On Sunday, November 9, 2025, Akademi welcomed partners, supporters, and guests—both in person at Banj in Port-au-Prince and online—to celebrate the achievements of the 2025 Haiti bootcamp cohort. The Capstone Project Showcase marked the culmination of six months of intensive training in Data Science & AI, Software Engineering, and Cybersecurity, bringing to the stage the innovation, resilience, and technical excellence of 71 graduating students.
A Milestone for Talent Development in Haiti
This year’s program began with 100 students fully funded by Haiti’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH). Through rigorous coursework, mentorship from industry-experienced instructors, and world-class curriculum support from Flatiron School, students developed advanced skills in fields that are critical to the country’s digital transformation.
The capstone phase challenged participants to design original solutions, source and analyze data, build technical systems, and deliver professional presentations. The Showcase featured the top nine projects representing the best of the cohort’s creativity and applied technical skill.
Opening Remarks: A Vision for Haiti’s Innovation Ecosystem
Founder & CEO of Akademi, Castelline Tilus, opened the event virtually by honoring the dedication of students who have persevered since the program’s launch on May 5. She acknowledged the instructional team—Wedter Jerome, Dupuy Rony Charles, Madsen Servius, Geovany Batista Polo Laguerre, and Jean Andris Adam—whose expertise helped bring the curriculum to life.
Castelline also emphasized the importance of the program’s institutional partnerships. Université Quisqueya provided a home for the cohort’s learning journey, while Flatiron School collaborated closely with Akademi to localize an internationally recognized curriculum for the Haitian context. She closed by celebrating the students’ achievements and inviting Dr. Evenson Calixte, Vice-Rector of Université Quisqueya, to continue the program.
Showcase Highlights
The two-and-a-half-hour event featured an engaging agenda that spotlighted student work across disciplines:
Data Science & AI Projects
Moderated by Dr. Calixte and Wedter Jerome, the first segment featured four machine learning and analytics projects tackling critical issues across healthcare, food security, emergency response, and health diagnostics:
- Intent Classification System for Healthcare Delivery
- Prediction of Food Insecurity Risk in Haiti
- Prediction of Emergency Messages in Haiti Using NLP
- Predicting Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Software Engineering & Cybersecurity
The second segment presented full-stack engineering projects guided by instructors Madsen Servius and Jean Andris Adam, as well as a cybersecurity breach analysis simulation led by Dupuy Rony Charles:
- Finans Pam: A personal finance management web application
- Datakle: A project management system for public administration
- Security Audit & Post-Compromise Analysis of ACME Company’s Infrastructure
Graduate Recognition and Partner Reflections
A formal recognition ceremony honored all 71 graduates—a milestone for Haiti’s technical workforce development. Michaël Verch, Deputy CEO of the Group Technology Division at SOGEBANK, delivered partner remarks situating the Showcase within Haiti’s broader digital transformation journey. The event concluded with forward-looking reflections from Rector Jacky Lumarque of Université Quisqueya, emphasizing the graduates’ role in shaping Haiti’s innovation landscape.
Acknowledging Our Partners
The success of the 2025 Capstone Showcase was made possible through the collaboration and support of:
- Université Quisqueya – Institutional partner
- Flatiron School – Curriculum partner
- MEF & BRH – Primary funders
- SOGEBANK & Kay Tita – Showcase sponsors
Together, these partners demonstrated a shared commitment to expanding opportunities for young Haitian professionals and advancing national digital capacity.
Photos from the November Capstone Showcase and Graduation at Banj