After Aston I...built a game to help keep my language alive

Series 3 of the After Aston I… podcast kicks off with co-hosts Aimee Postle and Geoff Savage interviewing Aston University alumna Maïté Bikenge (MA International Relations and Global Governance, 2019), Senior Privacy Analyst at Warner Bros. Discovery and creator of Loba Lingala, an innovative language-learning app helping the Congolese diaspora reconnect with their linguistic and cultural roots. Growing up hearing Lingala without learning to speak it fluently, Maïté turned a personal experience into a mission to preserve her heritage and help others feel connected to their identity. With no software development background, she combined AI tools, regional language models and feedback from native speakers to build a free, gamified platform now reaching thousands of users across more than 30 countries. This episode explores the power of diaspora connection, overcoming non-technical barriers, and embracing the Lingala philosophy of malembe, mbeleme- taking life and learning slowly, step by step.