Ilayda Bakare: A Journey of Innovation, Leadership, and Tech Entrepreneurship
İlayda Bakare is a remarkable entrepreneur, tech innovator, and mobile app developer based in London. As the CEO and founder of Exhibits, a revolutionary mobile app that provides users with a comprehensive guide to temporary exhibitions across London’s 450+ venues, İlayda has made significant strides in both the tech and cultural industries. Her dedication to self-learning, combined with her entrepreneurial spirit, has allowed her to build an app from scratch that caters to the cultural needs of art enthusiasts, history lovers, and anyone interested in exploring the diverse exhibitions that London has to offer.
Early Life and Education
İlayda’s journey into tech entrepreneurship began with a strong academic foundation. At the young age of 16, she was already recognized for her leadership qualities by the Rank Foundation, which awarded her two scholarships to study Mathematics at the University of Leeds. However, İlayda’s path to entrepreneurship was not a traditional one. After completing a gap year, where she taught English in a primary school in Valencia, Spain, she embarked on her academic journey at the University of Leeds, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics.
Throughout her education, İlayda exhibited a keen interest in mathematics and problem-solving, which laid the groundwork for her future ventures in coding and tech development. Her time at the University of Leeds was not just about academics; she also became actively involved in extracurricular activities, such as being the Social Secretary for the Street Dance Society and working as a private tutor in both Mathematics and English. Her leadership skills were honed as she helped organize charity events and worked as a social media manager for her friend’s successful campaign for the Student Union’s Education Officer position.
İlayda Bakare’s Career Path
After completing her studies, İlayda’s professional journey led her to several tech companies, where she gained hands-on experience in software engineering and development. Her career began with a role as a Data Analyst and Junior Developer at Yapster, a mobile messaging platform for deskless teams. During her time at Yapster, she quickly rose through the ranks, learning SQL, Clojure, and data visualization tools like Google Data Studio and Chartio.
Her journey continued at Basketdrop, where she transitioned from web development to mobile app development, learning Flutter and Dart to create mobile applications. This experience was crucial in helping İlayda transition from a back-end focus to front-end and mobile app development. Later, she worked as a Junior Front End Engineer at Motive Partners, building a marketplace-as-a-service using React and TypeScript, before joining OakNorth as a Full Stack Engineer.
While İlayda gained valuable technical experience in these roles, it was her passion for the arts and culture that ultimately inspired her to venture into the mobile app development world.
İlayda Bakare’s Major Achievement: The Launch of Exhibits
In September 2024, İlayda launched Exhibits, an innovative mobile app designed to help users discover temporary exhibitions in London. The app quickly became the go-to source for art, sports, fashion, and local history enthusiasts, offering categorized information on hundreds of must-see exhibitions across the city’s 450+ venues. Through the app, users can easily plan their visits to exhibitions that align with their interests, saving time and ensuring they never miss out on cultural experiences.
What sets Exhibits apart is its user-friendly interface and focus on simplifying the exhibition discovery process. The app’s success is a testament to İlayda’s hard work and dedication to creating a product that combines her love for art and technology. Building the app was no easy feat; İlayda taught herself how to code over a four-year period, balancing her work commitments while learning the necessary skills to bring her vision to life.
Her journey into coding began with a stint at Le Wagon, a full-stack web development bootcamp, where she learned essential skills such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL, and Ruby on Rails. The bootcamp experience equipped her with the knowledge to design and develop the Exhibits app, which was launched in late September 2024.
Exhibits has grown rapidly, and İlayda plans to expand the app to other cities like Manchester and Glasgow, with the goal of becoming the go-to resource for cultural experiences worldwide.
İlayda Bakare’s Leadership and Impact at OakNorth
Before her entrepreneurial success, İlayda gained valuable experience at OakNorth, where she worked as a Full Stack Engineer. At OakNorth, she was part of a team responsible for developing financial products aimed at supporting the growth of small and medium-sized businesses. While her time at OakNorth was relatively short, it provided İlayda with the skills and experience needed to refine her technical expertise and understand the business side of tech ventures.
Her role at OakNorth further solidified her leadership and development abilities, as she worked on full-stack solutions and collaborated with various teams to enhance the company’s offerings. This period was instrumental in shaping İlayda’s growth as a developer and entrepreneur, preparing her for her current role at the helm of Exhibits.
İlayda Bakare’s Contribution to Art and Culture
In addition to her work with Exhibits, İlayda is also an accomplished artist and model. Her love for creativity extends beyond coding, and she enjoys designing tattoos and painting murals. One of her significant contributions to the art world includes creating a mural at Livesey Exchange in South East London, which reflects her commitment to enhancing local culture and inspiring others through her artwork.
Her multifaceted career is a perfect example of how one can merge technology with art and culture, bringing both innovation and creativity to the forefront. İlayda’s work serves as an inspiration to others, proving that with passion, dedication, and a willingness to learn, one can overcome any obstacles and make a significant impact.
The Future of İlayda Bakare and Exhibits
As Exhibits continues to expand, İlayda’s mission is clear: she wants to make cultural experiences more accessible to people all over the world. By utilizing technology, she is democratizing the art and exhibition world, allowing people to explore cultural venues easily and efficiently.
In the coming years, İlayda plans to grow Exhibits into a household name and expand its reach beyond London. As the app’s user base grows, the next steps include further city expansions and developing features that allow users to customize their exhibition experiences, making it a truly personalized journey for art and culture lovers.
Conclusion
İlayda Bakare’s journey is a testament to the power of self-learning, innovation, and entrepreneurship. From her early recognition as a leader to her successful career as a tech entrepreneur, İlayda continues to inspire those who dream of combining their passion for creativity with the world of technology. Through Exhibits, she has created a tool that empowers people to engage with art and culture in a more accessible and user-friendly way. As she looks to the future, there’s no doubt that İlayda’s work will continue to leave a lasting impact on the tech and cultural industries alike.
