WiBD Global Connect - May 2024

In our May 2024 issue, we cover:

·?????? Meet our New Chapter Director in Switzerland Milyana Mcirdi

·?????? Welcome our new Advisory board member Joyce Burke

·?????? Mentoring Program Updates: Interview with Mentor Oxana Krymina

·?????? Training program Updates: Datacamp Certifications

·?????? Latest Podcast: Tech Roles in Gen AI Times

·?????? Other Updates and Events - Around the Globe

Meet our New Chapter Director in Switzerland

Please join us in welcoming Milyana Mcirdi as our new Women in Big Data Switzerland Chapter Director. With a rich background cultivated in various associations, in a scale-up environment at Unique AG and as a former Account Executive at SAP,?Milyana brings a dynamic skill set to our team. She is an International Business and Tech Enthusiast and most importantly, an advocate for education, gender equality, and women's empowerment through financial independence. Milyana actively supports equal pay and is dedicated to empowering women in the tech industry. Her empathetic nature, positive energy, and customer-centric approach make her a trusted advisor and a valuable asset to our organization. We're delighted to have her join our leadership team!

Welcome our new Advisory board member

Please welcome Joyce Burke to WiBD's Advisory Board! ?As an Advisory Board Member at Women in Big Data, Joyce will guide the organization’s leadership, committees, and board of directors on revenue operations, analytics strategy, and systems, as well as manage and enhance their Salesforce integrated ecosystem. ? Joyce looks forward to continuing her track record of fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, spearheading initiatives that drive growth, efficiency, and enhance the donor/member experience by harnessing technology.

Mentoring Program updates: Interview with Mentor Oxana Krymina

Deborah Sgro , Program Director

As the February to May mentoring programs, Emerging Technologist and Mentor in Tech International, near their conclusion, we celebrate the achievements of many mentoring pairs who have successfully completed their engagements. One such inspiring mentor is Oxana Krymina , who contributed her expertise to the Mentor in Tech International program. Oxana shared her journey from a consulting business owner to a mathematician and data scientist, currently building machine learning models for actuarial calculations. She is now launching an InsurTech startup in Uruguay.

Oxana discussed the dual role of being both a mentor and a mentee, emphasizing the importance of mutual growth and shared expertise. She views mentoring as a fair trade of skills and experience, benefiting both mentor and mentee. A memorable highlight of her mentoring journey was addressing imposter syndrome, finding that her expertise is valuable globally, and learning to trust her mentee's capabilities.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Oxana and all mentors for their invaluable guidance and commitment to fostering growth and development within our community.? Read the full interview by Deborah Sgro .

Here is also a quote by Oxana on her achievement.

“Recently I've earned one more certificate. No, not just ‘one more’. I participated in Women in Big Data 's program Mentor in Tech International, and completed this program as a mentor. My mentee Nikita Shrestha achieved a Data Scientist position, and I'm very proud of her success. Many thanks to Deborah Sgro and the entire community. Step by step I received support and assistance in integrating and developing my mentoring skills. Looking forward to next programs!” Oxana Krymina.

Training Program updates: Datacamp Certifications

Srabasti Banerjee , Program Director

Our partnership with DataCamp ?Donates has been incredibly rewarding! In addition to Khadijah Mohamed Abd-EL Mejuid Kira , who earned her Associate Data Scientist certification, we are proud to announce that Audrey Tan has completed her Data Engineering Associate Certification on the DataCamp platform. We also continue to celebrate our top 10 learners for the month. Let’s hear from one of our top learners, Ysabel Wang, in her quote below.

Latest Podcast: Tech Roles in Gen AI Times

Desiree Timmermans , Program Director

Listen and gain valuable insights into tech roles in the GenAI era through this engaging talk with Nahia Ordu?a , Technical Leader Strategic Accounts at Amazon Web Services, and co-author, along with Slavik Dimitrovich, of the book The Solutions Architects of the Future: Conversations about Tech Roles in GenAI Times.

?This podcast delves into the significance of tech roles in the age of Generative AI, with a particular focus on Solutions Architects. Discover how Generative AI is enhancing the work of Solution Architects, the critical role of mentoring in the field of Solutions Architecture, and the importance of trust. Explore future prospects for Solutions Architects and learn how Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing business processes to achieve greater efficiency and creativity simultaneously.

Other Updates

Odessa Reyno recognition

Women in Tech Newsletter's eighth edition highlights?Odessa Reyno ?as in May we recognize the contributions and influence of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and technological achievements of the United States. Odessa’s journey through the evolving landscapes of technology and entertainment (Fox Corporation ?and?NBCUniversal ) offers us a unique glimpse into the world of innovation that is reshaping our digital experiences. Odessa also serves as the Director of?Women in Big Data , Southern California Chapter and organizes events to empower women:?https://lnkd.in/gcsAejmX .? Women in Big Data is proud of Odessa and her contributions.

Berlin Chapter launches Quarterly Newsletter

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Women in Big Data Berlin highlights !

In this quarterly dispatch, team is excited to bring you the latest updates from Berlin vibrant community including insightful highlights to upcoming events. dive into a world of inspiration, knowledge sharing, and networking opportunities.?

Another highlight from Berlin chapter: Berlin chapter co-founder, Katarzyna (Kasia) Stoltmann , has made it to the final of the IT Managers of Tomorrow Award by Conlea ! This remarkable accomplishment showcases Kasia's outstanding talents and unwavering dedication. “I am proud to be nominated by Perspektywy Women in Tech to the top 100 Women in Data Science in Poland list! - A compilation that aims to inspire the young generation with outstanding female role models in an area heavily dominated by men.” Kasia Stoltmann. Learn more here.

Berlin chapter Conducts an interview with Tina Tang: Dream Big

As the chair and co-founder of Women in Big Data , Tina Tang champions diversity in technical fields while also serving on the executive team for Women in Data Science (WiDS) Worldwide . She further lends her strategic insights to nonprofits such as Mina's List , which focuses on Afghan refugee resettlement. Prior to entering the nonprofit sector, Tina was a leader in go-to-market strategy in the technology industry. Tina's multifaceted career, coupled with her commitment to family and community, positions her as a true leader and advocate for positive change. Full interview here .

Russia Chapter Web Site and Open Data Society Hub Launched

We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new website for the Russia chapter —a one-stop shop for information about our amazing community, upcoming events, and contact details, all in one convenient place. A big thank you to our new volunteer, Elena Tupitsyna ! We're already planning to expand the site with useful resources, a calendar of events, and informative articles.

To broaden our reach and connect with even more incredible women in the data world, we've also created a dedicated hub on "Open Data Science ." This allows us to share our materials with a wider audience and attract even more talented members to our community.

Events Around the Globe

On May 9, WiBD SoCal chapter held a panel event - Gen AI In Creative Workflows: Balancing Innovation And Ethics featuring speakers Laura Shanae Randant , Founder and CEO of Mythulu and Faith 'Aya' Umoh , New Media Artist, Data Scientist and CEO, Creative Aya ?. SoCal chapter partnered with LA Tech4Good on this, with Rachel Whaley as the moderator.?The event covered surprising insights into copyright law and AI, potential for diversity in book publishing and filmmaking with AI tools, the significance of AI advisors in establishing data quality and ethical frameworks, and?the advantage of AI-based companies using their own datasets. There were about 20 people in attendance. Link to the event .

On May 16, WiBD NW chapter? hosted a session as part of the “She Speaks Data” series. The event featured Poornima Muthukumar , Senior Product Manager at Microsoft, who shared her expertise on leveraging data science to drive product growth and innovation. Link to the blog for recap of the session .

SoCal Chapter Monthly Social Mixer event was on May 16 at “Sorry Not Sorry”. Great opportunity to connect and share insights. The next month event is on June 20.

Women in Big Data Russia Chapter engaged in the Women Talk 2024 Conference held May 17-19.?? – Details in this blog .

In March-April 2024,?Marina Alekseeva ?once again conducted the “Find Your Comfort Zone at Work” program. The program attracted 189 interested women, out of which 119 were accepted for the classes. More info here .

WiBD and Datacamp held monthly event on May 21 with special guest Isabella Leslie-Miller who runs Datacamp Certification Community. She discussed the certification process and what to expect afterward. ?Link to the blog post for the event .

Munich chapter upcoming event on June 6 ?in collaboration with AWS and ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE . The guest speaker, ?Dr. Anca-Roxana Tudoran , Senior Data Scientist at ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE will be speaking about 'AI Products in Media' Follow Munich chapter for details. Register for the event here .

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