KVkalpa vrikshika
@kalpavrikshika
Product and project manager building fintech solutions for low-connectivity markets.
KenyaWhat I'm looking for
I am a product and project manager with 8+ years building mobile money, USSD/SMS, API payments, billing and KYC systems across African markets, experienced in shipping solutions that work in low-connectivity environments. I work effectively with remote, cross-cultural teams across product, engineering, operations and finance to deliver measurable outcomes.
I've led and scaled internal billing and payments platforms, delivered multiple fintech projects for telecom and enterprise clients, and improved operational efficiencies—reducing manual processing by 40%, cutting tool spend by 30%, and improving project turnaround by 20%. I combine technical fluency (Python, SQL, C++) with user research, usability testing and data-driven decision making to prioritize MVPs and drive go-to-market execution.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Product & NLP Strategy Consultant
ARI
Jan 2024 - Present (2 years 1 month)
Leading product design and MVP strategy for NLP tools serving low-resource languages, conducting user research and designing workflows to ensure usability for diasporalearners in low-connectivity contexts.
ALProduct Manager
Africa's Talking Ltd
Sep 2021 - Oct 2024 (3 years 1 month)
Built and scaled internal billing and payments systems integrating KYC and eligibility checks, reducing manual processing by 40% and delivering five fintech projects ($35K–$55K each) enabling mobile money, USSD/SMS, and API disbursements for telecom and enterprise clients.
Project Manager
Oakly Ltd
Mar 2020 - Aug 2021 (1 year 5 months)
Directed development of four zero-to-one USSD/SMS solutions enabling surveys, eligibility validation, and payments, increased sprint velocity by 25% and improved customer satisfaction through real-time user feedback and workflow redesigns.
Product Manager
Plug Ltd
Apr 2019 - Feb 2020 (10 months)
Designed and iterated onboarding flows for users with low digital literacy, shortened MVP delivery timelines by 20%, and hired/onboarded 100+ stylists and 4 engineers to support platform prototyping and launch readiness.
ALTechnical Product Manager
Africa's Talking Ltd
Aug 2018 - Mar 2019 (7 months)
Expanded Voice API into Malawi and Tanzania, driving a 20% revenue increase in Q1 post-launch and partnering with MNOs to scale to 1M+ concurrent calls while managing a six-engineer Scrum team to improve uptime to 98.7%.
ALIoT Backend Engineer
Africa's Talking Ltd
Feb 2018 - Aug 2018 (6 months)
Developed C++, C#, and Python libraries for microcontrollers and optimized MQTT over LoRaWAN, Bluetooth, and RFID for IoT pilots in smart home and greenhouse systems, improving performance and reliability.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
UAUnited States International University Africa
Master of Business Administration, Business Administration
Enrolled in an MBA program (ongoing) focusing on advanced business and management coursework.
UAUnited States International University Africa
Bachelor of Science, Computer Science
2013 - 2017
Completed a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, covering core computing topics and practical software development projects.
St. Mary's School, Nairobi
International Baccalaureate Diploma, International Baccalaureate
2011 - 2012
Completed the International Baccalaureate (IB) program with a focus on pre-university academic preparation.
Availability
Location
KenyaAuthorized to work in
Job categories
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