Algorithm Fairness - Jeanette Mumbeck & Grant Gilkerson

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This month’s episode of The Uplow’d is a special virtual edition. Our host Dan O’Keeffe welcomes 84.51°’s Jeanette Mumbeck and Grant Gilkerson to talk about Algorithm Fairness. We discuss the prevalence of algorithms in modern society, and how it’s actually possible for bias to enter into the results they produce. Jeanette and Grant explain the steps that 84.51° is taking to eliminate bias, and offer their suggestions for actions other data scientists can take to help promote fairness in their work.

Jeanette Mumbeck is the manager for the 84.51° Science Function – a group dedicated toward longer-term research and development. Her area covers multiple disciplines such as Forecasting, Optimization and Machine Learning and focuses not only on scientific advances, but also scale. She has a long history with the Kroger family, playing a significant role across multiple initiatives to drive data and science decision making into businesses processes – from warehouse and store supply chain systems to price optimization. Jeanette has over 20 years of experience in applied sciences for national and international retail. She holds a B.Sc in Computer Science, Mathematics and Applied Mathematics from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Grant Gilkerson currently leads a team of more than 20 data scientists who deliver recommender systems and customer insights to Kroger’s e-commerce business. He joined the company in 2012 within the Communications and Media practice, before transitioning to data science lead for the Kroger Customer Knowledge team prior to his current role. Grant has more than 20 years of experience developing impactful solutions across multiple industries that deliver outcomes that make a positive impact on business and customers. Grant holds a M.S. in Economics from the University of Kentucky.

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