BIO
Helen Co-Founded ODAIA.ai, a customer journey analytics and prediction platform for enterprise companies. As Chief Growth Officer, Helen brings her understanding of artificial intelligence and the challenges corporations face in deploying it to create value, as well as her marketing analytics experience, to lead customers in their adoption of emerging technology. ODAIA is a University of Toronto spin out founded to commercialize core data mining and prediction algorithms developed by Prof. Periklis Andritsos, faculty member at U of T and co-founder. Helen is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, where she teaches product development, design, and entrepreneurship in the Department of Computer Science, and the Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences. Helen co-founded the UofTs Department of Computer Science Innovation Lab, an incubator to support students to commercialize their innovations in emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence. Helen has been a keynote speaker at numerous conferences, including TEDxUofT where she speaks about Artificial Intelligence, society, and the future.
WORK
Co-founder, ODAIA.AI 2018 - present
Adjunct Professor, Department of Computer & Mathematical Sciences, University of Toronto 2016 - present
Co-founder, RED2i (Tech, Innovation + Education Co-operative) 2016 - present
Startup advisor, Torque Labs - Geotab 2019
Adjunct Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto 2014 - 2019
Co-founder, DCSIL - Department of Computer Science Innovation Lab, University of Toronto 2014 - 2018
Product Development Team member, NERD (Neurotech Early Research & Development), Ontario Brains Institute 2016 - 2017
Mobile App Camp Producer & Community Manager, Mobile Experience Innovation Centre, OCAD University 2013 - 2014
Marketing analytics, Consultant 2008 - 2012
Co-founder, ODAIA.AI 2018 - present
Adjunct Professor, Department of Computer & Mathematical Sciences, University of Toronto 2016 - present
Co-founder, RED2i (Tech, Innovation + Education Co-operative) 2016 - present
Startup advisor, Torque Labs - Geotab 2019
Adjunct Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto 2014 - 2019
Co-founder, DCSIL - Department of Computer Science Innovation Lab, University of Toronto 2014 - 2018
Product Development Team member, NERD (Neurotech Early Research & Development), Ontario Brains Institute 2016 - 2017
Mobile App Camp Producer & Community Manager, Mobile Experience Innovation Centre, OCAD University 2013 - 2014
Marketing analytics, Consultant 2008 - 2012
PROGRAM & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CREATION
#AINorth.ca Toronto, January 2019 - present
Industry Day: Data Science and AI 2018 (Part of the Statistical Inference, Learning and Models in Data Science Conference) Toronto
www.fields.utoronto.ca/activities/18-19/statistical_inference_ind
AI WEEK, November 2017 (UofT Provost Grant Awarded)
Talent Tuesday: Mentorship Career Program between Industry/Startups & Computer Science students, September - November 2017 (UofT Provost Grant Awarded)
Funding Innovation Conference, May 2017 & 2018 (UofT Provost Grant Awarded)
Augmented-Reality Bus Tour Reveals New Side of The University of Toronto Campus, March 2017 (UofT Provost Grant Awarded)
Summer Arts & Science Entrepreneurship Program, May - July 2015 & 2016 ((UofT Arts & Science Grant Awarded)
GLOBAL Smartweek: IoT & Machine Intelligence Conference 2014 & 2015
#AINorth.ca Toronto, January 2019 - present
Industry Day: Data Science and AI 2018 (Part of the Statistical Inference, Learning and Models in Data Science Conference) Toronto
www.fields.utoronto.ca/activities/18-19/statistical_inference_ind
AI WEEK, November 2017 (UofT Provost Grant Awarded)
Talent Tuesday: Mentorship Career Program between Industry/Startups & Computer Science students, September - November 2017 (UofT Provost Grant Awarded)
Funding Innovation Conference, May 2017 & 2018 (UofT Provost Grant Awarded)
Augmented-Reality Bus Tour Reveals New Side of The University of Toronto Campus, March 2017 (UofT Provost Grant Awarded)
Summer Arts & Science Entrepreneurship Program, May - July 2015 & 2016 ((UofT Arts & Science Grant Awarded)
GLOBAL Smartweek: IoT & Machine Intelligence Conference 2014 & 2015
COMMUNITY BUILDING
Adjudication Committee RBC Borealis AI Graduate and Post-doctoral Fellowships, 2018, 2019, 2020
Judge, NEXTAI, Pitch, September 2019
Organizing Committee, Industry Day: Data Science and AI (Part of the Statistical Inference, Learning and Models in Data Science Conference) Toronto
www.fields.utoronto.ca/activities/18-19/statistical_inference_ind
Hackathon Co-chair: ICT4S Sustainability Hackathon
5th International Conference on ICT4S, 2018, Toronto http://2018.ict4s.org/
Organiser Datafest, University of Toronto, 2017, 2018
Advisor Nanolight Hackathon of Light & Music, University of Toronto, 2017
UofT DCS Entrepreneurship Committee, 2014 - present
Judge Cisco Fintech Hackathon, Toronto 2016
Judge Cisco IoT Hackathon, Toronto 2016
Judge Microsoft Hackathon, University of Toronto 2016
Adviser Correlation One & Datathon, University of Toronto 2016
Preliminary Judge UofT Hacks, University of Toronto 2015
Judge Intel Fintech Hackathon, Toronto 2015
Judge Rotman School REVCA Fintech Hackathon, 2015
Adviser Waterfront International Quantathon, University of Toronto, 2015, 2016
Adviser & Mentor Dementia Hack, Ryerson University 2015
Adviser Hack 'n' Talk: Fashion meets Technology, Fashion Zone + DMZ, 2015
Adviser & Mentor SportsHack, Ryerson University 2014
Adviser & Mentor Eduhack, OISE 2013
Organiser GirlGeeks, Toronto 2013 - 2014
Founder, UX/Design Toronto Group 2012 - present
Adjudication Committee RBC Borealis AI Graduate and Post-doctoral Fellowships, 2018, 2019, 2020
Judge, NEXTAI, Pitch, September 2019
Organizing Committee, Industry Day: Data Science and AI (Part of the Statistical Inference, Learning and Models in Data Science Conference) Toronto
www.fields.utoronto.ca/activities/18-19/statistical_inference_ind
Hackathon Co-chair: ICT4S Sustainability Hackathon
5th International Conference on ICT4S, 2018, Toronto http://2018.ict4s.org/
Organiser Datafest, University of Toronto, 2017, 2018
Advisor Nanolight Hackathon of Light & Music, University of Toronto, 2017
UofT DCS Entrepreneurship Committee, 2014 - present
Judge Cisco Fintech Hackathon, Toronto 2016
Judge Cisco IoT Hackathon, Toronto 2016
Judge Microsoft Hackathon, University of Toronto 2016
Adviser Correlation One & Datathon, University of Toronto 2016
Preliminary Judge UofT Hacks, University of Toronto 2015
Judge Intel Fintech Hackathon, Toronto 2015
Judge Rotman School REVCA Fintech Hackathon, 2015
Adviser Waterfront International Quantathon, University of Toronto, 2015, 2016
Adviser & Mentor Dementia Hack, Ryerson University 2015
Adviser Hack 'n' Talk: Fashion meets Technology, Fashion Zone + DMZ, 2015
Adviser & Mentor SportsHack, Ryerson University 2014
Adviser & Mentor Eduhack, OISE 2013
Organiser GirlGeeks, Toronto 2013 - 2014
Founder, UX/Design Toronto Group 2012 - present
IN THE NEWS
ODAIA Raises $1.6 million to commercialize it's predictive AI Platform
https://betakit.com/odaia-raises-1-6-million-to-commercialize-its-predictive-ai/
https://betakit.com/odaia-raises-1-6-million-to-commercialize-its-predictive-ai/
From anthropology to AI: Meet the U of T expert guiding the software companies of tomorrow
https://www.utoronto.ca/news/anthropology-ai-meet-u-t-expert-guiding-software-companies-tomorrow
https://www.utoronto.ca/news/anthropology-ai-meet-u-t-expert-guiding-software-companies-tomorrow
Deconstructing important ideas at TEDxUofT
https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/main-news/deconstructing-important-ideas-tedxuoft
https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/main-news/deconstructing-important-ideas-tedxuoft
AI & Deep Technology in Toronto: My 3 Takeaways From University of Toronto Funding Innovation Conference
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-deep-technology-toronto-my-3-takeaways-from-funding-nitin-chopra
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-deep-technology-toronto-my-3-takeaways-from-funding-nitin-chopra
Augmented-Reality Bus Tour Reveals New Side of The University of Toronto Campus
http://startupheretoronto.com/sectors/technology/augmented-reality-bus-tour-reveals-new-side-of-u-of-t-campus/
http://startupheretoronto.com/sectors/technology/augmented-reality-bus-tour-reveals-new-side-of-u-of-t-campus/
AI Success Story: UofT's ROSS Intelligence Returns to Toronto to open new AI research headquarters
https://www.utoronto.ca/news/ai-success-story-u-t-s-ross-intelligence-returns-toronto-open-new-research-headquarters
https://www.utoronto.ca/news/ai-success-story-u-t-s-ross-intelligence-returns-toronto-open-new-research-headquarters
Cisco Toronto Innovation Centre hosts a weekend of FinTech hacking with TD Canada
https://blogs.cisco.com/innovation/cisco-toronto-innovation-centre-hosts-a-weekend-of-fintech-hacking-with-td
https://blogs.cisco.com/innovation/cisco-toronto-innovation-centre-hosts-a-weekend-of-fintech-hacking-with-td
Employers turning to hackathons to find tech talent
https://www.thestar.com/news/innovation/2016/09/13/employers-turning-to-hackathons-to-find-tech-talent.html
https://www.thestar.com/news/innovation/2016/09/13/employers-turning-to-hackathons-to-find-tech-talent.html
Robotic Rehab: Start-up Helps Kids with Cerebral Palsy
http://medicine.utoronto.ca/news/robotic-rehab-start-helps-kids-cerebral-palsy
http://medicine.utoronto.ca/news/robotic-rehab-start-helps-kids-cerebral-palsy
'Elite' Law Firms May Be Among Earlier Adopters of Artificial Intelligence Platforms
http://www.iltacon.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=850f334b-549b-465b-ae3d-5750f67dc307&ssopc=1
http://www.iltacon.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=850f334b-549b-465b-ae3d-5750f67dc307&ssopc=1
Meet (Winning) Team ROSS Intelligence
https://www.ischool.utoronto.ca/content/meet-winning-team-ross
https://www.ischool.utoronto.ca/content/meet-winning-team-ross
Women Lead Tech in Mississauga, Peel Region & at The University of Toronto
http://icubeutm.ca/women-lead-tech-mississauga-peel-uoft/
http://icubeutm.ca/women-lead-tech-mississauga-peel-uoft/
Intel IoT Roadshow in Toronto
http://blog.bemyapp.com/intel-iot-roadshow-toronto/
http://blog.bemyapp.com/intel-iot-roadshow-toronto/
GLOBAL SMARTWEEK 2015
http://web.cs.toronto.edu/news/current/GLOBAL_SMARTWEEK_2015.htm
http://web.cs.toronto.edu/news/current/GLOBAL_SMARTWEEK_2015.htm
New space for software innovations: Computer science incubator to be “open to all disciplines”
http://thevarsity.ca/2015/03/16/new-space-for-software-innovations/
http://thevarsity.ca/2015/03/16/new-space-for-software-innovations/
Smartweek Using Christie Interactive Visual Solutions
https://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/business/visual-solutions/new-projectors/smartweek-2014
https://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/business/visual-solutions/new-projectors/smartweek-2014
Michael Wekerle at SMARTWEEK 2014 in TORONTO
http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/michael-wekerle-at-smartweek-2014-in-toronto-555827.htm
http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/michael-wekerle-at-smartweek-2014-in-toronto-555827.htm