Melda Akin: Decision-Making as a Service with Artificial Intelligence

Dimension14 (D14), Decision-Making as a service, is a Dubai–based Artificial Intelligence company. The company provides a flexible and dynamic AI engine which solves the hardest optimization problems, helping enterprise to make better decisions in a short time.  

The current solutions offered by Dimension14 (D14) is 1370 times faster than the previous solution used in one of the verticals it served, 3000 times faster and more efficient than the existing software of other verticals. D14's solution is being used by leading companies who are in last-mile delivery, healthcare, higher education, governmental area and SMEs who need scheduling, prediction, and optimization solutions. 

Dynamic Leadership Delivering the Best AI Solutions 

Melda Akin is the Founder of Dimension14. She studied BSc in Computer Engineering, and MSc in Intelligent Engineering Systems and worked as a software developer, system analyst, lecturer, project manager and director, and served as a board member at international leading tech companies. She set up D14 in 2017. As a founder, Melda is leading the D14 team to deliver the best AI solution for optimization and scheduling while having fun in what she does. 

Leaving Comfort Zone for Entrepreneurship Success 

Melda believes that leaving one's comfort zone helps to find themselves. She left her comfort zone by setting up her first company, digital transformation consultancy, in the UAE, after leaving her director and management member position in one of the biggest digital companies in Europe. Though it may sound a bit risky, Melda always asks who the risk taker is? Are the ones who sit on the comfort zones or are the ones who take the risk to leave that zone? She is a strong supporter of the second one. "When I told one of the board members that I wanted to leave my position, he was so surprised. He said to me that Melda you cannot do this, you're 30 years old and you cannot get the same position again. I replied as I'm 30 now and holding a director and management member position in such a big company. Guess what I can do when I reach 40," she recollects. 

Once Melda was selected among 200 candidates as one of the best 8 female-founded start–ups in the Middle East and Africa region, she knew that the journey has just started. It is always day one. Following that, CNN International reached out to invite her to their 'Follow that Start-up' Program. Further, she was awarded by Standard Chartered Bank, and selected as one of the best 7 women in tech entrepreneur in Turkey by Microsoft. Melda was named as one of the top 100 Women Founders in Turkey according to their turnover. She also collaborated with the Cyber Defence and Ministry of Information Technology of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for  delivering an AI and machine learning training program and was the first woman in the world to organize this training for women in the region voluntarily. She always asked this question, 'What would I do if I was not afraid of' like Spencer Johnson wrote in 'Who Moved My Cheese?' and she did it.  

Facing Challenges to Achieve Transformational Inspiration 

Speaking about challenges she faced, Melda says, "Being an entrepreneur is not an easy journey. There are lots of ups and downs, tears, sleepless nights, missing your loved ones, lonely days. You should know that before you move. And, you should be super focused, passionate and dedicated to what you have been doing. Nothing comes easy. Being alone, investing your time, your money, setting up a team from scratch, managing the expectations are just some of the challenges."   

Continuing with the discussion, Melda elaborates on the role of a transformational leader, "One of the leaders I follow told me that 'fail fast; this is the key'. It's okay to fail; it's okay to let the project go if it did not work. Move fast by taking the right actions. Other than that, having high moral, ethical values, always following them, keeping team members inspired, coaching them to unlock their best versions, respecting everyone, and having fun while working hard is important." 

Analysing AI Readiness to Drive Innovation  

Melda believes that speed is the key, and businesses must implement fast, get the feedback, innovate faster, get the feedback and implement fastest. She says, "We're in the high technology business. And let's be honest, onboarding the client is not the easiest one. We focus on our clients' pain points. We listen to our clients, analyse their systems and provide solution and AI readiness assessment to help them to make informed decisions to increase the profit, decrease the cost and time spent." 

Addressing Disruptive Technologies in Workspace 

While some people believe that AI will take people jobs and create a crisis, but in reality, AI changes the way one works, thinks, and lives. It turns the responsibilities and creates new jobs for humans. Whatever happens, Melda believes that the human effect should be kept in the systems. Pandemic has affected the e-commerce, last-mile delivery, telemedicine, online classes and online working setup positively. With the help of technology, as a basic example, one can order online and receive their orders in a very short time. This is the result of the technology; there is a massive process behind it even people do not see. Leaders are more aware of the technology, and they're more innovative and more ready to implement high technology solutions for their businesses. 

Looking Towards a Bright Future  

Speaking on the future strategies ahead, Melda says that D14 is a supporter of ethical AI and provides a solution for the sake of the good. The company's clients in the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia add significant value to their business. Melda believes that post-COVID, the company plans to accelerate AI implementations. 

On advising women leaders of the future, Melda says that they must trust themselves, leave their ego, be patient, be passionate about what they have been doing and embrace the change.