Tell us about your background.
I am a Data Scientist with the UX Research Operations team for IBM Software in San Francisco, USA. As the only Data Scientist in the organization, I support 100+ user researchers and designers and use data to understand user struggles and opportunities to enhance user experiences.
I earned my Masters in Computer Science at University of Pennsylvania. I have spoken and facilitated workshops at multiple conferences including PyCon US (the largest Python conference in the world).
In what ways have you seen others in your community affected by your WiDS events?
Our speakers got a platform to showcase their knowledge and expertise, while being celebrated and cheered by women and allies. Our attendees got to know about the field and the experiences of others, including seeing a preview of OpenAI’s code interpreter, before it was launched. Some of our lucky attendees won a mentorship opportunity with our speakers. Throughout the event and after, the energy was positive and we still get people coming up to us at other events asking when the next WiDS event be. Overall, it fostered a huge sense of support and community.
How has your work with WiDS influenced your life and career?
Being a WiDS ambassador gave me an opportunity to take my community work of supporting and encouraging women in the field to an even bigger scale. Organizing the event allowed me to connect with like-minded people and create a platform to highlight women and their achievements. A lot of our attendees were immensely grateful for being a part of this, and are eagerly waiting for the next event.
Combined with my volunteer work, WiDS involvement, and other activities to promote Data Science and STEM education, especially for women, I was recognized as one of 50 Women Impact Tech in US, was featured in a book about Data Science trailblazers, won the Silver Stevie Award for Changemaker of the Year (Gender), and was a finalist for VentureBeat’s Women in AI Mentorship Award. WiDS has been a huge and lasting positive impact on my life, and I hope to amplify that to keep paying it forward.
What are you eager to do in the future for your communities?
Continue the momentum and organize bigger events, so we can celebrate more women, and include even more community members.
What were the most successful aspects of your WiDS 2023 events?
I organized a regional event which was hybrid and received 700+ registrations from around the world. As a result of the event, attendees heard from the experts in the field and a lucky few also got a chance to be mentored by them. View the highlight reel of our event.
Connect with Grishma Jena.