The OCC Effect: Ousmane Conde

Ousmane Conde grew up in a family of wood crafters in one of the poorest countries in the world, Guinea in West Africa. At a young age his mother recognized his unique math and science skills. She sent him to France where he would live with a foster family and attend an engineering school. He graduated from high school in 2006, went to college and earned a degree in technology. He created a startup, CRM software for small businesses which took him to Philadelphia for a brief period. While in the United States he met with people within his network and wound up in Central New York. “I wanted to gain education in computer science to complement my technical education I received in France to benefit my growing business plan and OCC provided me with best outlet to do that.”

Once at Onondaga Community College Conde enjoyed the small class sizes and family environment. “Everyone was very welcoming. There is a strong refugee population there so it was easy for me to make friends and have fun while also expanding my education in the process.” Conde found the computer science courses provided him with a great foundation and understanding that he would carry on throughout his professional career. While at OCC, he also applied for a Google Scholarship in order to stay in America where he could obtain advanced degrees.

He graduated from OCC in 2010 and moved back to France to continue working there, but shortly thereafter he received word that he had been accepted into the Google Scholarship program. He returned to the U.S., attended Florida Memorial University, graduated Summa Cum Laude, and landed a leadership development job at Boeing where he worked for five years. During his time there he enrolled in the Master’s program at Purdue University. However, he would suspend his education and leave Boeing in order to start his own business called Xoomdat, LLC. The company is an enterprise search and financial tech platform that works in real time, so companies and individuals can make decisions in real time instead of the customary 3-4 day delay of other software search engines. Since starting as an LLC, the company has been incorporated, has 10 employees, and has been named one of the top 20 tech companies to look out for in the nation. Currently, his company builds tools for business organizations to monitor in real-time, risk related information on social media sites. His company also builds payment solutions for commercial clients, allowing them to securely accept credit card payments via mobile devices, online and via web API.

“It’s hard to believe, I visited my family in Guinea a couple months ago, and it was there that I realized and fully grasped how fortunate I was to come from one of the poorest countries in the world to be where I am today,” Conde said. He's grateful for the foundation he built at OCC. “The computer science professors there stressed to keep your code dry (don’t repeat yourself), simple yet strong and sustainable, and these elements are part of the foundation of my company and in our daily operations.” Conde is excited for what the future brings and has incorporated educational opportunities through his company as a way to give back and pave the way for the next great idea for students who may not have the necessary access to develop their ideas.