The Data Science for All Webinar series launched on Tuesday, November 17th with "DS4A: How AI is helping business thrive in unprecedented times" featuring Sergio Mastrogiovanni, Head of Data and Innovation at Nubiral and adjunct Professor at NYU's School of Professional studies.
The series will continue with regular installments, inviting leaders from the data science and analytics space to share more about their work, their careers, and their vision for the future of the space. Our goal is to provide perspective on where the big data revolution stands today, and how our DS4A Fellows, data science leaders, and future data professionals can shape their work and careers to contribute.
Over 500 DS4A Fellows, aspiring DS4A Applicants, and business leaders from around the world RSVP'd to watch Sergio discuss how digital transformation is accelerating in the wake of COVID and how data professionals can adapt their careers to contribute. Sergio shared a data scientist's perspective on 2020 and what businesses need to do to reach their goals in a fundamentally changed world. In short, AI will be a key pillar in the post-pandemic global economy, and there are tremendous opportunities for data professionals to play a part in the rebuilding of a data-driven, digital global economy.
Here are few key takeaways the Correlation One team is particularly excited about from Sergio's talk:
1) The "new normal"will be digital: The disappearance of in-person interactions as a result of COVID has made digital transformation a "do or die" imperative for business across all sectors.
2) Since COVID, 'digital natives' are thriving: Companies like Tesla, Netflix, Amazon, and Apple saw significant growth in their stock prices in 2020.
3) Data makes the 'Economy 4.0' possible-- Giants of the "Shared Economy" exemplified by Airbnb, Lyft, and Uber have used data, not physical assets, to thrive and should be looked to as inspiration for legacy businesses seeking to adapt for the Economy of the 21st Century.
4) "Digital Transformation" evolves to "Big Data Transformation": 'Digital Transformation' is not new. Companies have been working for the last decade to digitize legacy businesses. The companies that survive 2020 and thrive in the years to come will shift their focus from 'general digital transformation' to 'big data transformation'
5) Automation is the answer for getting ahead of the game: Today, the enormity of data created is hitting companies as a "data deluge." Data practices that rely on human inputs and processing cannot keep up, robbing leaders of real-time analysis on the performance of their businesses and insights for improvement. Companies that develop automated processes to ingest, store, and analyze data automatically will be able to work faster, smarter, and seize new opportunities before their competitors.
Sergio Mastrogiovanni is a senior executive, entrepreneur, AI evangelist and data storyteller with career success leveraging advance data analytics and technology integration to boost sustainable revenue, inspire high-performing teams and manage change through digital transformation and continuous improvement, and his passion in this world is about making data accessible to people. He teaches Intelligent Automation at NYU and is the Head of Data and Innovation at Nubiral.
In addition to the above, Sergio was a Data Science for All Mentor for the Fall 2020 DS4A Women's Summit. Data Science for All is Correlation One's mission to make the data science and analytics space more inclusive of Women, Black, LatinX, and LGBT+ professionals and students by providing technical training, professional mentorship, and access to jobs with program sponsors 100% free to qualified applicants.