Women in Big Data Northwest

✨ PortNLP Lab Update ✨ The lab is having a busy fall term. Here’s what we’ve been up to! 🍂 Dr. Ameeta Agrawal delivered a keynote on “LLMs and the Shifting Landscape of CS Education” during CCSC-NW at Saint Martin's University College of Business, Engineering, and Technology, sparking great discussion on rethinking computer science education. Thanks to Radana Dvorak for chairing this exceptional conference! She also shared highlights from our lab’s recent research at the Women in Big Data Northwest AI Summit, and Ekata Mitra and Amber Shore presented their work during the poster session. It was an inspiring day, and we loved connecting with so many brilliant people from industry! We heard from three fantastic panels on Cybersecurity, Vertical Applications of GenAI, and GenAI/ML Founders' Journeys. Big shout out to Manisha Yadav, Surekha Reddy, and the rest of the WiBD NW team! Dr. Agrawal’s paper, “Understanding the Role of Sentiment and Emotion for Predicting Forced Displacement,” was recently published in EPJ Data Science. Congratulations! 🎉 We’re on fire, and just getting started. Stay tuned for what’s next! 💫 #CCSC #CCSCNW #WomenInBigData #NorthwestAISummit

🔥 Still processing the incredible energy from the Women in Big Data Northwest AI Summit! What an absolutely transformative conference on "From Foundations to Frontiers: Leading the GenAI Revolution." Over 200 brilliant minds gathered at University of Portland, and honestly? This has set a new standard for what impactful tech conferences should look like. 🎤 The powerhouse speakers who delivered pure gold: Cybersecurity Panel led by Veena Hadagali alongside Elyse Rosenberg (CIO, City of Portland), 📊 Cecile Kellam ☁ (Solution Architect, NetApp), and Reet K. (CEO, SEKAURITY) - Making cybersecurity accessible to everyone? Game-changing. Key learning: Security isn't an afterthought—it's the foundation that makes AI innovation sustainable. Industry Applications Panel with Jennifer Waldrip (VP, ProFocus Technology) moderating Linu Parappilly (CIO, Clackamas County), Naveen Gudigantala (University of Portland), and Pradeep Kumar (Healthcare AI Architect) - Real-world GenAI implementations happening NOW. Key learning: We're past the "what if" stage into concrete "here's how" across healthcare, government, and education. Founder Spotlight moderated by Surekha Reddy featuring Tisson Mathew (CEO, Skypoint), and Victoria Price-Doucet (CEO, StrateSea) - Entrepreneurship unfiltered. Authentic journeys that matter. Key learning: Execution beats perfection—progress trumps perfection every time. 🧠 How this conference changed my perspective: 🔄 From theory to practice - Walked away with 12 concrete implementation strategies I can apply immediately. The gap between "AI sounds cool" and "here's exactly how we're deploying it" was completely bridged. 💡 Network effect amplified - Three genuine collaboration discussions that could turn into actual projects. Quality over quantity, every time. 🎯 Strategic clarity - The cybersecurity panel alone shifted how I think about AI risk management. Personal impact: This conference didn't just add to my knowledge—it reorganized how I think about AI's trajectory and my role in shaping it. I've attended countless tech conferences, but this delivered the highest speaker-to-insight ratio I've ever experienced. Left with a phone full of Amazing contacts, a notebook packed with actionable insights, and renewed excitement about the problems we get to solve in this space. 🌟 Massive appreciation to the incredible organizing team - Shweta M. (Summit Chair & Platform PnP Architect at Intel Corporation), Veena Hadagali (Senior Staff Security Engineer at GEICO), Swaroopa Prabhakar, Manisha Yadav, Shweta Mokashi, Shala Arshi and the entire Women in Big Data Northwest leadership. You've set the gold standard for what tech conferences should deliver. When diverse perspectives shape AI's future, we don't just build better technology - we build technology that works for everyone. 🌟 #NorthwestAISummit #WomenInBigData #GenAI #AIRevolution #TechCommunity #AIForEveryone #TechLeadership #NetworkingThatMatters

Took some inspiration from Rebecca Diaz and said "yes" to my first emcee gig. My heart is still full of community from the event last week for NW AI Summit. Thank you to the 200+ people who joined us on October 15 in Portland for “From Foundations to Frontiers: Leading the GenAI Revolution.” Congratulations to the WiBD summit committee who set a goal of 150, had 200+ register, and even had a waitlist of 40—huge shoutout to this community for showing up with curiosity and heart. 🙌 Inspiring!! To everyone who attended: your energy, questions, and table conversations made the day. To those who couldn’t make it: you were missed—and the conversations sparked are just the beginning of building an inclusive AI future in the Pacific Northwest. What I took with me: *AI won’t take your job—but someone using AI (and learning fast) might. *Linu Parappilly shared start small, test and define success in advance. *Arun Sirimalla emphasized that soft skills will become power skills. *Michelle Salvado challenged us to run toward the storm like bison—tackle the hard things head-on. *Courtney Whelan-Stillmun shared only ~5% of AI projects make it to production. With the right mindset, governance, and collaboration, we can be part of that successful 5%. And with ~78 million new AI-related jobs emerging by 2030, the wins go to the continuous learners. *A set of new friends (committee members) Shweta M. Manisha Yadav Shweta Mokashi Swaroopa Prabhakar Veena Hadagali Chandana Pullkallu Vinutha Veerayya Hiremath *Humans are still at the center of AI being successful in business. Moments that made me chuckle ... Andrea Ballinger, MBA share of debating AI over the topic of "Imposter Syndrome". Endless gratitude to our speakers, sponsors, volunteers, and the powerhouse Women in Big Data Northwest team who made this Summit possible. Let’s keep learning together, sharing what works, and building AI that lifts our teams, our companies, and our communities. Thank you to Google Breanne Howard (Antonius) University of Portland Michael DeVaughn NetApp Jenae Serena-Denmarsh Core Defender Astound Broadband Ronda Miller ProFocus Technology Jennifer Waldrip CHINMAYA MISSION PORTLAND board.... and IQWIRED, INC. for giving me the support to participate in community organizations! #WomenInBigData #NWAI #GenAI #InclusiveAI #PNWTech #Leadership #Community #LearningInPublic #FromFoundationsToFrontiers If you joined us, drop your favorite insight below. If you couldn’t, tell us what you’re most curious about—we’ll fold it into what’s next. 💬

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Women in Big Data – Northwest Summit, and it was truly an insightful and eye-opening experience. From discussions about the future of work, AI-driven transformation, and the evolving landscape of tech roles, one thing was clear: the future isn’t about replacing humans it’s about empowering them. The sessions challenged us to grow, stay adaptable, and continue building the skills that will shape tomorrow. A special thanks to Women in Big Data Northwest , Shweta M. Sacha Basho, for creating a space that cultivates learning, connection, and leadership among women in tech. I left feeling inspired, informed, and motivated to keep pushing forward. And a heartfelt thank you to my professors, Naveen Gudigantala & Mike Eom who continuously ensure that we are equipped with the knowledge, tools, and confidence we need for the future. Your guidance makes all the difference. Here’s to growing, connecting, and leading in this new data-driven era

On October 15th, I participated in the Foundations to Frontiers: Leading the GenAI Revolution event hosted by Women in Big Data Northwest, joining over 200 peers. The summit showcased speakers from renowned organizations like Google, the City of Portland, NetApp, CoreDefender.ai, and more. The event featured panels on cybersecurity, vertical AI applications, and the startup journey. Attendees also had the opportunity to explore a sponsor expo, engage in networking sessions, and participate in an evening poster session and mixer. Conversations delved into the rapid advancements in AI, the introduction of new roles such as Prompt Engineers, AI risk governance specialists, and Model Validators, and the anticipated workforce transformation with 170M jobs expected to be created by 2030. The discussions also emphasized the significance of governance, ethics, and sustainable resource management, including the mindful use of water and power to support the expanding AI infrastructure. I appreciate the chance to reconnect with former colleagues and establish new connections! Shweta M., Celina B., Christine McMonigal, Sheila Mason, Taylor Courier, Michal Conley, Rachel Roundy, Krispin Kujinga, Michael Gilbert #womeninbigdatanorthwest