Navigating Curiosity to Leadership in Tech

Navigating Curiosity to Leadership in Tech

Author: Professor Margot Gerritsen, Chisoo Lyons December 18, 2024 Duration: 15:56
In this episode, we chat with Maritza Ebling, a seasoned software engineer and leader, about her unconventional journey from a theoretical math and neuroscience major at Wesleyan University to leading teams in the tech industry. Maritza reflects on how her curiosity and passion for problem-solving guided her career path, starting with computational neuroscience work at Mass General Hospital, where she discovered her love for software engineering. Maritza shares key moments from her career, including the challenges of breaking into the tech field without a traditional engineering background. She credits pivotal mentors and peers who took chances on her potential and helped shape her skills through collaboration and support. She also discusses the transition from being a hands-on engineer to becoming a leader focused on empowering others.

Hosted by Professor Margot Gerritsen and Chisoo Lyons, Women in Data Science Worldwide is a conversation with researchers and practitioners at the forefront of a rapidly evolving field. Each episode moves beyond abstract theory to explore the tangible, often surprising, ways data science is applied. You’ll hear firsthand accounts of analytical work creating change, whether it’s developing new models for patient care, building equitable financial systems, or parsing complex climate datasets. The discussions are grounded in the professional journeys of the guests, who offer practical advice and reflect on the challenges they’ve navigated. This podcast provides a direct audio connection to a global community of experts, highlighting the diverse thought and innovation driven by women in the discipline. Listening reveals the human story behind the algorithms and the collective effort shaping the future of technology across every sector. It’s an ongoing series for anyone curious about the real-world impact of data, from students to seasoned professionals, offering perspective and insight naturally through each guest’s experience.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

Women in Data Science Worldwide
Podcast Episodes
The Future of AI Agents and the Power of Community [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:28
Shir Meir Lador, is a longtime AI leader whose career spans startups in Tel Aviv, leadership at Intuit, and now Google, where she heads efforts to amplify AI on Google Cloud. Shir shares her journey from machine learning…
From Graphs to Growth: Mentorship, Math, and the Power of Algorithms [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:31
Huda Nassar is a data scientist who did her PhD at Purdue University, advised by David Gleich. Her research focused on graph alignment, using a combination of mathematics and computer science to solve real-world problems…
Beyond Borders: Elevating Women in Data Science and Leadership [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:16
In this podcast episode, Hannah and Chisoo discuss their shared experiences as immigrants and how that has shaped their perspectives and careers. They explore the value of learning new languages and being immersed in dif…
From Internship to Impact: A Data Scientist’s Journey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:21
Sydney Hazen, a Privacy Data Scientist at Ford, shares her journey from a college intern to a full-time role. She highlights how internships can lead to job offers and the importance of real-world experience and corporat…
The Power of Linguistics in Large Language Models and AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:46
Listen to Karin Golde, a linguistic expert and AI entrepreneur, as she discusses the rise of large language models (LLMs) and the impact of ChatGPT. Karin reflects on the unexpected popularity of LLMs and the role of Ope…
Applying topological data analysis and geometry-based ML [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:24
Margot Gerittsen speaks with Colleen Farrelly, Mathematician at Post Urban Ventures and Author of The Shape of Data: Geometry-Based Machine Learning and Data Analysis in R. Colleen is known for network science, topologic…
Using Curiosity, Mentorship, and Education to Build a Career [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:36
Listen to the incredible and inspiring journey of Avalon Baldwin’s career journey. A self-described data nerd, she was not only the first in her family to attend college, she went on to get a graduate degree. Today she i…
Fighting Crypto Crime with Data Science [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:35
In this episode, Margot Gerittsen speaks with Kim Grauer. Kim is the Director of Research at Chainalysis, where she examines trends in cryptocurrency economics and crime. Listen as she talks about her obsession with figh…