Pontien was born and raised in Gitega, Kigali City, Rwanda. He studied EPA at Primary School, and finalized his A-level studies in 2009 at Groupe Scolaire St. Joseph Kabgayi, focusing on math, chemistry, and biology. In 2014 Pontien graduated with a BSc. in Agricultural Economics and Rural Development from the University of Rwanda. Upon completion of his degree, Pontien spent 5 years working for ZOLA Electric as a business analyst and sales operations manager. He also did a part-time consultancy as a Research Analyst for JIBU Corporate Rwanda, and finally joined Spark Microgrants as a Senior M&E Assistant in October 2020.