Our Co-founder Journey

Alexandre Nouar: MIT Post-grad, Engineer and Co-founder of EffuzionGroup, Director of EffuzionIT, CTO, CIO

My name is Alexandre Nouar, I'm disabled, and I would like to share my story. Someone said "when you're smart you get things done the hard way, when you're dumb you have to achieve it the hardest way."

At the age of 25, after a business MBA and a Consultant "shitty job", I decided to start from scratch to become an engineer, a computer scientist. Reality hits hard when I applied to IT DUT and got told, "you know nothing scientific, you will fail, you don't fit". They were absolutely right.

I ended up in a lesser diploma, where only the top student could progress to engineer school. This path required not only learning new concepts but fundamentally reshaping my thinking to a scientific mindset. Facing younger peers at 19, I had to work harder than the hardest-working among them. In one year, I reached the top of my class. Still, teachers warned me: "you don't have even the most basic perks required for engineering school." They were also absolutely right.

Somehow, I was accepted into the third-best IT engineering school in France, with selected students, the very best. In the first few hours, we covered more than my previous two years in C/C++. This is when I understood I was at a disadvantage. I had two options: abandon, or work the hardest. I applied a "Not a step back" policy to myself. I would either be working or sleeping, for three years. I went from the worst student to the top 25% in Big Data and AI.

Never do that, please. But to the disabled, I say: believe. Society teaches you the contrary, I can relate to that. You have a purpose: to show them all they're wrong. You're different, but as valuable as those who point their finger at you.

As a person with a disability, I've often encountered the expectation to 'prove my worth' beyond what is typically expected of others. This has meant pushing myself, sometimes to extremes, to demonstrate my capabilities. This experience, while personal, is not unique to me. It's a reflection of the broader societal challenge that many with disabilities face.

I share my story not only to inspire but also to highlight the need for change. It's crucial that we, as a society, work towards an environment where individuals with disabilities are valued for their inherent worth and not just for their ability to overcome challenges. Everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive without the burden of disproving misconceptions.