Michaël Gbekan

Founder, Symbi Studio  ·  Systems Architect  ·  Backend / Full Stack Engineer
+229 01-575-708-89
gbekansohn@gmail.com
Cotonou, Benin  ·  Open to Remote
michaelcreations.me
Founder of Symbi Studio, a Cotonou-based technical studio, and Systems Architect with 3+ years delivering production platforms across fintech, edtech, logistics, media, and insurance. I lead architecture and infrastructure end-to-end and stay technically current across a fast-moving stack — from self-hosted server infrastructure to production security audits to AI-assisted development pipelines. I direct teams while remaining hands-on where it matters most: architecture decisions, security, and critical bug resolution.
Professional Experience
Founder & Systems Architect May 2026 – Present
Symbi Studio — Cotonou, Bénin
Laravel 11 · NestJS · Nuxt.js 3 · Next.js · PostgreSQL 16 · Docker
  • Founded a technical studio (OHADA SAS) and delivered its first client engagement, WinCoasch — a MOOC + live-coaching platform — through a full 7-phase build: auth/RBAC, course engine with real certificate generation, coaching calendar with conflict detection and auto video-call links, a self-built payment simulator sending real HMAC-signed webhooks, and production deployment.
  • Ran a full production security audit on the same platform: found uncommitted code, exposed credentials, and unhardened SSH. Built an automated backup system from scratch and stress-tested it with a real failure-injection scenario — caught and fixed a genuine corrupt-backup bug before it could reach a client.
  • Architected and shipped ChrisTransports, a live GPS bus/parcel tracking platform for an interurban transport operator — 5 staff dashboards, real-time GPS on a self-hosted map tile server (no Google Maps/Mapbox dependency).
  • Built and operate self-hosted infrastructure (Gitea, PostgreSQL, Portainer, Docker, Cloudflare Tunnel, Tailscale) and a versioned internal repository of security/architecture standards shared across every studio project.
  • Deployed and hardened a self-hosted AI agent gateway; designing a role-specific multi-agent build pipeline with automated review.
  • Run a hybrid local/cloud AI development workflow — Claude Code routed locally to Ollama (Qwen3-Coder 30B, 64k context) for routine or sensitive work, cloud (Sonnet/Opus 5) reserved for complex architecture decisions — while actively exploring build.nvidia.com, OpenRouter, and Hugging Face.
Technical Director & Executive 2026
Press Group — Bénin
NestJS 11 · Next.js 16 · TypeORM · MySQL
  • Led the full technical modernization of a press group's digital operations: migrated 700+ articles off WordPress onto a new NestJS/Next.js architecture, rebuilt the public site and an internal editorial tool.
  • Ran a VPS security audit and hardening pass; redesigned the deployment pipeline around prebuilt Docker images; integrated an AI-assisted drafting tool with human-review-only publishing.
Full Stack Engineer Jul – Sep 2025
Wayi · MTN Innovation Lab, Cotonou
Laravel · Nuxt.js / Vue.js · PostgreSQL · OCR
  • Architected an insurance brokerage platform (Azur Courtage) with a 6-level role/permission hierarchy and an automation engine: multi-level quote validation, PDF generation, OCR-powered form pre-fill.
  • Mentored EPITECH Bénin junior engineers assigned to the lab, collaborating within teams of 3–10 developers.
Earlier Experience
Backend ConsultantMonniz SAS
Core fintech APIs, KYC/AML compliance, payment & SMS gateway integrations — team of 3–10 developers
Oct–Nov 2025
Founder, CEO & CTOCMarket
Led 5–8 devs; directed Kola, a blockchain neo-bank MVP for West Africa; built an internal ERP
Jul 2023–Oct 2025
Consultant & CTO, Digital TransformationAfrica Building Group
Defined and executed a digital transformation roadmap for a construction-sector player
Aug 2024–Feb 2025
Lead Technical TrainerTulipe Formation Center
Designed curricula (Algorithms, Databases, Flutter, React); supervised capstone projects
Jul 2023–Jan 2025
Web Developer — ERP IntegrationISOCEL Bénin
Integrated SAP HR and Client Management modules
Jul–Sep 2023
Selected Projects
iSend
React Native / Expo · Bluetooth offline transfer · BCEAO regulatory research
  • Cross-border mobile money app for West Africa — offline Bluetooth "nearby transfer" as core differentiator. In development: architecture and regulatory scoping complete.
E4Afrika
PHP · Bootstrap 5 · MySQL
  • MOOC platform built and defended as a professional bachelor's thesis — full MVC architecture, 4 roles.