2025-11-07 –, Room 301A
Creating successful data products requires more than just powerful algorithms it demands a deep understanding of user needs. In this panel, founders and leaders from innovative data-driven startups share their strategies for designing user-centric data products including Python-based tools.
Join us for an engaging discussion with startup leaders Founders and CEOs who have successfully built startups that prioritize user needs. This panel will explore how the open source ecosystem enables rapid prototyping and deployment of data solutions, while emphasizing strategies for understanding user pain points, incorporating feedback, and scaling products. Expect insights on choosing the right tools, aligning data with business goals, and creating intuitive interfaces that make complex analytics accessible. Ideal for entrepreneurs, data scientists, and product managers looking to bridge the gap between data and user impact.
Panelist: Joshua Ahmed, Yujian Tang, Yinhan Liu, Pedro Luraschi
Host: Eloisa Elias T
Eloisa stands as a trailblazer in Seattle’s tech scene, recognized as the Pacific Northwest’s premier open-source event host. As a data scientist and the visionary founder of PyData Seattle under NumFOCUS, she has cultivated a vibrant community for data enthusiasts. She also chairs PyLadies Seattle, empowering women in Python programming.
Her leadership extends to founding the Women in Data Science (WiDS) and Women’s conferences in Seattle, fostering inclusive spaces for learning and collaboration. As a Women Techmakers Ambassador and Databricks MVP, Eloisa amplifies her impact, inspiring countless individuals through mentorship and advocacy.
Serving on the Technical Board at NumFOCUS, Eloisa shapes the strategic direction of open-source scientific computing. Her tireless collaboration with nonprofit tech organizations, city and state governments, and enterprises drives impactful diversity and inclusion programs, uplifting women and underrepresented minorities in tech.
Cofounder & CEO of FlickBloom
Bio – Joshua Ahmed | Founder & CEO, RealEngineers
Joshua Ahmed is the founder and CEO of RealEngineers, a platform that gives recruiters the ability to evaluate hardware engineers with the same clarity and confidence as technical experts — without needing an engineering degree.
A former RF Engineer at Lockheed Martin, Joshua worked on mission data and sensor fusion tools for the F-35 program. There, he saw how exceptional engineers were often overlooked — not because of skill, but because recruiters lacked tools to understand their work.
That frustration became the seed for RealEngineers — a “HackerRank for hardware engineers” that replaces artificial coding tests with real engineering proof. The platform is now evolving into a GitHub-style home for physical engineering disciplines, where engineers can showcase their real-world projects and recruiters can instantly see what great engineering looks like.
Joshua’s mission is to make technical talent visible, measurable, and transferable — starting with the 70% of engineers the internet forgot.
Yujian Tang is the founder of OSS4AI. His work primarily focuses on helping developers and founders access information, resources, and community.
Pedro is the cofounder and COO of Hal9, an AI platform startup incubated at the Allen Institute for AI (AI2) in Seattle. Hal9 empowers entrepreneurs to build and launch their own AI-powered products without the complexity of managing technical infrastructure. In this work, Pedro has collaborated with professionals including doctors, real estate agents, artists, toy designers, and educators to bring their AI ideas to life.
Before Hal9, Pedro founded Baud, an emerging technology product development studio, and Cardbots, an edTech startup that helped children develop creative and technical skills for the future. With a background in robotics and philosophy, Pedro has spent over a decade teaching high school and college students, combining hands-on technical expertise with a human-centered approach to innovation.