it.

Independent / academic

Data Scientist

Zindua School

Aug ’25 – Present

Environmental Degradation Monitor

pythonu-netTensorFlowsentinel-2Copernicusstreamlitgeopandas

Trained and evaluated a semantic segmentation model (5.78M parameters) for satellite land-cover classification, and built a complete Streamlit application around it:

  • On-demand Sentinel-2 imagery retrieval for protected area shapefiles
  • Mask-based change detection on an interactive Streamlit map
  • Domain-shift evaluation (India vs Kenya)
  • Datasets used:
Karura Forest: reference land-cover map Karura Forest: the model's predicted land cover Nairobi National Park: predicted land cover Test predictions on Indian imagery

Geospatial Deep Learning: Land-Cover Classification

PythonCNNrasteriogeopandas

Built and hyperparameter-tuned a CNN for satellite land-cover classification, and a geospatial pre-processing pipeline to extend it to a real, unlabelled region (Kajiado County, Kenya).

Kenya Power Pricing Analysis

TableauSQLexcel

Built an interactive Tableau dashboard exploring electricity pricing, affordability, and the renewable-energy transition, synthesising government tariff schedules, household income data, and regional generation statistics.

Price of Power dashboard preview A Kenya Power bill broken down

Full-time

UX Researcher

Jireh Health

Apr ’25 – Sep ’26

Accessible healthcare-financing web app, serving 4 facilities and 1,800+ users.

User ResearchPrototypingAccessibilityMobile UI

Sole designer working from PM-defined acceptance criteria through to engineering handoff.

  • Redesigned flows to:
    • cut median signup time from 5.2 to 2.1 mins (-59%).
  • Led Jireh Health’s frontend design-system modernisation by:
    • introducing reusable primitives, semantic tokens, and consistent UI patterns
    • improving scalability and maintainability across mobile and web experiences.
  • Developed an in-house prototyping tool that:
    • mirrors the deployed frontend
    • decouples UX testing from backend dependencies
Jireh home: a Cashback card showing KES 3,200 earned, with discounts and offers My Jireh Circle: members around the user, with dependants below Ask Jireh: ‘Hi Azadi, ask about your health records’ Hand holding a printed Jireh Health flyer: ‘Lipa bill, pata ka-kitu!’

Freelance

Editorial Designer

UNFCCC High-Level Champions

Sep ’24

Adobe InDesignEditorial Design

Laid out a position paper for the official champions of the Paris Agreement.

Position paper cover: a hand holding a turquoise mineral Executive summary spread with an acacia tree photo Looking forward: five numbered priorities IRMA case study spread

Freelance

Branding & Web Designer

KWETU Pride

Jun ’24

FigmaDesign Systems

LGBTQ+ professional network for building safer & more inclusive career spaces across the African continent.

KWETU Pride website home: ‘Because transparency & accountability is how real change begins’ over a Nairobi skyline KWETU Pride ‘Our Mission’ section over a photo of a plant-filled workspace with a mural KWETU Pride mobile page: Insights from KWETUpride

Freelance

Mobile UI Designer

CarNayo

Jun ’24

Congolese ride-hailing app.

FigmaiosandroidDesign SystemsUser Flow Mapping
  • Designed end-to-end UI/UX covering separate driver and passenger journeys.
  • Built a design system optimised for low-bandwidth conditions and entry-level Android devices.
  • Unified two distinct user mental models, driver and passenger, within a single navigation structure.
CarNayo passenger app: choosing a ride type on the map CarNayo driver application: photos of the vehicle CarNayo: meet your driver, with the trip details CarNayo: rate your trip

Freelance

Editorial Designer

inABLE

May ’24

Adobe InDesignAccessibilityEditorial Design

Annual accessibility conference in Nairobi.

Inclusive Africa Conference 2024 booklet cover The booklet open on the founder's welcome remarks The booklet open on the keynote speakers The booklet open on testimonials

Freelance

Editorial Designer

Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)

Dec ’23 – Feb ’24

Adobe InDesignReport LayoutEditorial Design
  • Designed the official event report for the Children & Youth Pavilion at COP27, commissioned by CIFF.
Children & Youth Pavilion at COP27 report cover The report open on the executive summary The report open on the impact of the pavilion, in large statistics The report open on the background and steering committee

Volunteer

Comms Team Member

LCOY Kenya

Oct ’22

Adobe IllustratorBrandingEvent Design
  • Rebranded and produced event graphics for YOUNGO's annual Local Conference of Youth on Climate Change in Kenya.
LCOY Kenya 2022 participant call poster in green on white LCOY Kenya ‘Register to Exhibit!’ poster on dark green LCOY Kenya participant poster on mid green LCOY Kenya participant poster on mint

Volunteer

Volunteer

African Youth Conference on Climate Change (AFRIYOCCC)

Oct ’22

Adobe InDesignEditorial Design
  • Designed the attendee resource pack and conference programme for the African Youth Conference on Climate Change.
Conference programme mockup: the Learn, Play and Act spread Resource pack mockup: the Background spread with a savannah photo Resource pack spread organised as Learn, Play and Act

Full-time

Leja

Feb ’22 – Jun ’25

B2B payments & bookkeeping mobile app serving Kenyan MSMEs and CICO agents.

FigmamuiandroidprototypingUser Research

Product Designer

Nov ’22 – Jun ’25

  • Owned onboarding, referral, and transaction-flow design end-to-end: research, design, developer handoff, and iteration based on usage.
  • Designed for a low-bandwidth, non-technical, non-English-dominant user base.
  • Partnered directly with developers and product managers to ship designs to real users, then iterated based on usability testing and product feedback.
  • Formally led a 2-person design/research team on a dedicated initiative, assigning work and owning outcomes while remaining hands-on in the craft.
  • Designed interactive prototypes for partnership presentations and product demos using Figma and the Adobe suite.
  • Championed accessibility and usability against W3C/WCAG 2.1 guidelines; produced clear design documentation to ease developer handoff.
Leja Grow: grow your money with savings, loans and investments Leja loans: the loan limit and loan history Leja savings goal: 25% closer to a goal of new stock

Design Associate

Feb – Oct ’22

Graphics and branding: campaign and social ads, merchandise and event stands.

Two Leja users posing with a pink social-media photo frame Leja exhibition stand with a pull-up banner: ‘The ultimate finance app for MSMEs in Africa’ Leja tote bag printed with ‘Transforming lives one business at a time’ Branded Leja water bottle and merchandise A visitor at a Leja event backdrop Leja M-Pesa promotion ad: ‘Hustle mode activated!’

Freelance

Branding Designer

Qoba

Jan ’22

Adobe IllustratorBrand IdentitySaaS Branding

An SME point-of-sale SaaS product.

Qoba logo significance sheet: the wordmark with notes on each letterform Qoba logo in colour: black, blue and reversed versions Qoba social post on blue: ‘9 out of 10 startups don't make it’

Freelance

Editorial Designer

Society for International Development (SID)

Oct – Dec ’21

Adobe InDesignComplex LayoutsData Visualisation
  • Laid out a 300-page collaborative research publication for the Kenya Energy Atlas, a joint SID–government initiative.
  • Managed complex layouts integrating maps, charts, and long-form academic text across multiple thematic chapters.
Kenya Energy Atlas mockup Woodfuel use infographic on a green page Bar charts of firewood and solar use for lighting by county Map of interconnected power projects in Eastern Africa

Freelance

Branding Designer

Belva Homes

Jul ’21

Adobe IllustratorBrand IdentityLogo Design

A luxury residential real estate company in Nairobi.

The Belva Homes logo family: primary and secondary logos, submark and favicon Belva Homes letterhead with the gold line logo Belva Homes pattern in gold on dark brown Belva Homes material swatches in a hand, beside the logo on a reception wall

Freelance

Branding Designer

Lizopendwa

May – Jun ’21

Adobe IllustratorBrand IdentityProduct Design

Kenyan brass jewellery brand.

Introducing Lizopendwa Jewellery: the logo among leaves and soft colour shapes Lizopendwa brand pattern of leaves and soft colour shapes Lizopendwa brand backdrop: a mint panel framed by leaves and colour shapes

Full-time

Graphics Designer & Social Media Manager

Herbivore Garden Center

Jun – Dec ’20

Adobe IllustratorSocial Media Design

Nairobi-based garden centre.

Herbivore Garden Center poster: Children's Gardening Classes, with a girl potting a plant Bromeliad Auction! post on terracotta, with a potted bromeliad Bromeliad auction terms on cream, with the plant and its height Bromeliad Auction! post on dark green, with a potted bromeliad Second bromeliad auction terms on cream, with the plant and a close-up of its bracts

Freelance

Editorial Designer

3408 Belva

Feb ’20

Adobe InDesignEditorial Layout
  • Designed a property catalogue for a green-living residential development in Parklands, Nairobi.
3408 Belva catalogue cover: the logo on green with a gold hexagon pattern The catalogue shown closed and open Architect’s View spread, left page Salon and Wellness Centre spread, right page Finishes spread, left page Fittings spread, right page

Volunteer

Volunteer

Greenpeace Africa – Kenya

Adobe photoshop
World Hippopotamus Day post: a hippo's head on bright green Post: the threats to the hippo noted by the IUCN Red List Post: KPLC's switch to renewable energy, the Greenpeace Kenya take Recap post: Kenya Power's plans to hybridise 23 remote diesel mini-grids with solar and wind