Speaking Philosophy
When I speak, my goal is to inspire my audience to look forward to the future opportunities that artificial intelligence and machine learning represent for individuals, businesses, and society as a whole.
I hope to energize audiences with the possibilities that this advanced technology can bring, while giving a better understanding of the science behind these rapid advancements. I aim to provide an accessible, entertaining way to gain a deep appreciation for how artificial intelligence may affect them in the workplace, at home, and in all areas of life.
Speaking topics
I am known for making highly technical topics accessible to non-experts, as well as leading a thoughtful technical discussion on the science behind AI. Whether you are interested in the intricacies of algorithms to validate unsupervised machine learning models or a high level future view of humanity and AI, I can tailor my talk to the needs of the audience and venue.
Although I am most known for my keynotes, my talks can be adapted to breakout sessions or workshops. I design my keynotes to be engaging and include personal storytelling, concrete examples based on my experience in industry, and inspiring ideas to leave the audience excited to apply the learnings in their life. I find panel discussions especially invigorating and am regularly invited to weigh in on salient topics in data science and business.
Business Topics
AI in the Enterprise
Product pricing strategy
Customer segmentation
Advertising effectiveness
Entrepreneurship
Technical Topics
Evaluation framework for AI
Unsupervised machine learning
Structural equation modeling
Cognitive technology
Data collection methodology
Audience Feedback
Audience comments
“I first met Briana when she gave a masterful talk at the Saskatoon Chamber on the future of big data and how it will affect the workforce of tomorrow. Subsequent conversations have confirmed that she is at the forefront of her field.”
“The panel ROCKED and we are so grateful for Briana’s time, knowledge and expertise. She certainly helped energize the room, and we are looking forward to more women on corporate boards.”
“The event was a wonderful success. The crowd energy was palpable, a full house, and the panel discussion was lively, thoughtful and robust. I received positive feedback from the audience that they enjoyed the discussion. We easily could’ve gone another hour!”
Selected Recent Talks
Women in Data Science Keynote: The Five Stars of Data Science
In ancient Rome, the philosopher Seneca wrote of the “Five Stars” —which we now recognize as the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. What struck me was his admonition that “There will come a day when our descendants are astonished that we did not know such obvious facts.”
We are at the same point in Data Science right now. The “Five Stars” of Data Science, Prediction, Classification, Automation, Emergence, and Generation, are also in their infancy. Where are they now and how might they change in the future?
TEDx Navigators: Can an Artificial Mind See the Man in the Moon?
Three million years ago, one of your and my hominid ancestors was living in the Northern part of what is now South Africa. This individual picked up a brownish-red stone and carried it over 32 kilometers to their home - at least a 6-and-a-half-hour hike. For almost 50 years after its discovery in 1924, this stone remained a mystery. Why had our ancestor picked it up and carried it such a distance?
The key to solving the mystery was to understand a brain that was similar, yet still different from ours. Can we use these learnings to better understand artificial intelligence? This talk explores the quirks in our cognitive system, how they shaped human culture, and what it means for our future relationships with AI.
Using AI to Improve Customer Experience
One of the challenges with modern customer service is information overload. Through the web, companies receive all kinds of input from their customer base, and it's nearly impossible to effectively capture and understand it all in an effective way.
Artificial intelligence is the solution for many current business problems. This presentation discusses how AI can effectively capture and analyze the important things that customers have to say and how business owners can use it in a manner that positively impacts their organization's day to day operation. We explore how companies can benefit from these innovations today - even if it’s their first project.
Picking up STEAM: Why diverse organizations win
Think about a time where you learned something, either something about the world, something about yourself, something about another person, after which nothing was the same again.
A different perspective has the chance to really change you. Changing your worldview is the single best thing that you can do for your personal and professional growth. Having this attitude is the key driver to your success. It hinges on our attitude towards diversity in our lives, and in our workplaces.
But how do you, make diversity your team or your company’s strength? I believe it starts with changing your own worldview. This is something that everyone can do, starting today.
Through this talk, I took the audience through my journey in changing my perspective through my career, running my company, and building products that customers love.
The Automated Analyst: Why jobs of today are under threat from smart machines
Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning have meant that it is now possible for computers to do many things that were previously thought to be the exclusive domain of humans: IBM’s Watson can do a better job of diagnosing lung cancer than doctors, Google’s Magenta AI is creating works of music and art, and robo-journalists are already writing most of the news you read. Is any job really safe from being replaced by software? In this session we will explore what could happen when machines become better at our jobs than we are.
Applications of AI
AI Technology - Enterprise use cases for AI - Unsupervised learning - Supervised Learning
AI: Use Cases in Retail
Customer Segmentation - Effective advertising - pricing strategy - inventory strategy
Data Privacy
Data Privacy - Use of customer data - Generating Insights
Webshows and Podcasts
I am a frequent guest on webshows and podcasts, including:
17 Minutes of Science discussing AI in Health Care
Brains Byte Back discussing the intersection of social science and data science
CBC Morning Saskatoon discussing Data Science
Close the Deal Show discussing economics and business
Countdown to the Moon on the future of space travel for humanity, the role of AI in conversing with intelligent extraterrestrial life, and the history and future of technology
CRIC AI and Data Analytics Thought Leadership Council Virtual Panel on AI and Data Analytics during the Pandemic
Data Driven Chat discussing Data Science, COVID-19 and business
Datatalk Podcast discussing Unsupervised Machine Learning
Disrupting Good discussing the future and artificial intelligence
ESOMAR Community Circles discussing AI in the Insights Industry and Ethical questions around AI
Intelligent Health AI virtual conference discussing ANIE and the work we do in Health Care
San Francisco KXSF.FM’s Spark discussing far-future AI.
Toronto’s 106.5 ELMNT FM discussing investing and the stock market
Audience comments
“I feel like I have been given a mission.”
“Excellent content.”