Oliver NjeruNairobi
By the fire · Issue MMXXVI

Yo. I’m Oliver.

Founding engineer at Replicant Trader, founder of Black Eternum Capital, and a research assistant at USIU–Africa. Writing from Nairobi.

Résumé Write to me
ROLES
03
active — Replicant Trader, Black Eternum Capital, USIU-Africa SST
PUBLICATIONS
02
IJCAI 2024 · IST-Africa 2024
PHOTOGRAPHY
1M+
Unsplash views · 4,000+ uses across platforms
ISSUE
MMXXVI
the current pressing
Now · today
Creating knowledge at USIU-Africa SST under the supervision of Paul Okanda, Phd — shipping the next iteration of Replicant Trader — and quietly building Black Eternum Capital.
Nairobi · MAY 2026
The three jobs

One desk, three hats.

Three current roles, one continuous workshop.

01Feb 2024 - Current

Founding Engineer

Replicant Trader

Our mission is to democratize access to high-quality trading simulations and financial tools, enabling users to build trading confidence, understand market dynamics, and enhance their strategies.

02Aug 2024 - Current

Founder

Black Eternum Capital

Our mission is to empower traders and investors by providing access to essential resources and knowledge tailored to Kenya’s dynamic market.

03Oct 2023 - Current

Research Assistant

USIU-Africa School of Science and Technology

Machine Learning

About the work

A few interests.

I collaborate on cutting-edge research and build solutions that make a difference. Most days, the work sits somewhere between the headings below.

Artificial IntelligenceOptimisationGame TheoryMachine LearningAlgorithmic EconomicsStochastic OptimisationResearchEntrepreneurship
Off the clock
Travel, Swimming, Gaming. Always looking for new inspiration.
From the workshop

Selected work.

Two publications on one side, eight years of jobs on the other. Click any role to read what it actually involved.

Experience · click to expand
Founder
Black Eternum Capital
Aug 2024 - Current
  • Our mission is to empower traders and investors by providing access to essential resources and knowledge tailored to Kenya’s dynamic market.
Founding Engineer
Replicant Trader
Feb 2024 - Current
  • Our mission is to democratize access to high-quality trading simulations and financial tools, enabling users to build trading confidence, understand market dynamics, and enhance their strategies.
Research Assistant
USIU-Africa School of Science and Technology
Oct 2023 - Current
  • Machine Learning
Software Engineer Intern
IBM Research
Jun 2023 - Aug 2023
  • Created a sophisticated state-of-the-art User Interface for IBM's Foundation Models.
Teaching Assistant
USIU-Africa SST
Mar 2023 - Mar 2023
  • Served as a Teaching Assistant for the Business Data Analytics class.
Campus Work Study
United States International University-Africa
Jan 2022 - Apr 2024
  • Listed approximately a little above 50% of Professor Paul Tiyambe Zeleza's $1 Million personal library donation in a team of three as of December 2022.
  • Performed Exploratory Data Analysis and Visualization with Microsoft Excel.
  • Digitized records of Journal Articles, reports, reviews, and USIU-Africa’s alumni Masters Thesis.
  • Organized and sorted files efficiently, reducing physical search time by 90%.
  • Managed office tasks such as printing, sorting, filing, and photocopying effectively.
  • Engaged in productive conversations to assist students and parents seeking financial aid.
Odd Jobs
Odd Jobs
Dec 2018 - Jul 2024
  • Freelance and short-term work spanning software, photography, tutoring, and small-business support — a continuous side desk while studying.
Junior Software Developer
Mombasa Area Locality
Mar 2018 - Sep 2018
  • Built software solutions that addressed local needs via Visual Basic Scripting and Microsoft Access Database.
What I know

The kit.

Four shelves: the languages I write in, the tools on the bench, the soft work, and the stuff that's just life.

01

Languages

PythonC++JavaJavaScriptRBashC#Assembly Language
02

Frameworks & Tools

ReactJSFigmaDjangoFlaskVercelLinuxMAC OSGitGitHubWindows OSFirebasePandasNumpyOpenCVScikit-learnMatplotlibGGPlotMYSQLUnit TestingMongoDBAPIs
03

Soft skills

ResearchProblem SolvingRobust Communication SkillsLeadershipResilienceAgile MethodologyKanban MethodologyScrum MasterProject Management
04

Off the clock

User Interface/Experience DesignPhotographyData Analysis, Visualization and PresentationFrench (Elementary proficiency)Spanish (Limited working proficiency)Swahili (Native or bilingual proficiency)
Where I studied

Reading & references.

Three schools, three different rhythms.

School

USIU-Africa

BSc in Applied Computer Technology, Concentration in Software Engineering
Courses
Data Structures & Algorithms
Database Systems
Operating Systems
Discrete Mathematics
Mobile Programming
Applied Machine Learning
Business Data Analytics
Software Design & Architecture
Honours
Honors
Visit
School

London Institute of Banking & Finance

Level 4 Diploma in Investment Bank Sales & Trading (Awarded March 2023 by AmplifyMe)
Courses
Investment Strategies
Equities (Apple, Tesla)
Commodities
Currencies
Fixed Income
Honours
Flagged as a High Potential Candidate in AmplifyMe's Finance Accelerator Experience
Sponsored by AmplifyMe in partnership with Morgan Stanley
Ranked first in AmplifyMe's simulation
Visit
School

Strathmore University

Diploma in Business Information Technology (Graduated September 2021)
Courses
Accounting
Business Finance & Economics
Visit
The notebooks

Coursework, quietly stacked.

Five undergraduate projects I'm still happy to show. Each card lists the stack and the highlights worth opening.

DBIT1201Course

OBJECT ORIENTED PROGRAMMING

Individual project: built a desktop Parking Lot Management System with end-to-end ticketing, check-in/out, receipt generation, and MySQL-backed persistence. I owned system design, database integration, and core UI flows.

Stack
Java (Swing/NetBeans)JDBCMySQLMVC basics
Highlights

End-to-End Workflow

Login → Identification → Check-in → Level/Space allocation → Ticket/Receipt → Checkout with fee computation.

Database Connectivity (JDBC + MySQL)

Established persistent storage, integrated MySQL via JDBC, and handled CRUD operations for tickets and sessions.

APT3025Course

APPLIED MACHINE LEARNING

Explored ML workflows on real datasets: preprocessing, model training, and evaluation; experimented with ensembles.

Stack
Pythonscikit-learnpandasNumPyEnsemblesPreprocessing
Highlights

Diabetes Classification

Imputed missing values via NaN+median and standardized features before model training.

Ensemble Learning Experiments

Compared multiple learners within ensemble frameworks; analyzed performance vs. single models.

APT3060Course

MOBILE PROGRAMMING

Built Android apps covering activities, fragments, persistence (SQLite/SharedPreferences), sensors, threading, location, and UI patterns; plus VS/UWP samples. All projects were completed individually.

Stack
Android (ActivitiesFragmentsIntentsSensorsSQLite)UWP/Xamarin basics
Highlights

Android Portfolio of Apps

Hands-on implementations: forms, menus, data persistence, sensor data, threading, WebView, and location.

Sensors and Persistence

Collected sensor data and persisted app state/data using SQLite and SharedPreferences.

APT2040Course

OPERATING SYSTEMS

Covered OS concepts and hands-on practice: coded in C and Bash, studied CPU scheduling (Round Robin) and deadlock avoidance (Banker's algorithm), plus practical scripting labs and a led team exercise.

Stack
CBashUnix CLIScheduling (Round Robin)Deadlocks (Banker's)
Highlights

Scheduling & Deadlocks (C & Bash)

Implemented or evaluated Round Robin scheduling and studied/implemented Banker's algorithm concepts for deadlock avoidance.

Group Exercise (4-person team, Lead)

Led a 4-person team: planned tasks, coordinated implementation, reviewed scripts, and presented outcomes.

APT2060Course

DATA STRUCTURES & ALGORITHMS

Implemented core data structures and classic search algorithms with attention to time/space complexity and edge cases.

Stack
C++ArraysSearchingAlgorithm Analysis (O-notation)
Highlights

Search Algorithms Suite

Built Linear, Binary, Jump, Interpolation, and Exponential search variants; documented trade-offs and optimal conditions.

Array Operations

Insertion and deletion at given positions; boundary checks and shifts.

Side of the desk

Projects, for the love of it.

Repositories, demos, half-finished ideas I keep coming back to. Every card lists the stack, the source, and where to see it running.

Senior Year Project: Fat Finger Error Detection System

Created a detection and mitigation system for financial transaction errors to minimize market disruptions.

Stack
JavaScript
Visit Live

Ecommerce Website

Merchandise store created to increase sales and customer engagement.

Stack
DjangoVuejsBulmaHTML
Source

Game Collection

A collection of games including TicTacToe, Rock Paper Scissors, and more.

Stack
Python
Source

Multiple Vendor Ecommerce Site

A continuation of the Ecommerce Website project, focusing on Django and enhanced technology stacks.

Stack
DjangoTailwindHTML
Source

User Experience & Design

Applied empathetic & creative skills in designs.

Stack
Figma

Landing Page Clones

A collection of landing page clones for popular websites like Microsoft, Hulu, Starbucks, and Netflix, showcasing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript expertise.

Stack
HTMLCSSJavaScript
Source

Blindr

A calculator for the visually impaired that uses event listeners in JavaScript to provide audio feedback for button clicks.

Stack
JavaScriptHTMLCSS
Visit Source Live

Explore JavaScript

A collection of JavaScript projects including a TicTacToe Game, foundational vanilla JS concepts, and a CRUD app.

Stack
Vanilla JavaScriptReactJSTailwindNodeJS
Source

JPMC & Co. Corporate Analyst Development Program (CADP)

Completed a job simulation for JPMorgan Chase's Corporate Analyst Development Program, encompassing Tableau dashboard creation, business process documentation, improvement identification, and impactful PowerPoint presentation development.

Stack
TableauMicrosoft PowerPoint

Guess the Number Game

This engaging number-guessing game challenges players to identify a randomly selected secret number within a defined range, providing helpful hints after each guess to enhance their logical reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Stack
Python
Source
Quietly noted

Awards & hackathons.

Things on the shelf. Not the work itself, but the reminders it counted.

Academic honours

School laurels.

Dean's List (Honors Roll Student)
Junior Achievement Africa Scholarship Recipient
Vice Chancellor's Grant Recepient
Hackathons & competitions

Time-boxed wins.

JP Morgan Chase Code For Good Africa Virtual Hackathon, September 2023 (Team Lead)
CME Group FX Trading Challenge ranked top 25%, August 2023
Ranked first in AmplifyMe's simulation, 2023
Hult Prize USIU-Africa Innovation Week First Runners Up, 2022
Photography stats

A million+ views.

My Photography works of art got used 25 times on popular platforms such as Notion, Figma, Squarespace, Wix, Padlet, PicsArt, Wordpress & Trello from 2021 - present
Achieved 1 Million Views for my Photography works of art on Unsplash, July 20th 2022
Achieved over 4,000 uses of my Photography works of art on Unsplash globally from 2021 - present
11-time feature on Unsplash, 2021-2022
On the wall

Certifications, quietly stacked.

Twenty-something stamps across software, finance, and process.

Technical

16 stamps.

Lyft - Back-End Engineering Job Simulation
Create Your First Web App with Python and Flask
Building Smart Business Assistants with IBM Watson
Command Line in Linux
Create Your First Python Program From UST
Getting Started with Kaggle
Introduction to Bash Shell Scripting
IBM Learning: Introduction to Open SourceCredential available upon request
J.P. Morgan - Software Engineering Job Simulation
J.P.Morgan Chase & Co. - Software Engineering Lite Job Simulation
Start the UX Design Process: Empathize, Define, and Ideate
Foundations of User Experience (UX) Design
Machine Learning for All
Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)
Introduction to CSS3
Introduction to HTML5
Finance & trading

8 stamps.

AmplifyMe Quant Accelerator Simulation ExperienceCredential available upon request
CME Group: Introduction to Crude OilCredential available upon request
CME Group: Introduction to Precious MetalsCredential available upon request
CME Group: Introduction to Grains and OilseedsCredential available upon request
CME Group: Micro FX FuturesCredential available upon request
CME Group: Intro To FXCredential available upon request
AmplifyMe Finance Accelerator Simulation Experience in Partnership with Morgan Stanley
J.P.Morgan Chase & Co. - Agile Job Simulation
Professional dev.

4 stamps.

McKinsey Forward Program
JPMorgan Chase & Co. - Agile Job Simulation
Introduction to Agile: Scrum and Kanban
JPMorgan Chase & Co. - Corporate Analyst Development Program (CADP) Job Simulation
Off the foyer

Invited rooms & time given.

Closed-door conferences on one side, evenings volunteered on the other.

Invited events

Rooms I’ve been let into.

Goldman Sachs — Final-round interview (2023)
  • Global Markets Division — FICC and Equities (Sales & Trading), Summer Analyst
Evercore Virtual Events (2023)
  • Private Capital Markets Open House
  • Private Funds Group Open House
  • PCA Diversity Event
  • Strategic, Defense & Shareholder Advisory Open House
Morgan Stanley Virtual Event Series (2023 & 2024)
Applied Machine Learning Days (2024)
Volunteering

Time given.

Fundraising Volunteer
Mji wa Huruma Nyumba ya Wazee
Sep 2024 - Dec 2024
  • Raised funds to support the elderly.
  • Facilitated community service manual hours.
Get in touch

Pull up a chair. The fire stays lit.

For collaborations, advisory, or a slow correspondence about research, trading systems, or photography — my inbox is open.

Write to me
Emailonjeru@usiu.ac.keGitHubgithub.com/olivernjeruLinkedInlinkedin.com/in/olivernjeruScholarOliver NjeruUnsplash@olivernjeru