Solving the Right Problem
For four years, a MAD Leadership Foundation scholar worked alongside his community through food drives, clothing collections and sanitary pad distribution initiatives. The work addressed immediate needs, but over time one challenge continued to stand out: many girls were still missing opportunities because period poverty, limited menstrual health education and a lack of psychosocial support remained barriers to their wellbeing and education.
When David, a MAD Leadership Foundation alum, founded TeknaLabs, the goal was clear: help more people develop the digital skills needed for a changing world.
As the work grew, however, a different challenge emerged.
Many organisations recognise the importance of digital skills and artificial intelligence, but struggle to understand where capability gaps actually exist. Without that insight, training often begins with assumptions rather than evidence.
Rather than continuing along the same path, David and his team made a significant decision. They shifted TeknaLabs’ focus away from broad digital skills training towards measuring AI and digital readiness before development begins.
This strategic pivot reshaped the organisation’s direction.
Within weeks, TeknaLabs had secured its first diagnostic pilot, progressed enterprise conversations and established a clearer product-market fit than it had achieved during the previous year. The new approach also strengthened the team’s ability to respond to the challenges organisations and young people are experiencing as artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday work.
Today, TeknaLabs works with organisations to assess AI and digital readiness while helping businesses, educational institutions and skills development partners build the capabilities required for an evolving economy. The organisation has moved beyond its pilot phase, developed its own diagnostic platform and continues to expand partnerships across the sector.
Looking ahead, the focus is on growing into the corporate sector, expanding the use of its diagnostic tools and helping more organisations move from assumption-based training to evidence-based skills development. Over time, David hopes this approach will contribute to narrowing the gap between the AI skills employers expect and the capabilities people have the opportunity to develop. Reflecting on the decision that changed the organisation’s trajectory, David says:
Holding on to the mission mattered more than holding on to our original idea. That’s what gave us the confidence to pivot.
At MAD Leadership Foundation, we believe leadership is often found in the willingness to question assumptions and is strengthened by curiosity, adaptability and a commitment to solving real-world challenges. David’s journey illustrates how changing direction at the right moment can create stronger, more sustainable impact.
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