DAMA-WI April 4th Event – Infonomics

Abstract

Title: Infonomics - How to monetize, manage and measure data as an asset

The discipline of infonomics takes you beyond thinking and talking about information as an asset to actually valuing and treating it as one. Infonomics provides the foundation and methods for quantifying information asset value and tactics for using information as your competitive edge to drive growth.

Join us for this session where Doug Laney will share insights from his best-selling book, Infonomics, about how organizations can actually treat information as an enterprise asset.

Agenda (to be finalized)

8:30 am - Breakfast & Networking

 9:00 am to 9:10 am - DAMA Wisconsin Updates

 9:15 am to 12 pm - Doug Laney

 12:30 pm to 12:40 pm - Closing Comments

Location:

American Family Insurance,  6000 American Pkwy, Madison WI

Bio:

Doug Laney is a best-selling author and recognized authority on data and analytics strategy. He advises senior IT, business and data leaders on data monetization and valuation, data management and governance, external data strategies, analytics best practices, and establishing data and analytics organizations. Doug’s book, Infonomics: How to Monetize, Manage, and Measure Information for Competitive Advantage, was selected by CIO Magazine as the “Must-Read Book of the Year” and a “Top 5 Books for Business Leaders and Tech Innovators.”

Currently, the Data & Analytics Strategy Innovation Fellow with the consulting firm West Monroe, Doug previously held the position of Distinguished Analyst with Gartner’s Chief Data Officer research and advisory team and was a three-time Gartner annual thought leadership award recipient.

In addition, Doug launched and managed the Deloitte Analytics Institute, is a Forbes contributing writer and has been published in the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times among other journals. Doug has guest-lectured at major business schools around the world and is a visiting professor with the University of Illinois Gies College of Business where he teaches Infonomics and Business Analytics Executive Overview courses, which also are available online via Coursera.

He also co-chairs the annual MIT CDO/IQ Symposium, is a visiting professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College, is a member of the World Economic Forum’s data exchange initiative, a member of the American Economic Association, and sits on various technology company advisory boards.

Payment Options:

 Membership - Corporate - $400.00 USD

Membership - Individual - $100.00 USD

Meeting - Non-Member Fee -$50.00 USD

Meeting - Sponsor - $500.00 USD

To send payment by check please use the following details:

Payable to:     WI DAMA

Mail to:           Jenny Mangasarian

                         7201 Colony Dr    

                         Madison, WI 53717

DAMA-WI December 5th Event – Data and AI DAY

AGENDA

 8:30 am - Breakfast & Networking

 9:00 am to 9:10 am - DAMA Wisconsin Updates

 9:10 am to 10:00 am       - Dr. Amit Shah, President, GNS-AI LLC

 10:00 am to 10:10 am    - Break 

 10:10 am to 11:00 am       - Karan Dhawal, Enterprise Data & Transformation Strategy Leader, ZS Associates, LLC

                                              - Phillip Finucane, Technology Executive & Engineering Leader | Strategic Business Partner, Pat Inc.

 11:00 am to 11:10 am    - Break 

 11:10 am to Noon       - Mechie Nkengla, Ph.D., CEO | Chief Data Strategist, Data Products LLC

 Noon am to 12:30       - Panel Discussion

 12:30 pm to 12:40 pm - Closing Comments

Location:

American Family Insurance,  6000 American Pkwy, Madison WI

Speaker: Dr. Amit Shah

Generative AI and Data Silos and Audit Trails

Title: "Optimizing Data Management for Generative AI: A Deep Dive into Audit Trails, Data Quality, and Data Silos" 

Abstract:

In the dynamic realm of artificial intelligence, generative AI emerges as a pioneering force, offering transformative capabilities in data generation, augmentation, and analytics. Yet, the true potential of this technology is deeply intertwined with the nuances of data management. This presentation seeks to initiate a crucial dialogue around three fundamental pillars - audit trails, data quality, and data silos - and their profound significance in the context of generative AI. Audit trails, while often overlooked, are paramount in upholding data integrity and security. They provide a transparent lens into AI operations, ensuring accountability at every step. In this discussion, we'll delve into the inherent challenges and considerations in crafting audit trails, especially given the multifaceted nature of generative AI. The aim is to shed light on the importance of these trails in safeguarding AI's credibility and trustworthiness. Data quality remains at the heart of any AI endeavor. Its role becomes even more critical when we venture into the domain of generative AI, where the quality of input data can profoundly influence the reliability and ethical dimensions of the output. This segment will stimulate thought around the challenges, implications, and potential avenues to enhance data quality, drawing from emerging trends and observations in the AI sphere. Data silos, a longstanding challenge, take on renewed importance in the AI landscape. Their presence can hinder the flow of information, impede data accessibility, and compromise the comprehensive training of AI models. We'll discuss the implications of these silos and ponder over potential approaches to foster a more integrated data environment conducive for generative AI. This presentation is not a prescriptive guide but an invitation to reflect, discuss, and collaboratively navigate the intricate interplay between data management and generative AI. Attendees are encouraged to join this exploratory journey, bringing their perspectives and insights to the table. Together, we aim to foster a deeper understanding and a shared vision for the future of data management in the age of generative AI."

Bio: Dr. Amit Shah

"Dr. Amit Shah is a Data Science expert and a thought leader in Artificial Intelligence, renowned for his innovative and results-oriented approach. He has consistently demonstrated a commitment to mentorship, empowering IT professionals to reach their highest potential, as evidenced by his outstanding mentorship ratings.

His strategic leadership at Abbott Labs was showcased by a first-place finish in a Data Science Hackathon, leveraging causal modeling to improve sales forecasts. He was pivotal in developing automated analytics and advancing operational forecasting models within Abbott Diagnostics R&D. Additionally, Dr. Shah played a crucial role in enhancing the division's data governance, creating a roadmap for integrating data across silos to strengthen data management practices.

Transitioning to the healthcare sector, Dr. Shah adeptly combined Natural Language Processing with healthcare analytics at a dynamic startup, developing AI-driven tools that advanced symptom detection and health recommendations. This work not only augmented patient engagement but also demonstrated his skill in converting complex data into actionable insights.

In the academic realm, Dr. Shah pursued a PhD focused on computational modeling, human movement, and robotics. His expertise in statistical analysis and predictive modeling is extensive, spanning Matlab, R, and Python. He is also recognized for his pioneering development of a safety-margin controller using reinforcement learning.

As the President of GNS-AI LLC, Dr. Shah applies his deep knowledge to drive business profitability through AI and data analytics. He guides companies in deploying generative AI with precision and efficacy, identifies strategies for data monetization, and develops AI and data strategic roadmaps. His efforts streamline operational workflows and capitalize on advanced technologies, leading to improved forecasting and decision-support systems. His comprehensive approach exemplifies DAMA’s dedication to the principles of data management excellence.

 Dr. Shah's presentation at the DAMA event will delve into the critical importance of dismantling data silos and establishing robust audit trails. His insights are pivotal for the responsible development of generative AI, underscoring the need for transparent and ethical data practices that align with the evolution of AI applications."

Speakers: Karan Dhawal  & Phillip Finucane

Topic: “Manage AI Risk – Ethical Data & AI – Let’s Play"

Abstract:

Ethical AI needs to be the critical ingredient for decision making in every AI initiative. Ethical AI will bring trust in what your company does and directly lead to more customer growth and retention. . This proposed session will summarize guiding principles of ethical AI and data management. Doing the right thing in the design, data capture, coding and final functionality for algorithms is paramount. We will play a quiz together with about 10 AI and data ethical scenarios and learn together on how you incorporate this at your daily work in data quality, data architecture, data privacy, security and overall data strategy.

Bio: Karan Dhawal

Karan is a dedicated, innovative and trustworthy Customer-Centric transformations executive with a strong record of achievement building and managing "cross-functional, high-performance” delivery and service management teams. His passion in enterprise data management and data science brings in innovative thought leadership concepts to provide key moment of value for customers. He has experience in Oil & Gas, Telecommunications, Manufacturing, Insurance, Healthcare verticals and currently works for ZS a strategic consulting company  as a data & transformation leader. He has a copyright on "Monetizable Data Elements" framework that allows for accelerated data monetization. Graduate of Carnegie Mellon University Chief data officer course he brings foundational EDM frameworks to life by solving complex problems for his clients.

Bio: Phillip Finucane

Phillip Finucane is a high-impact engineering leader with deep understanding of the value of best-in-class technology as it relates to enabling business success. He brings extensive experience optimizing technology strategy for some of the world’s most progressive tech companies across sectors, including finance, healthcare, social media, and gaming. A trusted business partner, he provides big picture business acumen and a strong background in engineering modernization, product strategy, risk  management, Big Data and AI, cost management, cybersecurity, and acquisitions and integrations. He has been trusted repeatedly throughout his career to drive major transformation endeavors and culture shifts that support growth, enhance operating efficiency, and transform low-performing engineering teams into fast-moving, highly effective business drivers. Phil builds an empowering and rewarding working environment with consistently increasing engagement and enablement scores, and places high value on ingenuity and diversity of thought.

Currently Phil is the CTO of Pat Inc, an early stage startup developing a symbolic AI engine for natural language understanding.

Manage AI Risk – Ethical Data & AI

Speaker: Mechie Nkengla

Topic:

A Dynamic Journey Through The Data-Focused Aspects of Generative AI and LLMs

Abstract:

This talk would cater to data professionals interested in understanding the intricate workings of generative AI, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs) like GPT-4. The focus would be on the data-driven aspects of how these models are built, trained, and how they evolve.

The session would cover:

• Introduction to Generative AI and LLMs: A brief overview of generative AI and the place of LLMs within this field.

• Data Foundations: Discussing the types of data used in training LLMs, data preprocessing, and dataset creation.

• Model Architecture: Exploring the transformer architecture that underpins LLMs, focusing on how data flows through the model.

• Training Process: In-depth look at the training process, including data sampling methods, optimization techniques, and loss functions.

• Evaluating Model Performance: Methods for assessing LLMs, including the role of validation sets and metrics used to gauge language understanding and generation capabilities.

• Challenges in Data for LLMs: Addressing issues such as data bias, the need for diverse datasets, and data privacy implications in training LLMs.

• Real-world examples of how LLMs are being used in industry and the data strategies behind these applications.

The talk would cover theoretical aspects and practical insights, engaging data professionals with the conceptual framework and the technical specifics of LLMs from a data perspective.

Bio: Dr. Mechie Nkengla

Dr. Mechie Nkengla, an expert in the data and AI landscape, is the Founder and Chief AI and Data Strategist at Data Products LLC, a data & AI consultancy. A Ph.D. Mathematician, she has extensive experience partnering with industry, academia, and government as a strategic advisor to Executive Leadership teams, building strategic roadmaps and tactical plans to ensure optimal use of technology investments. Formerly a director at EY Analytics Center of Excellence, she is a highly experienced data executive and the holder of multiple patents. Dr. Nkengla is widely respected as a thought leader in the realms of data strategy, AI, machine learning, data literacy, and governance. She enjoys hiking, dancing, and eating seafood, not necessarily in that order.

DAMA-WI September 19 Event – Data Catalog Vendor Matchup DAY!

Wisconsin DAMA Chapter is hosting a Data Catalog Matchup on September 19 for our membership and hosted by our corporate member, American Family Insurance in Madison, WI.

The matchup will be a forum where opposing Data Catalog products are compared live side by side demonstrating the solution’s approach to specific defined Data Catalog capabilities and can showcasing their unique innovative solution features. 

The matchup will consist of the following demonstrations stages. Each competitor will be given up to 7 minutes to conduct each stage of the demonstration with their solution. 

1.            Ability to connect to major applications and data sources both on premise and on cloud

2.            Ability to collect both business, technical, and other types of metadata (e.g., operational)

3.            Collaboration features

4.            Data lineage both horizontal and vertical capabilities

5.            Multiple user personas (business, technical, others) capabilities

6.            Data governance and data steward’s capabilities

7.            Demo vendor other features including unique capabilities

Confirmed Data Catalog vendors include:

AGENDA

8:30 am - Breakfast & Networking

9:00 am to 9:15 am - DAMA Wisconsin Updates

9:15 am to 10:45 am       - Data Catalog Vendor Matchup - Round 1- Stages 1 thru 4

11:00 am to 11:15 am    - Break 

11:15 am to 12:45 pm    - Data Catalog Vendor Matchup - Round 2- Stages 5 thru 7

12:45 pm to 1:00 pm      - Matchup Summary

1:00 pm to 1:15 pm         - Closing Comments

Location:

American Family Insurance, Building C,  6000 American Pkwy, Madison WI

WI DAMA JUNE 8 Event - Chapter Members Presentation Day! 

AGENDA

• 8:30 am - Breakfast & Networking 

• 9:00 am to 9:15 am - DAMA Wisconsin Updates 

• 9:15 am to 9:30 am - Sponsor 

• 10:00 am to 10:30 am - Jeremiah Robinson, Information Assets LLC, topic “The Modern Data Stack” 

• 10:40 am to 11:10 am - Harriet Esther Allen, University of Wisconsin-Madison, topic “Putting the Pieces Together: Matching English Language Proficiency Test Scores to Undergraduate Applications”” 

• 11:20 am to 11:50 am - Justin Swenson, Sub-Zero Group, Inc, topic "Modern Data Governance & Tooling" 

• Noon to 12:30 pm - Aditya Kaushal, Former Walgreens Boots Alliance, topic "Recommendations for the Data Organization" 

• 12:40 am to 1:10 am - Panel discussion with the speakers 

• 1:15 pm – Closing Comments 

Date: June 8th, 2023

Location

Society Insurance, 150 Camelot Drive, Fond du Lac, WI 54935 

Sponsors

DAMA-WI March 9 Event W/ DONNA BURBANK

Title: Aligning Data Strategy with Data Governance

Abstract:

In today’s data-driven enterprise, creating a data strategy can seem more complex than ever. Not only is innovation in technology occurring at a more rapid pace than ever before, but as more business stakeholders become involved with data-centric initiatives, “people-centric” initiatives such as data governance increase in importance as well. This workshop demystifies data governance and data strategy and provides practical steps in creating a robust data strategy that encompasses people, process, and technology to provide concrete and demonstrable business value.  Topics include:

• Data Strategy – Aligning business drivers with data initiatives

• Data Governance – Orchestrating the people, process, technology, and culture required

• Creating an Actionable Roadmap – Build “quick wins” into your roadmap to provide business value

March 9th, 2023

Location
Cambria East Madison Hotel, 5045 Eastpark Blvd, Madison, WI 53718

Agenda

8:30 to 9:00 - Welcome, Networking
9:00 to 9:30 - DAMA Wisconsin Updates and Sponsor Presentations
9:30 to 11:30 - Featured Speaker
11:30 to 11:45 - Closing Remarks

Sponsors

Donna Burbank

Donna Burbank is a recognized industry expert in information management with over 25 years of experience in data management and enterprise architecture. She currently is the Managing Director of Global Data Strategy Ltd, an international data management consulting company, and has worked with dozens of Fortune 500 companies worldwide in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Her background is multi-faceted across consulting, product development, product management, brand strategy, marketing, and business leadership. As an active contributor to the data management community, she is a long time DAMA International member, Past President and Advisor to the DAMA Rocky Mountain chapter, and was awarded the Excellence in Data Management Award from DAMA International.  She speaks regularly at industry conferences, has co-authored several books on data management, and speaks and writes regularly with industry publications and organizations such as Harvard Business Review, DATAVERSITY, EM360 Tech, Information Management & TDAN. 

DAMA-WI dec 1 Event W/ GRANT ECKER

DAMA Wisconsin is pleased to welcome Grant Ecker as our December speaker. Grant’s topic will be “Enterprise Architecture: Seeking to Partner and Create Information Ecosystem Outcomes”. Grant Ecker is the Global VP of Enterprise Architecture with Walgreens Boots Alliance. Prior to joining WBA, Grant was the Global Head of Architecture at Medtronic and prior to this he managed Architecture Governance for Lowe’s Home Improvement. Earlier on in his career Grant worked played various roles at Lowe's and General Mills leading enterprise technology platforms and integrations. Grant received his BSCS from Washington University in Saint Louis, and an MBA from the Carlson school at UMN.

December 1st, 2022

Location
American Family Insurance, 6000 American Pkwy, Madison WI 53783

Agenda

8:30 to 9:00 - Welcome, Networking
9:00 to 9:30 - DAMA Wisconsin Updates and Sponsor Presentations
9:30 to 11:30 - Featured Speaker
11:30 to 11:45 - Closing Remarks

Sponsors

Grant Ecker

Grant Ecker is the Global VP of Enterprise Architecture with Walgreens Boots Alliance. Prior to joining WBA, Grant was the Global Head of Architecture at Medtronic and prior to this he managed Architecture Governance for Lowe’s Home Improvement. Earlier on in his career Grant worked played various roles at Lowe's and General Mills leading enterprise technology platforms and integrations. Grant received his BSCS from Washington University in Saint Louis, and an MBA from the Carlson school at UMN.