Category: Blog

By Rachel Blank, Senior AE, Measurement

2005 was the year I witnessed the power of community. The previous year my friend, Dan and I formed the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), at our high school, Pikesville High, in Baltimore, Maryland. We attracted over 80 highschoolers in our introductory meeting. Our launch was an incredible success. 

Next Fall, we planned our own Pride week. Students who identified as LGBTQIA (A is for asexual) and/or allies were encouraged to dress up in ways that would echo the week’s daily themes. The night before our week kicked off, I received a call from a private school friend whose mom was in PFLAG, (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). 

The PFLAG meeting was centered around the surprising news that a local university’s radio station, in addition to a church group, were planning to stage a boycott at our public high school. Supposedly, Oprah, the Oprah Winfrey had called our principal and expressed interest in filming, and the Westboro Baptist Church was rumored to be there too. 

Our goal was to do everything we could to spread the word and organize a counter-protest. 

At the end of the next school day, our counter-protest took form on the front lawn following the last period. We completely outnumbered the protestors. And while our principal turned down my one and only opportunity to speak to Oprah, the news stations caught our relentless joy on camera, and we left the day empowered, knowing that our Pride week was a success. Kids from all over the state attended. 

Although our event was a hit, the LGBTQIA community still faces unfair scrutiny. The individuals who wanted to put a stop to the GSA’s Pride week are just one example of the growing list of folks who spew hatred and enforce their beliefs upon others.  While I am not a member of the LGBTQIA rainbow, my friend group has always consisted of a diverse crowd. It’s hard for me to fathom why people concern themselves with the personal lives of others and why hatred towards marginalized groups exists within this country. While some states are challenging the freedoms and safety of the LGBTQIA community, there are many organizations like the HRC and NAACP who are fighting to protect the community. 

Minority groups have always been resilient— they’ve had to be.  While I am certain that the tide will eventually turn, we need to encourage everyone to be vocal in their support of all marginalized communities.  

To any Looper in the DMV area, my theater company Stillpointe is hosting an event to kick off pride week in Baltimore aptly called, “Queerscape” on June 22nd. Queer-scape “UNDRESSED” a pun on Baltimore’s famous “Artscape”. We will feature visual artists, performers, and organizations tied to the community. 

Lastly, if you’re an ally who wants to support the community, but doesn’t know where to turn  check out the Trevor Project, who’s (thetrevorproject.org) mission is to end suicide among LGBTQIA youth. If you love drag and find joy in the art of drag then please help preserve their right to perform their art by donating https://action.aclu.org/give/support-drag-defense-fund.

16 year-old Rachel rocking a pink striped shirt during the GSA counter protest, (Fall, 2005).

Adele Cutler, researcher, statistician and recently retired professor at Utah State University, is special to LoopMe. At LoopMe where we use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve advertising results, we honor mathematicians that made a material impact in the world by naming the conference rooms in our NYC and London offices after them. Adele shares that honor with Katherine Johnson, John Von Neuman, Grace Hopper, Geoffrey Hinton, Ada Lovelace, Bertrand Russell,  Alan Turing, Thomas Bayes, and Mary Jackson.

Adele is a pioneer in computer science, and of all of the statisticians that we have celebrated at LoopMe, she is among the ones that are still contributing in this field. Due to her research and the development of Random Forest, a learning algorithm that helps with predicting outcomes (what she is most known for). Coincidentally, her research contributed to the core part of our AI solution that powers advertising campaigns for the world’s largest brands.

She joined us recently for an interview, with Leonard Newnham, LoopMe’s Chief Data Scientist, PHD, Machine Learning. In the interview she breaks down what led her to this field, how she views AI now, and what advice she would give the next generation of women in the field of math and science. 50% of our data science team are women, so it’s especially important to our employees to hear from leading women scientists and mathematicians, like Adele.

Research and Expertise

Prior to developing Random Forest with her colleague Lou Briemann, she focused on mixture models and optimization. Mixture models are cluster analysis (dividing up people in groups of similar people).  She transitioned from doing statistician based work to doing work related to machine learning. Adele shared that she enjoys applied mathematics because it showed her that real world problems can be solved with machine learning.

Random Forest and how it relates to machine learning

Random Forest is a commonly used machine learning algorithm that combines multiple decision trees to get a single result. Decision trees start with a simple question like what car should I buy? From that one question the computer can come up with several other questions in order to make predictions. This is quite useful when thinking about advertising and finding the right audience for a brand. Naturally decision trees have their limitations, however, when multiple decisions are made in a random forest their predictions tend to be more accurate. 

Many statisticians use this algorithm because it requires very little adjustment, it deals with a wide variety of data types, it can handle missing values, and can be used to predict how much someone will buy and/or whether they will buy or not.

Legacy

Adele is a brilliant woman who has helped improve how we help our clients using our own machine learning. She is an advocate of creating opportunities for more young women to join the computer science field as well. She believes that “you have to push yourself to learn new things, especially in this field because it is moving so quickly.”

Our heartfelt gratitude went out to Adele for this enlightening discussion – we appreciated her contributions and time to speak with our team. 

The Covid-19 crisis brought about many changes around the world, including a massive shift in corporate work life. Before the pandemic, working from home was considered a perk, and almost an incentive. Nearly three years later, remote and hybrid work has become the new normal. And just as workstyles have changed, so too have employees’ preferences and expectations.  

While working from home has allowed employees more flexibility and freedom, it has also come with significant challenges, especially for team leaders. Last week, Johanna Bauman, CMO at PubMatic, sat down with Rachel Conforti, SVP of Marketing at LoopMe, for our next edition of LoopWe, Remote Leadership and the Global Workforce. 

Whether you’re a new leader or you have years of management experience, managing a team remotely can feel overwhelming. An added layer of complexity is added when some – or most – employees begin returning to hybrid in-office schedules. Here are some of the biggest challenges and tips on how to overcome them:

Onboarding: Be prescriptive yet adaptable with onboarding plans to provide clarity and alignment on expectations. Make sure new starters know who to meet with in their first days and weeks to jumpstart their training even if you are not physically together. Create 30-60-90 plans so new employees know what projects to focus on, and then check in regularly and adjust as needed. It’s also a good idea to assign each new member a “buddy” (often someone on another team), whose personalities or interests align. This buddy can help create another touchpoint and connection within the org, and also teach them about company culture. Johanna also recommends investing in a learning and development system so new hires have access to all of the materials and training they need, and can consume the content on demand on their own timetable (PubMatic uses Mindtickle). 

Communication: Being a remote manager means building a system that balances trust and support for your team. Be transparent and thoughtful when it comes to communicating, and focus on documenting key actions and next steps. Remember that not everyone needs to be in the meeting, but they do need an opportunity to provide input and feedback on what was discussed, so pre-reads and follow-ups are crucial. This is even more important when managing international teams and juggling time zones. And similarly, especially when remotely managing a team that is physically together, managers should accept that discussions and brainstorms will happen without them there, and need to trust their teams to follow the same best practices of inclusive communication.  

Culture & Experience: Evangelize company mission and goals, and communicate them clearly. It’s easy for remote workers to feel disconnected from the company culture, so priority must be placed on solving for that. Hosting virtual or in-person team offsites at least once a year can help employees understand the company’s vision and more importantly connect to one another, which will keep motivation high. If hybrid employees are in the office, plan a casual happy hour or provide lunch to encourage face to face time. It’s also important to emphasize the ongoing importance of work/life balance. Make sure employees still feel comfortable needing to pause work to run an errand, exercise, or pick up their kids from school. 

As companies are figuring out how to work in a post-pandemic environment, it’s clear that remote and hybrid work is here to stay for the near future. The pandemic has resulted in a revolution in how we work, and like all revolutions, these work styles are still difficult to navigate. However, companies have found success in utilizing both options and will continue to be a work in progress as this becomes the new normal. 

 

In an ever-changing ad tech space, many of us are continuously seeking to develop new skills, learn new things, and challenge ourselves in our careers. However, this can feel overwhelming and few know where to start. 

Having the right mentor is one of the most valuable and effective career development opportunities. Some important benefits include an increase in self-confidence, exposure to new ways of thinking, and support in networking. This week, we were thrilled to welcome Marni Gordon, Senior VP of Partnerships at the ANA Educational Foundation to our next edition of LoopWe, “The Magic of Mentorship”. 

Marni is passionate about helping others with career and leadership development, and has been a mentor for over 15 years. 

Marni sat down with Rachel Conforti, SVP of Marketing at LoopMe to share her knowledge and provide tips to those exploring mentorship. Here are a few key takeaways:

• What is a mentor? Mentors are usually an experienced individual who shares knowledge, experience, and advice with a less experienced person, or “mentee.”  This person will share advice, help you network, provide support in finding new opportunities, and help navigate challenging situations such as transitioning to a new role or taking on a major goal. It’s important to remember that a mentor differs from a coach. Coaches partner with their clients to ask powerful questions to help them develop their own key insights, action plan and accountability based on the client’s agenda.
• When is the right time to seek a mentor? The time is now! It is strongly recommended to have a general idea of short and long term career goals, as this will make it easier to find the right mentor. 
• How to find a mentor: Finding a mentor program is easy! Here are a few ways to find the right mentor:

1. Contact career development centers at universities you’re interested in, or have attended.
2. Reach out to your network. Seek out individuals in your industry who are currently in a role you wish to be in in the future. Linkedin is a great place to start! 
3. Approach your industry trade association. Connect with a member representative to see if they have a mentoring program you can participate in.

Interested in learning more? Check out Career Chat with Marni, a complimentary bi-monthly newsletter with easy-to-read tips and actionable advice for marketers on ways to take your career to the next level and how to master the art of networking. 

 

Here at LoopMe, we recognize the importance of gender equality and diversity in the tech industry. This year, we are proud and excited to launch LoopWe, (LoopMe Women Empowerment) a series of interactive and engaging masterclass workshops on topics to equip employees with practical advice and actionable strategies to support career development and the development of our teams.

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting our first in-person LoopWe session at the NY office. Amanda Forgione, VP of Marketing at The 614 Group joined LoopMe’s SVP of Marketing, Rachel Conforti for an intimate discussion on work/life balance, finding time to learn, growing your career, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle balance.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Make time to network. Join local networking groups such as She Runs It, 212NYC, CIMA, ThinkLA, and others.
• Regularly set aside time for activities & hobbies that you enjoy. 
• Take care of your mental health. If you feel overwhelmed or constantly stressed, share these concerns and prioritize projects with your manager. 
• Take breaks! Whether it’s to eat lunch, get some fresh air, meditate, or simply take your eyes off of a screen for a few minutes. 
• Make quality time true quality time. Unplug and sign offline when you need to focus on family or friend time. 

Balancing your professional and personal life can be challenging, but learning to do so will reduce the risk of burnout and will increase productivity and happiness overall. 

If you are interested in being a LoopWe guest speaker, or want to learn more about this initiative, feel free to contact marketing@loopme.com.