Our Team
Akili was built by South African educators and researchers who understand the challenges of learning and research in our context — because we have lived them.
Founders
Pierre Grigor PhD
Operational Founder
Doctoral researcher, EdTech entrepreneur, and academic examiner at Africa Research University. Pierre founded Akili from first-hand experience of what it means to be a postgraduate student without institutional support.
Every feature in the Akili Research Companion reflects real decisions made in the doctoral journey — from research question to viva voce defence.
Helena Grigor
Pedagogical Co-Founder
Foundation Phase Teacher at Balmoral Primary School, Komani. Helena brings decades of classroom experience and deep expertise in early childhood education and multilingual instruction to the Akili platform.
Helena's pedagogical insight ensures that Akili's support for young learners is age-appropriate, culturally grounded, and curriculum-aligned in every language.
Academic Advisory Board
Being assembled
Being assembled
We are building a panel of African academics to guide Akili curriculum alignment and research integrity standards. Our advisory board will include educators, researchers, and curriculum specialists from across South Africa and the continent.