IMPACT 0424: IMPLEMENTING TECH TO EMPOWER YOUTH

Hi! I’m Hui Xiang, a data scientist at Dataiku and an ambassador of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility program called ikig.ai. We partner with non-profit organizations to help them embrace AI and data science in their operations/ processes through volunteering our skills and time. I also give talks to high school, tertiary and postgraduate students relating to careers and my experiences in the data and tech industry. In my free time, I write at my data science blog, Data Double Confirm, which was recognized as Top 100 Data Science Resources.

I’m very passionate about using data and tech for social good. Previously I started Project OSYO, which stands for Project “Our Stories. Your Opportunities.” The objective is to help prospective undergraduates make more informed decisions about their choice of studies and be more aware of the possible career options and opportunities through sharing stories of working professionals, with respect to their undergraduate education and careers.

There are many jobs that are not as visible or as accessible to students and hence, they might not have considered such career options even though they may have been suitable for the roles, or it could have been a case where they thought they would be suitable but are actually not. I also piloted a Tech Reading Club at my alma mater to encourage more women to pursue STEM/tech careers.

“Sometimes all you have to do is to show up.” I first came across this notion when I read “Showing Up for Life” by Bill Gates Sr a while back. This actually originated from the film “Love and Death,” in which comedian Woody Allen coined the phrase: 80 percent of success is showing up. It might sometimes be difficult to imagine, but we all have the ability to help people become better and also motivate people to do good, by showing up in people’s lives. Our experiences/stories on how we overcome adversities or the things we can do within our means might be useful to someone else in a similar position.