From 297 Job Rejections to Award-Winning EdTech: Bode Roberts Builds Dataleum to Export African Talent
Bode Roberts turned three years of job-search silence—297 applications and 48 interviews—into Dataleum, an award-winning EdTech platform now exporting African tech talent globally. After struggling despite his drive, Roberts realized the system was broken, not him, prompting him to build solutions for others instead of seeking employment elsewhere.
Starting in Lagos where he tested ideas during his Covenant University Computer Engineering studies, Roberts and co-founder Titilola Bello validated demand through a feasibility study with 20 people before launching. Dataleum began as a physical training center but pivoted to virtual during COVID-19's March 2020 lockdown with online 'Datathons,' proving its model could transcend geography. The company expanded to the UK in 2023 as a registered learning provider, addressing challenges faced by Nigerian immigrants navigating British labor markets.
Recognition came swiftly: Lagos State named it Startup of the Year three years post-launch, followed by the Best EdTech Startup in Africa award at the 2023 Global Startup Awards. Today, Roberts pursues a PhD at Covenant University on AI's impact on banking operations while shifting Dataleum toward legacy-building—focusing on creating systems where new leaders can emerge rather than managing operations directly.
His journey underscores a key lesson for Nigerian youth: identifying broken systems in your own experience can reveal opportunities to build scalable solutions. Roberts advises starting small—validating ideas with 20 people—and building not just for personal success but to lift families and communities through access to global opportunities.