The Tech Trek

In this episode, we talk to Suxi Li, the head of data analytics at Investors Business Daily in Los Angeles, California. They discuss building teams, onboarding through COVID-19, interview tips, and more. Suxi shares his background and extensive experience in data science, business insights, and market research across various industries. He also talks about how he built a centralized data and analytics department at IBD to support different divisions with reporting, analysis, and actionable insights that enable smart business decisions. The episode provides informative insights into building a successful team and utilizing data analytics for business growth. Highlights: [00:03:25] Smart Paywall project. [00:06:26] Building a Strong Data Team. [00:10:01] Budgeting for new hires. [00:14:58] Frequent team meetings. [00:21:29] Analytical thinking in interviews. [00:26:16] Investing in data analytics future. [00:28:59] New big data platform. If you would like to connect with Suxi please visit his LinkedIn profile. --- Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player. Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Sivan Aldor-Noiman, Data Science leader, speaks on the podcast about her transition from academia to industry and why data science is an ideal field for diversifying the industry. She talks about her background in Israel and her experiences managing teams and transitioning back to technical work and data engineering. She describes her current role and the platform her team is working on, designed to enable people to figure out what's healthy and tasty for them. Highlights: 00:03:48 Data Science for Everyone. 00:10:01 Reduce food waste with smarter shopping. 00:15:38 Academia to industry transition was difficult. 00:17:25 Explore leadership opportunities outside academia. 00:22:48 Prepare for interviews thoroughly. 00:30:56 Gain hands-on experience with data. 00:34:00 Learn business and soft skills. 00:40:06 Develop soft and technical skills. 00:47:04 Women bring ethical awareness to data science. 00:53:33 Government regulation of data. 00:55:26 Mentor and help others. You can reach out to Sivan via LinkedIn. --- Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player. Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Meet: Sri Sethupathy, the VP of Data and Analytics at Age of Learning. Sri built the analytics team at Hulu. He has served as an executive advisor to multiple startups and early-stage companies as well. What you’ll learn: Building teams - set the right tone with relationships and have the right people in the right roles Interviewing - do research, be prepared, and be passionate. Your attitude matters. Hiring - heat skill map to help identify gaps and synergy between all internal teams Connect with Sri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vastav

Meet Pedro Alves, founder and CEO of Ople.ai. Pedro founded Ople.ai in 2017. He started Ople with the goal of creating a platform that puts the knowledge and expertise of the world’s leading data scientists at the fingertips of analysts and SMEs. What you’ll learn from this episode: ROI - the top 3 things to help establish ROI for AI projects Democratize AI - allow larger numbers within an organization to use AI and make it commonplace Data Scientists - how the role of a data scientist will continue to evolve Bonus tip: Regret - listen to Pedro’s view on how he deals with the path not taken Contact Pedro: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedroalvesds/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/pedro_data_sci

Meet Raghu Dhara, the Head of Data Science at KeepTruckin. He is a Harvard grad who founded a start-up from his dorm room and was also a staff writer on the Harvard Crimson newspaper. What you’ll learn: Entrepreneurship - do’s and don'ts of building a start-up Skills - what data scientist need to do to up their skills and stay relevant Hiring - what to put on your resume and interviewing tips Bonus tip Founder’s view - there is a lot more to starting a company than just coding - market validation is a must

Today’s guest is Jon Morra, the Chief Data Scientist at Zefr, in episode #2 of The Tech Trek. Jon founded a start-up early in his career and was the Director of Data Science at eHarmony before his current position at Zefr. He’s a member of the LA CTO Forum and organizer of the LA Machine Learning Meetup.  Highlights 01:56 - Jon reflects on his experience leading a time during the pandemic. 04:46 - How selective should you be when hiring new employees? 12:08 - Tips for re-energizing and re-focusing overworked teams. 16:59 - What’s the hardest skill to develop as a leader? 22:33 - John shares the traits he looks for when hiring.

I had an insightful conversation with Dennis Mortensen, CEO and founder of x.ai, about the software’s uses and the people it serves. Founded in 2014, x.ai is a productivity tool powered by AI that allows users to schedule meetings effortlessly. It should be easier and less time-consuming to schedule meetings, and x.ai is built to help achieve that. Dennis is an entrepreneur at heart and we discuss his thought process in how he launches his ideas as well as making sure he stress tests them before diving in. Key listening points: Who is Dennis Mortensen? [:05] What is x.ai? [1:40] The romanticism of startups [2:32] What was Dennis’ frame of mind when x.ai first started? [3:34] The thought process in trade-offs [6:01] The internal structure of checks and balances [8:10] Processes for Dennis’ previous startups [10:53] The startup race [14:04] The love/hate of risk [16:07] How Dennis poses the idea of x.ai to investors and potential employees [20:45] x.ai in the blink of an eye [23:25] The future of x.ai [25:26] x.ai for the personal space [29:24] Unique abilities of x.ai [33:19] The target audience for Amy and Andrew [35:50] VIPs feature [39:33] Connect with Dennis Mortensen: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennismortensen/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DennisMortensen Connect with Elevano Website: www.elevano.com Connect with Amir Bormand LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/amirbormand?lang=en