In the third episode of the "You Belong in AI!" podcast, UCLA ACM AI Outreach interviews Jennifer LaPlante (she/her/hers). Jennifer runs an organization called DeepSense, with a focus of using AI and machine learning to grow businesses in Canada's ocean sector. She is currently completing an MSc in Computing and Data Analytics; her thesis topic is applying natural language processing to improve the gender and ethnic diversity of corporate boards. Jennifer also has a BA in Sociology and an MBA. She started her career in market research and moved into leadership roles in IT and innovation. Furthermore, Jennifer advocates for more women to be in STEM leadership roles, including executives and directors of boards of tech companies. In this episode, she discusses the importance of representation and inclusion at all levels of tech companies, especially those developing AI products. Additionally, she provides advice and words of encouragement to youth from underrepresented groups who are interested in AI but not sure how to get started.
The "You Belong in AI!" podcast is made possible by UCLA ACM AI Outreach. All questions are contributed by Arjun Subramonian (Outreach Director 20-21), Maya Raman (Events Director 20-21), Kai Tota (Outreach/Events Officer 20-21), Jason Jewik (Outreach Officer 20-21), Mat Ruíz (Outreach/Events Officer 20-21), Aman Oberoi (Outreach Officer 20-21), and Nisha McNealis (Outreach Officer 20-21). The podcast is edited by Arjun Subramonian. The music you hear in this episode is:
Cheery Monday by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Want to learn more about UCLA ACM AI Outreach? Visit our website.
Want to learn more about Jennifer? Make your way to her LinkedIn.