Carpe Datum
Welcome to 'Carpe Datum,' the podcast where we dive into the fascinating world of data science. Join us bi-monthly on Monday 5:00 AM PST as we explore the diverse experiences, insights, and journeys within the field. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your journey, tune in to hear firsthand accounts and valuable lessons from individuals shaping the future of data science.
Episodes
Celebrating two years of stories, insights, and inspiration from women in STEM and data-driven fields. We’re also expanding our focus to digital literacy and the evolving role of AI!
As we wrap up the 4th season of Carpe Datum, we want to celebrate the incredible women who shared their journeys across data, STEM, leadership, and creativity. This season is a reminder that meaningful data work starts with people. Thanks for listening, and don’t forget to seize the data!
Winning Competitive Scholarships: Success is driven by strategic preparation, consistent personal growth, and long-term persistence through challenges.
Student-Led Advocacy in STEM: Grassroots leadership can expand opportunities, visibility, and access to STEM programs through sustained student initiative.
From Idea to Impact (Gold Award): Meaningful projects emerge from aligning personal passion with community need and executing...
Career Journey & Daily Work: What sparked their path into data science and what energizes their day-to-day problem-solving.
Sustaining a Two-Decade Career: A growth mindset that supports adaptability, curiosity, and purpose across shifting missions.
User Needs From the Ground Up: How real-world, hands-on experiences shape more empathetic, user-centered data tools and events.
Guiding Real-World Student Projects: Helping student...
Influence of a Secondary School Teacher: Early encouragement can lead to long-term impact of belief and representation in STEM.
Problem-Solving Approach: Complex challenges are tackled through structured thinking, practical questioning, and a focus on clarity over complexity.
Making STEM Accessible: STEM is made approachable by connecting concepts to everyday life, encouraging curiosity, and removing barriers of intimidation.
Shif...
Mentoring at UofT: Helped students see hidden opportunities (like work-study programs), shaping a mentorship style grounded in practical guidance and empathy.
Project Coordination at Canada Bread: Learned to simplify data communication by focusing on outcomes, not visuals but answering “So what?” for non-technical stakeholders.
Adapting Across Projects: Staying curious and doing deep research into each domain helps turn ...
- Supporting Teams & Embracing Challenges at Aize: Data solutions through collaboration and adaptability, ensuring they’re intuitive and aligned with user needs.
NHIF Internship & Interest in Data Analytics: NHIF spark to explore data’s role in healthcare, blending purpose with problem-solving.
- Teaching Diverse Learners in STEM: Adapting content with pliability, switching methods and tools based on each st...
Short Intensive Courses (e.g. Kaggle x Google Gen AI): Short intensives give you concentrated exposure and momentum for testing new skills quickly without a long commitment.
Breaking Into Data Science Without a Formal Background: Credibility comes from consistency like personal projects and public contributions.
Overlaps Between Draco Work and Academic Research: Even across different domains, problem-solving patterns, experimenta...
Consulting to Data Science: Structured thinking and stakeholder empathy are just as critical in data science as they are in consulting.
Choosing Tools in Evolving Environments: Letting the problem dictate the method.
Mentoring vs. Judging at Hackathons:The key is timing to guide with empathy, clarity, and fairness during and at the end of the process.
Personal Interests Shaping Professional Identity: Integrating personal passions ...
Community STEAM Access: Bringing STEAM into community spaces helps break barriers to access and makes learning feel more approachable and inclusive.
Engaging Young Minds: Making STEAM fun, hands-on, and adaptable across ages keeps young learners curious and engaged.
Designing for All: Teaching across educational stages informs the creation of activities that are both developmentally appropriate and universally exciting.
Future of ...
- Global Engagement & Leadership: Her work across global orgs like UN Women UK and Code.org is driven by a commitment to inclusive tech leadership and creating accessible entry points for women in STEM.
- Lowering Barriers with Visual Tools: Using AppInventor’s visual programming allows beginners to grasp coding concepts without fear, often creating functional apps in their very first session.
- Representation on t...
IT Support Misconceptions: She shares the surprising fulfillment and common misconceptions about working in IT at IKEA.
Women in Tech: She explains why women-centered tech spaces still matter and how they empower community in 2025.
Event Impact: She reflects on the feedback and moments that make hosting events like Tech Trivia Night worthwhile.
Data-Driven Mindset: She discusses how real business outcomes at Costa Coffee reshaped ...
Purposeful Multitasking: Running both a coffee brand and a creative/engineering career requires finding shared values that guide work across disciplines.
Pivoting with Purpose:The shift from physics to analytics was driven by curiosity and a desire for real-world impact, revealing unexpected similarities like problem-solving and system thinking.
- Creative Data Vision: Creativity plays a powerful role in identifying patte...
Lessons from a year of transformation: After a year of meeting over 1,000 people, Manik reflects on the most surprising personal and professional lessons that shaped his growth and leadership.
Scaling beyond courses: Shares how insights from the “Anyone Can Build a Community” course helped him grow Girls Leading Tech from just 5 participants to over 1,900 members, and how intentional community-building fueled that exponential gr...
Teen Skill Gaps: Teens often struggle most with self-doubt and direction bridging that gap means building confidence through exposure and mentorship, not just hard skills.
Leadership vs. Creativity: True collaboration thrives when structured leadership is balanced with space for creativity and diverse thinking styles.
Resumes & Communication: A standout resume quietly tells a story, and confident public speaking star...
Real-World Spark: Early exposure to how data can uncover hidden patterns in social issues inspired a passion for using it as a tool for change.
Building Carpe Datum: Starting the podcast and community stemmed from a desire to humanize data science.
Leading as a Student: A key challenge was listening first and leading with empathy.
Data for Tough Topics: Data gives young people a credible voice to explore hard conversations like me...
Inside the Northwestern Prison Education Program: Mena shares her role as a volunteer, what it’s like teaching inside correctional facilities, and how data could help evaluate or improve such programs.
Founding Women in Statistics at Northwestern: The story behind launching the group, how it created community, and how it led to her regional ambassador role with Women in Data Science (WiDS) Chicago.
Why Statistics?: A personal loo...
In this special Season 3 recap of Carpe Datum, we revisit 12 inspiring conversations with women who are shaping the future of data science. From AI innovation and healthcare analytics to digital storytelling, career reinvention, and advocacy in STEM, each guest brought unique insights and impact. Join us as we celebrate their journeys and reflect on the powerful themes of growth, mentorship, and making data meaningful.
Building Professional Relationships: Insights into how Maheen has built strong professional connections, leading to numerous recommendations on LinkedIn, and tips for fostering meaningful professional relationships.
Volunteering in Data Science: Advice for data professionals on leveraging their AI/ML expertise in volunteer work, making a meaningful impact, and transitioning into the volunteer space effectively.
Navigating Chal...
- Balancing Multiple Projects: Discusses strategies for managing excitement and challenges in multiple tech initiatives.
- Importance of Digital Presence: Emphasizes the value of having an interactive portfolio and advice on building one.
- Excelling in Academics and Tech: Tips on staying focused and motivated while balancing a demanding academic schedule with tech fellowships.
- Diverse Internship Experiences: ...
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