2025-11-08 –, Room 301A
Data science has the power to shape industries and societies. This panel will focus on empowering underrepresented groups in data science through education, access to tools, and career opportunities. Panelists will share their journeys, discuss the importance of democratizing data skills, and explore how to make the field more accessible to diverse talent.
- Personal Narratives: Inspiring stories of panelists who entered data science through non-traditional paths, such as self-taught coding, bootcamps, or community programs, and how they overcame barriers like lack of access to resources or representation.
- Spotlight on Initiatives: Insights into programs like PyLadies Seattle, Women Techmakers, Let's Talk Disability Global, Seattle Women in Machine Learning and Data Scienc, which provide training, mentorship, and networking opportunities for underrepresented groups.
- Actionable Strategies: Practical ideas for organizations, educators, and individuals to make data science education and tools more accessible, including open-source resources, scholarships, and inclusive hiring practices.
- Interactive Q&A: An opportunity for attendees to engage with panelists on how to implement inclusive practices in their own workplaces or communities.
Panelists: Anquida Adams, Heejoon Ahn, Micheleen Harris, Oli Dinov
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.
Micheleen’s day job is working as a data scientist and bioinformatician, partnering with healthcare and academic customers to help make experiences and treatments better for patients. Micheleen has her MSc from NYU in Bioinformatics and loves to be at that intersection of bio and tech. She is passionate about learning, sharing her experiences with new ML and DS methods, and collaborating with others who enjoy data science. Micheleen is an organizer for two Seattle area community meetups: Seattle Women in Machine Learning and Data Science (a chapter of WiMLDS global) and Seattle AI Workshops. She believes in giving everyone a voice in tech, especially those who aren’t often give a chance. In her spare time she can be found volunteering, hiking, skiing, and painting.
Anquida Adams is a keynote speaker, consultant, and leadership developer dedicated to cultivating healthier, more inclusive cultures within leaders, teams, and communities. With a foundation in culture development and Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (EID), she brings over a decade of expertise helping organizations build environments that foster belonging, accountability, and innovation through human-centered leadership.
Through her signature frameworks—Identity Intelligence™️, Human Energetic Systems™️, Human Emotional Set-point Systems™️, and Socio-Emotional/Psychological Intelligence™️—Anquida equips executives and teams with tools to foster self-awareness, relational balance, and authentic leadership. Her work bridges the science of behavior with the art of human connection, guiding leaders to understand how identity, emotions, and social systems influence organizational health and culture.
Anquida’s executive and team programs emphasize inclusive, emotionally intelligent leadership, equipping organizations to navigate change, conflict, and transformation with resilience and well-being. Her philosophy—“We are the subculture of the larger culture; how are you showing up?”—reflects her belief that cultural change begins with individual accountability and self-leadership.
As a Social Relations Coach and Organizational Developer, Anquida explores how interpersonal, team-based, and institutional relationships shape opportunity, collaboration, and long-term sustainability. She draws upon theories such as social exchange theory, social constructionism, and symbolic interactionism to develop practical strategies for enhancing communication, strengthening networks, resolving conflict, and achieving deeper cultural alignment.
Her expertise spans all dimensions of human systems:
-Interpersonal Relationships: Building trust, empathy, and resilience across professional and personal contexts.
-Teams & Social Networks: Strengthening collaboration and innovation through relationship-based leadership.
-Social Interactions: Navigating cooperation, conflict, power, and negotiation with clarity and fairness.
-Organizational & Social Structure: Addressing systemic patterns, hierarchy, and culture that impact equity and inclusion.
-Social Impact: Connecting leadership practices to community well-being, organizational performance, and sustainability.
Anquida’s unique approach integrates socio-emotional intelligence with leadership development, helping organizations recognize that leadership is not just about strategy—it is about relationships, behavior, and co-creating thriving, equitable cultures.
Educated at Mississippi State University, she earned a Bachelor's degree in Sociology, Gender Studies, and Leadership Skills in 2010. After relocating to Seattle, she pursued a Master’s degree in Leadership and Organizational Development Systems (2014–2015). She also holds a Green Belt Lean Six Sigma Certification (University of Washington Tacoma, 2016) and completed the Minority Business Executive Program at UW Seattle (2018).
Her leadership in EID and community engagement includes serving as:
-Women In Bio Seattle Chapter DEI Chair (2024–Present)
-Chapter of Mothers (2024–Present)
-2025 PNW Climate Week Eastside Lead, managing over 35 sessions
-Space Week Planning Committee (Lead Space and Disability Inclusion, 2025)
-Mayor Appointed Seattle Disabilities Commission, Former Commissioner and Chair of Inclusion, Development & Outreach
-Rotary Club World Disability Advocacy Board Member (2022–23), now Honorary Member and President Advisor
-AFP, Event Planning Committee Member
-Elected 43LD Executive Board Officer, KCDCC Alternate/ KCDCC Co-Committee Chair of Membership Appreciation / WA Dem Caucus 2020/ Chair of Affirmative Action Committee (WADemCaucus2020), Election Observer
-Board of Directors, Metropolitan Democratic Club
-King County Board Developmental Disabilities/VC of the Board/ and Legislative Committee Co-Lead
-Techstars Seattle Startup Week VP of Tracks (2018)
-Kent Chamber of Commerce, Chamber Member/ DEI Committee Member
-Fremont Chamber of Commerce, Board Member, DEI Committee Lead
-GSBA Chamber of Commerce Ambassador and Scholar Interviewer Volunteer
-Seattle Chamber of Commerce, YPN Board Member
-Year Up, Student Mentor
Reliable Enterprise AI @ AI By The Bay
Heejoon is a Senior Data Scientist at Northwell Health working in healthcare research with a focus on analyzing fitness tracker data in personalized clinical trials. Heejoon has her MS from Dartmouth College in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (Health Data Science) and is passionate about the interdisciplinary field of computational biology. She is passionate about advancements in AI and data governance. Heejoon is also an Ambassador of the Open Data Science Conference Seattle chapter to help other data professionals share their ideas and the latest methodologies in the data science field.