 I took my first #genAI #art workshop at the #CODAMEART+TECH festival in 2018 in San Francisco.
It changed my creative relationship with AI. Going beyond the usual business and technical experiments to the creative was a fun leap. Check out the fantastic workshops and even host one yourself! https://www.codame.com/p/arttech-festival-2024?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email #arttechfestival #milan #sanfrancisco #AIinarT
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 Original post: www.mmf.utoronto.ca/innovation-and-entrepreneurship/ Over the years, MMF has offered an Innovation and Entrepreneurship elective course taught by founders and true blue entrepreneurs. Given the pace of innovation, the rise of generative AI and the corresponding surge of opportunities for STEM startups in a dynamic employment market, we included the course as a mandatory part of the spring semester. We are delighted to have Helen Kontozopoulos, University of Toronto’s Adjunct Professor at the Department of Computer Science and co-founder at ODAIA Intelligence, a Series B SaaS startup, delivering it. We asked Helen, what makes a great entrepreneur? Helen doesn’t like being told what to do and her rebellious nature is the source of her entrepreneurial spirit. “I think I've always been an entrepreneur,” she told us. “From helping out my dad's little takeout shop in downtown Toronto when I was a kid, to trying to start my own yoga studio and ending up building websites for yoga instructors in my 20s, I’m a maker and seller at heart.” In 2013, Helen was working at another academic accelerator in Toronto, gaining experience supporting startups and developing industry collaborations, when she heard UofT president Meric Gertler’s call to promote and build an entrepreneurship culture within the university. She had just begun teaching at the Department of Computer Science, so she proposed, and then co-founded, the Innovation Lab in 2014. The incubator supports computer science students and researchers in commercializing their ideas and research. At the lab, she produced over a hundred hackathons and related biztech events, including AI Week, Global Smartweek, UofT Startups in the Valley and the Funding Innovation Conference, among others. “Just like every startup,” Helen notes, “it's about timing, luck and the ability to do it.” Helen believes anyone can develop an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset. Being open to finding problems, seeing patterns of opportunity and proposing solutions are hallmarks of a great entrepreneur. She’s seen some of her students graduate with the belief they can never be entrepreneurs. But when they kept witnessing customers’ problems, they realized they could offer new and better solutions. “That’s an innovator mindset: instead of waiting for others to propose a solution — or worst- case scenario, not solving the problem at all — entrepreneurs step forward and find or build a solution of their own,” she says. Helen sees lots of opportunities for innovation in the finance sector, particularly in fraud detection. Analyzing transactions and successfully detecting, then preventing, fraud by identifying patterns and activities already exists. And by correlating data from various sources connected to a customer's profile, robust solutions have been made to combat fraud using AI. To be effective, solution providers need to think like fraudsters and anticipate potential threats, which involves handling vast amounts of data — something AI excels at. “A few years ago, I worked with a team analyzing coded slang related to criminal activity and fraud transactions,” Helen told us. “We discovered that AI couldn’t understand slang and context, but with a lot of work, the team was able to create a language model around this complex street lingo. Fraudsters are the most agile and creative players out there. We need to be as dynamic and fast as they are by leveraging AI as a co-pilot, but with human creativity, ethics and contextual superpowers on our side.” Helen has learned some hard but important lessons on her entrepreneurial journey. We asked her how she stays motivated, and how she continues to inspire others on their journeys. “As a female founder, especially a first-time founder, it’s important to navigate the advice you receive with careful consideration,” she advises. “Initially, I tended to believe everyone's advice too easily. However, I've learned it's crucial not to take every piece of advice at face value. Instead, seek multiple perspectives, be patient with the responses you receive, and take the time to understand them before making any decisions. Some people told me that because I hadn't done it before, I didn't know what I was doing. But the truth is, you often just need to ask for help, gather various viewpoints and have more confidence in your final decisions. Be bold, make mistakes, learn, and move forward.” #entrepreneurship #helenkontozopoulos #UniversityofToronto #startups #mmf More about the MMF program: Established in 1998 MMF remains at the forefront of training in quantitative finance. MMF is a boutique Program admitting a select number of students each year who will move through the Program as one cohort. The boutique nature of our Program means that students will learn in smaller class sizes, have the opportunity to build lasting bonds with their classmates and work in industry-like teams to complete projects and presentations.
 Join us for an inspiring and thought-provoking discussion as we shine a spotlight on the remarkable achievements of women in the fields of Biotech and Pharma. Our "Breaking Barriers" Women's Entrepreneurship Panel brings together Sheila Gujrathi, Biotech Executive, Deepa Dahal, Co-founding Partner, DKI Health and Helen Kontozopoulos, Co-founder and Chief Tech Evangelist, ODAIA Intelligence Inc as they are how they made significant strides in the dynamic and often challenging world of life sciences.
Date: February 27, 2024
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM EST Learning Objectives
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Featured Speakers Deepa Dahal Executive/Founding Partner, DKI Health Sheila Gujrathi Vice President, Bristol Myers Squibb Helen Kontozopoulos Co-Founder, ODAIA Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gWRCeVxX In Conversation with Helen Kontozopoulos: Leading AI Innovation and Inspiring Women in Tech11/23/2023 NOVEMBER 9, 2023 BY ROBERT LEWIS Link to original article: https://techtalent.ca/odaia-helen-kontozopoulos-inspiring-women-in-tech  The journey of women-led tech companies seeking funding is often fraught with unique challenges and funding. In an industry where gender parities unfortunately still exist, women entrepreneurs frequently encounter biases, limited access to networks, and systemic barriers that can hinder their ability to secure the capital necessary for growth and innovation.
These challenges not only affect individual founders, but also have broader implications for the tech industry as a whole, stymying its potential for diversity and the innovative breakthroughs that come with it. Techtalent.ca sat down with Helen Kontozopoulos, the co-founder and Chief Tech Evangelist of ODAIA to talk about these issues, share her own experiences, and offer advice to those dealing with said challenges today. ODAIA enables pharmaceutical commercial teams to effectively and dynamically identify and engage with the most relevant healthcare providers for their brands. Helen is making her way to SAAS North this November, where she’ll join an esteemed panel to discuss the complexities of funding women-led tech ventures. Can you share a glimpse of your personal journey in the tech industry and what inspired you to start and lead ODAIA AI? HK: My tech journey started two decades ago. I’ve always been motivated by technology’s potential to address intricate issues and enhance people’s lives. A geek at heart, tech was the outlet for my career and creative adventures. The inspiration for founding ODAIA rose from recognizing the AI/ML adoption disparities within the commercial side pharmaceutical industry. We saw an opportunity to boost sales and marketing effectiveness through dynamic and predictive planning, micro-segmentation, and actionable insights. ODAIA’s mission is reducing patients’ time to therapy by facilitating meaningful interactions with healthcare providers, through human-centric software powered by AI. What unique challenges have you faced as a woman leader seeking funding in the tech sector, and how have you overcome them? HK: Navigating the tech industry as a woman leader has been incredibly rewarding and filled with many lessons learned. Despite the biases and the persistence of a lingering ‘bro-culture’, I see these challenges as opportunities to be a part of the positive change. While initiatives are underway to address funding disparities, there is still a lot of work to be done. For example, data shows that currently, 2.3 per cent of women-founded companies receive funding. We’ve seen how investors often harbor unconscious biases, making it more challenging for women-led startups to raise capital. As a woman founder myself with ODAIA, I understand the importance of women-focused funds that are explicit in battling the bias and creating a community of support and promotion of women founders. How important is mentorship and networking for women founders in the tech industry, and what advice can you offer on building a support system? HK: Mentorship and networking is paramount for women founders in the tech industry. They not only offer guidance and support, but also unlock doors to opportunities. My advice to women is to proactively seek out mentors and create their own diverse network. Women founders need to surround themselves with individuals who can provide varying perspectives, share their experiences, encourage personal growth and become your references during your funding round. Form an advisory board of fellow founders and then collaborate to identify the challenges and create effective solutions. You’re participating in a discussion at SAAS North about funding women-led companies. How critical are these discussions at events like SAAS North? HK: Having a platform like SAAS North to discuss the challenges women-led companies are facing is so important to solving them. By bringing together key industry innovators creates a space where challenges, like the persistent funding gap faced by women-led tech companies, can be openly acknowledged and dissected. These events offer a unique opportunity for women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of all kinds to share their experiences and celebrate success. Sharing stories of resilience and innovation not only empowers individual founders, but also serves as a source of inspiration for the next generation of women in tech. I’m very proud to be part of this year’s SAAS North event. What does the future hold for women-led tech companies in your view? HK: To me, it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact, the future for women-led tech companies is more promising than it might seem. There is a growing awareness of the immense untapped potential that women entrepreneurs bring to the table. There is a growing recognition of the value diversity brings to the tech industry, and I firmly believe this will pave the way for more opportunities and success for women-led tech companies. #saasnorth #helenkontozopoulos #ODAIA #startupsinCanada  The #OBIO Women in Health Initiative (#WiHI) is back with the next Women Leaders in Health Science Breakfast in Toronto on September 21! Join us to hear our guest speaker, Helen Kontozopoulos, Chief Tech Evangelist & Co-Founder of ODAIA, discuss how she co-founded a company from ground-up, nuances of taking it to the next level and her entrepreneurial journey.
👋Limited spots. Register now! https://lnkd.in/dM52vjs7 #womenentrepreneurs #womeninentrepreneurship #womeninstem #womeninscience #womenintech #womenfounders #womenleaders #entrepreneurship #healthtech #femalefounders  Excited to be featured in Fortune Magazine's Founders Forum group: Meet the 2023 Fortune Founders Forum list! https://fortune.com/2023/08/10/fortune-founders-forum-2023/
#founderforum #fortuneforum2023 #DeerPark  It was a fun interview! and yes, I am very geeky :)
Here it is: torontolife.com/city/the-questionnaire-three-ai-execs-explain-the-techs-extraordinary-powers-and-its-potential-dangers/ #TorontoLife #ArtificialIntelligence #HelenKontozopoulos  Link to Pharmaceutical Management Science Association (PMSA): https://www.pmsa.org/
#dataanalytics #artificialintelligence #pharmaceuticalindustry  So excited and looking forward to join this great lineup of speakers at the upcoming Toronto Machine Learning Society (TMLS) Women x AI event taking place on April 12th. If you are around, do join us!
All proceed from this event will support The Shoebox Project, Toronto Chapter. I will be sharing the panel alongside Andrea Ruotolo, Fulbright PhD, Helen Kontozopoulos Sarah Sun Diana Moyano, MMAI We will be discussing on the topic: Strategies for Women to Succeed in the AI Industry During Times of Layoffs Register here: https://lnkd.in/gDwx_bwf For more details on The Shoebox Project, visit: https://lnkd.in/gzZZ84hB #networking #opportunity #machinelearning #womeninai #ai #womenchangemakers Tina Aprile, CMP David Scharbach Faraz Thambi Alyssa Lefaivre Škopac Women in AI | Women in AI Canada | ADP #tmls #womeninai  The Toronto Health Datathon 2023 welcomed students, academics, clinicians, and professionals in any field wishing to advance their skills in implementing Machine Learning models to solve real-world problems facing the Canadian healthcare system. Participants backgrounds included engineering, computer science, statistics, medicine, and data science. Over two days we heard from world-renowned guest speakers, work with incredible mentors, and participated in fun activities! It was a lot of fun in judging the final projects!     |
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Helen KontozopoulosFounder & CEO of Resiin Archives
August 2024
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