Megan Brown: Data Literacy

All major companies are working to increase the value of data science. Setting a goal may be easy but implementation often raises challenging questions. How should companies think about the role of data scientists, the challenge of increasing diversity in data science and increasing data literacy and data-driven decision-making?

In this episode, we talk with Megan Brown, the Director of Data Science for Starbucks’ Global Center of Excellence. Megan has a unique background. They have experience and expertise in both humans (with a PhD in experimental psychology) and in machines and data (as a practicing data scientist). This gives them a unique perspective on how to help others solve business problems with data.

We talk with Megan about their journey from fifth grade teacher to data scientist, how non-data science executives should make the most of data science, the responsibility of humans to act on predictions from models and make human-to-human connection, the challenge of asking data scientists to take on too many roles, the conundrum of self-service and their Aspen Institute-sponsored project to bring more diversity to data science by bringing Starbucks’ partners from the stores into data science roles.

P.S. Thanks to Jonathan Coulton for our music.