Mireille Toulekima is an award-winning entrepreneur, engineer, technologist, Thought Leader, and STEM expert. She believes web3 and the Metaverse will revolutionize the world. She’s building that future with these emerging technologies, focusing on a cleaner global energy transition and empowering more women for a more equitable future in which everyone can benefit and thrive.
Mireille is a Reservoir Engineering expert in the exploration and production branches within the energy sector, where samples from the sub-surface are collected, interpreted, and integrated into dynamic models to help generate production and economic forecasts. She is the Managing Director of the Perth, Australia-based company MT Energy Resources, where she works on integrating and implementing new technologies and web3 for an optimal energy transition. She shares: “The energy transition is a global focus; the technology we work on will allow for a smooth and optimal energy transition in a cost-effective way.”
In shaping and shifting women to a seat of power in the digital revolutions, Mireille also serves as the Global Chair of Engineering for the eminent and prestigious G100 Club, Africa Regional STEM expert at Women Entrepreneurship Day Organisation (WEDO), ambassador to WomenTech Network, and an advisor for the Women In Cloud network.
According to Mireille, the Metaverse is an integrated network of 3D virtual worlds accessed through virtual reality tools and mediums that transform the internet and user experiences from 2D to 3D. How does this apply to the energy sector? Mireille says she recognized how web3 could benefit the energy transition: “It was two years ago when I realized the power of web3 and the Metaverse to shorten and optimize the exploration process we followed to build our models. With web3 and the Metaverse, we can now virtually go into the sub-surface to see what is there. This gives us a more accurate representation of it and gives us a better idea of its production and economic potential for extraction.”
Was it one moment’s realization of using web3 to optimize the global energy transition? “It was when I could virtually visualize the sub-surface of the oil and gas asset from which I was trying to create a dynamic model; this was a powerful feeling to be standing there and connecting with every single element.”
The Metaverse, web3, and Blockchain present opportunities for the energy sector to support the implementation of new technologies. It provides a safe transition to clean energy, minimizes health and safety risks, and boosts the sector’s sustainability objectives. Mireille explains: “Blockchain is an attractive technology for global energy organizations, which need hyper-secure, scalable technology solutions to drive a new generation of applications involving collecting and sharing valuable data. Web3 tools like blockchain also help re-imagine energy value chains via tokenizing energy to create transparency and traceability, creating new markets and business models.”
Mireille finds the most significant change since she first discovered the space up until today is that of the perception of web3 and the Metaverse, especially with the incorporation of Blockchain. She believes that web3 and the Metaverse have evolved tremendously over the past year, accelerating these technologies faster than ever. The Metaverse, according to Mireille, is developing strongly but still requires a formidable boost in terms of the underlying technology. NFT and DeFi has grown exponentially over the same period. “Though still viewed as specialized for many, the majority of people acknowledge that both web3 and Blockchain will have a massive and sustained impact on the future of connectivity, reshaping the digital world and the future of the global economy by creating a new world with decentralized solutions.”
Mireille believes the Metaverse will revolutionize the world. She is excited about the opportunities for growth this emerging technology holds in store. “The world is changing; we live in unprecedented and challenging times. We live in a time where innovation, creativity, collaboration, resilience, and empathy are key enablers for excellence and value creation.”
According to Mireille, web3 and the Metaverse are poised to drive revolutionary advancement and technological breakthroughs, shaping new forms of communication, innovation, prototyping, community formation, and new business opportunities.
The Metaverse will alter many sectors further by introducing virtual reality (VR) wearables. She believes these wearables will introduce users to an alternate virtual world away from the confines of their homes. “The possibilities with the Metaverse are endless; this opens new avenues to providing public services like education and healthcare, creating employment, and planning community spaces.” For the future of the energy sector, Mireille is inspired to work in the space as an active contributor and influence it, ensuring to empower as many women as she can to participate in the energy sector. “I want to be remembered as a trailblazer who has inspired and opened doors for millions of girls and women to participate and lead in male dominated industries.”
