Innovator, Entrepreneur, UI/ UX
Hi! I'm Afreen Bhumgara.
I'm interested in the intersection of product management, data & software engineering.
authenticity, resilience, creativity.
All about me!
I graduated with a Master's degree in Computer Science and a minor in Engineering Management from Northwestern University. Prior to that, I graduated top of my class with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Pune University. An ardent fan of all things technology, I can often be found involved in the world of software development, algorithms, artificial intelligence, data science, neural networks, and mathematics.
I am currently employed as Product Manager - User Experience at Verkada (previously Lead Product Manager at Goalster Corp, a Researcher at TIILT lab, and a Teaching Assistant for CS 211 for which I was awarded the Peter and Adrienne Barris Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award).
Over the past years, I have worked on projects with researchers & organizations, presented my work at international conferences such as IEEE, served as a panel member at international conferences & technical events and spoke at TEDx twice about issues I deeply believe in.
My research work includes machine learning & its applications in software development, particularly, building models to detect network intrusions with the help of ML classifiers, designing novel algorithms to perform sentiment analysis of social media comments, creating deep neural networks for image recognition, performing text to image conversion using generative adversarial networks, leveraging techniques to effectively manage big data and studying how big-data can help climate change mitigation policies, as well as, understanding how big data policies can lead to improvements in the agro-climate industry in developing countries like India!
My aim is simple - use the power of technology to help organizations build reliable software systems, manage efficient & optimal products, make better decisions, & enhance user-experience. I also want to use technology to help local & not-for-profit organizations make a difference, especially in India.
My passions have often led me to being involved in numerous things, from being president at various clubs, founder of a startup that aims to help the unprivileged and less resourceful segments of society, founder of an Animal Shelter in Pune, while also working as a Teacher & Activist at a local NGO.
Programming Machine Learning
Software Development Computer Vision
Product Management Mathematics Data
Computer Security UI/ UX Design
Travel Poetry
Zen
My goal is to use technology to help improve
people's lives!
I AIM to
build intuitive software systems that
improve quality & help organizations develop tools
to augment technical work & productivity, while focusing on reliability and usability for the end-user.
My parents grew up in small towns of rural India but worked very hard to give me a bright future. When I was little, my mother taught herself English so I could learn the language & attend school. I was always a bright kid at school - achieving rank one, working hard, and participating in every event that I could!
I now realize that I had the privilege to accomplish these things - supportive parents, a conducive work environment, and financial resources (little, but enough) to buy books. I see these privileges not as entitlements, but as tools to bring about change, bit by bit, every day.
I recognize the barriers faced by women, especially women in South-East Asian societies and those from India, and hence have been committed to diversity for several years. When I graduated from high school, I joined a local NGO, and during my service there, I realized the challenges faced by women in Indian society. Despite the stark and compelling differences in each one's personality, all these women shared some a common factor - years of fighting with stigma and patriarchy. This experience sowed the seeds for my initiative, where I empowered women by teaching them practical skills, ranging from computer literacy and English communication to negotiation techniques. I have a keen interest in promoting STEM Education to young children, especially girls in India and as I look ahead, I am driven to amplify female representation in STEM.
Keynotes
& Talks
