About me
My name is KOLANI Julien Yendoupabe, currently finishing a Master's degree in Computer Science and Systems, a joint program between UTBM (France) and the University of Lomé (Togo).
My background covers two complementary areas: embedded Linux integration on one hand (Yocto layer, cross-compilation, IoT protocols), and infrastructure administration and CI/CD pipeline setup on the other. Both converge on the same approach: understanding systems in depth to make them run reliably, whether on a production server or a constrained embedded system.
Curious, rigorous, and fundamentally passionate about Linux systems, whether running on a production server, a Livebox, or a mobile robot. I am not an application developer: I keep complex systems running in production.
Experience
Feb 2026 - Present
Embedded Linux Engineer Intern (Yocto & IoT)
Orange Innovation
Integration of Home Assistant and the Matter protocol into a constrained embedded Linux environment (prplOS on Raspberry Pi 4, Yocto Scarthgap SDK).
- Dedicated Yocto layer (around 117 Python recipes) for Home Assistant, 72% total disk footprint reduction.
- Automated cross-compilation of Python Matter wheels (CHIP SDK, Rust/C++ toolchain) for aarch64.
- Resolved several technical blockers related to the Yocto SDK (layer compatibility, build constraints) in a constrained embedded environment.
- Open source contribution merged upstream in matter.js (Bluetooth fix, v0.6.6 changelog), Matter commissioning validated on Thread and Wi-Fi 5 GHz.
Aug 2023 - Feb 2024
Systems and Network Intern
DAC Technologies
Setup of CI/CD pipelines and a monitoring stack for the company's infrastructure.
- Design and implementation of GitLab CI/CD pipelines.
- Dockerfile optimization (multi-stage builds, cache), reducing build time by 80%.
- Backend migration to Nginx Unit.
- Deployment of the Loki/Grafana/Promtail monitoring stack.
Feb 2024 - Oct 2024
Network and Systems Administrator
DAC Technologies
Autonomous network and systems administration, management of a pre-production cluster.
- Keycloak interface customization and integration in continuous deployment.
- Installation and configuration of Teleport for remote machine access.
- Management of a Proxmox cluster (20+ VMs in test/preprod), backups and updates.
- Setup of Docker runners for CI/CD and introduction to a Kubernetes environment.
Since 2023
Web Administrator & Active Member
CoTIA
Website management and contribution to organizing AI promotion events in Togo.
- Management and updates of the association's WordPress site.
- Tech events organization.
- AI promotion in Togo.
2024
Freelance DevOps (one-off mission)
Allo Services
One-off freelance mission for CI/CD setup and containerization for a startup.
- CI/CD setup for the startup's applications.
- Docker Compose deployment on VPS.
- Containerization of a Django REST API and a React frontend.
- Deployment of Odoo showcase sites via Docker Compose.
Education
2024 - Present
Master's in Computer Science and Systems (Joint Degree)
University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard (UTBM) & University of Lomé
Specialty: Computer Vision and Autonomous Systems (VASA). ROS/ROS2, image processing, deep learning, mobile robotics. CCNA Routing and Switching certification.
2021 - 2024
Professional Bachelor's in IT Maintenance & Networks
University of Lomé - Lomé, Togo
Linux, networks, security, systems, maintenance, system programming.
July 2023
Summer School on Artificial Intelligence (EEIA)
Vallet Foundation & Bénin-Excellence - Cotonou, Benin
Python, Machine Learning, electronics, robotics. 75% hands-on.
March - October 2024
FabLab Training - TIDD Lab
TIDD - Lomé, Togo
Electronics, prototyping, 3D modeling, embedded systems.
April 2024
NextGen Leaders Program
Do Well Do Good - Lomé, Togo
Leadership, social entrepreneurship, responsible innovation, Green IT.
Certifications & training
CCNA Routing & Switching
Cisco Networking Academy - Coursework completed and badges earned
Linguaskill General
Cambridge English - Exam scheduled summer 2026, target B2
Beyond Code
A few things that define me as much as my keyboard.
FabLab and prototyping
Electronics, 3D modeling, embedded systems. The joy of making things for real, with your hands.
Board games
Including Blood on the Clocktower, a high-narrative social deduction game. Around a table, away from screens.
Hiking
Mountains or forests, a genuine way to disconnect.
Sport (street workout)
Bodyweight training, outdoors.
Reading
Philosophical essays, mainly.