E is for Eskwelabs Issue 038 - Innovate (and Investigate) with Data
In our thirty-eighth issue, we will focus on the first “Innovate with Data” workshops that Eskwelabs conducted for business-minded people and data science in the context of corruption investigations.
We created this newsletter to keep our alums, partners, and anyone interested in learning skills for the future of work updated and connected to our ever-growing family. If you want to read our previous issues, you can check them out here.
A splendid Sunday to you dear Eskweloves! Mel here! 👋 It’s the weekend, so feel free to have some snacks or drinks at hand while reading this newsletter. After all, feeding the mind is most pleasurable when you do not neglect your stomach. 🍔🥤
We’ve always talked about harnessing the power of data science for good. This newsletter focuses on exactly that. One of this issue’s stories is our recently-added data upskilling program specifically designed for busy cause-oriented startups, conventional companies, and business-oriented individuals. This newsletter will also talk about the role of data science in the processing of information that may contain evidence of corruption.
If you want to get down to business with data science, we have started conducting workshops for a number of startup companies and other business-minded individuals or organizations. These entrepreneurs, who use new technology to provide groundbreaking products or services, need to know how to use data for growth. Our solution to this problem is our “Innovate with Data” program. If you’re a founder, manager or growth-minded person who wants to solve a business problem through data, read on to learn more about our program’s unique workshops last September. 🖥️💡
This newsletter also features one of the hottest stories in recent days. The controversial “Pandora Papers” have been leaked from closely-guarded archives. Since these documents show potentially irregular and ill-gotten offshore bank assets, a journalistic organization has harnessed data science to help it make sense of the large amount of information contained in the files. ⚖️🔍
From innovation and investigation, we now move to investments. But investments come in many forms, sometimes, they are not financial. How would you like to invest your time in a rewarding, meaningful and socially-impactful career? If you or anyone you know is looking for a job, Eskwelabs has many tech and non-tech employment opportunities for anyone who wants to work with us as we harness data for the common good. The last part of the newsletter is set aside for our available positions. 💖💼
Our internationally-acclaimed learning tracks are not your ordinary data education programs. As this newsletter issue shows, our data bootcamps are designed not only to prepare employees for the future of work. Our upskilling courses are also meant to inspire the next generation of business leaders and those who want to leave a legacy to society. 🦸♂️🦸♀️
If you ran out of snacks or drinks after reading this intro, feel free to get some more before reading on. 🤗
Enjoy reading! 📖🍹
“The temptation to form premature theories upon insufficient data is the bane of our profession.”
— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Author of “Sherlock Holmes”
What's in this newsletter:
📖 Introduction to “Innovate with Data”
🖥️⚙️ Eskwelabs organizes first workshops for its “Innovate with Data” program
⚖️🔍 Data science sheds light on anomalous “Pandora Papers”
💼 Career opportunities await at Eskwelabs
⚡ What is “Innovate with Data”?
Data is all around us. The trick to thrive in the 21st century is to learn to identify data, process it, and use it for whatever you think will make you grow and develop.
That is why we at Eskwelabs have been working hard to come up with data upskilling programs that are as industry-relevant, engaging, and accessible as possible. Among our conventional data programs include the 12-week Data Science Fellowship and the 8-week Data Analytics Bootcamp.
However, among our newest learning tracks is called “Innovate with Data” (IWD). Though the IWD is designed mainly for busy tech-driven startup founders, we also welcome individuals like growth-minded professionals and creatives who want to leverage data so they can start their own business effectively.
What makes IWD different from our regular data bootcamps is its focus on entrepreneurial needs. The data-driven projects created in IWD are designed to help solve specific business problems faced by an individual entrepreneur, legacy corporation, or startup. For example, if you’re a visual artist who wants to set up an arts-related venture, “Innovate with Data” will teach you how to use data science and analytics to determine the best enterprise-related design that users will love.
Also, unlike regular online courses where you just passively watch videos and read content, IWD consists of an online-based but real-time lively learning community that is as passionate about your business project as you.
To learn more about “Innovate with Data,” you may click here. The IWD landing page also has a button that enables you to sign up for this unique business-focused program.
⚡ “Innovate with Data“ gets off the ground
September 2021 is a milestone month in Eskwelabs history. During this time, we were able to conduct the first three workshops of our “Innovate with Data” upskilling program.
A little over 70 startup founders and other business leaders attended our workshops, which were conducted on the 9th, 17th, and 24th of September, 2021. The workshops were funded by Accenture, one of the world’s largest multinational corporations.
Many participants in our IWD program come from new but highly tech-driven startups like AI4GOV and Husay Company. These Philippine enterprises are not your conventional businesses. For example, AI4GOV aims to leverage artificial intelligence to help in endeavors like providing consultancy services to government officials and helping promote citizens’ access to public sector information. Husay Company, on the other hand, is an upskilling school/job search assistance platform that specifically caters to artists.
These unique startups and other entrepreneurs learned a lot of valuable data-driven principles during our three workshops. Among the insights they gleaned include the following:
Workshop 1 (September 9)
a. Defining a business problem in the context of data - Just like the correct diagnosis of an illness leads to healing, the rational identification of a data-related business problem is the crucial first step to growth. During Workshop 1, the program participants were taught the methods on how to use data analytics to correctly identify any enterprise bottlenecks or development barriers.
Workshop 2 (September 17)
a. Case studies - The second workshop highlights actual companies or organizations in different parts of the world which were able to use data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning for business or organizational development.
b. Framing data questions - The different types of data analytics were taught and used to help the participants create data-centric questions that will lead to growth-enhancing answers for their businesses.
Workshop 3 (September 24)
a. Data project description - Here, additional principles about data science and analytics were discussed. The goal of the 3rd workshop is to empower IWD participants to specifically describe the data project they will create with Eskwelabs mentors so these business leaders can come up with the right and cost-effective solutions for their endeavors.
Our “Innovate with Data” shows how we at Eskwelabs care about empowering the local startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem. This is our share in helping contribute to job creation and the development of a business-oriented mindset in the country.
In the pipeline, we also have other workshops and events that are tailored specifically for business audiences. Stay tuned to this newsletter or our website if you don’t want to miss out.
⚡ Investigative journalists process controversial “Pandora Papers” using data science
Since Julian Assange’s founding of WikiLeaks in 2006, the exposure of classified documents has led to the downfall of many big names like corrupt government officials and unscrupulous business leaders.
Most recently, another massive data leak has occurred. Nicknamed the “Pandora Papers,” once-secret documents revealing offshore bank account transactions have been obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). This organization wants to process the 2.94 terabytes of leaked information because it contains financial transactions involving corrupt criminals and other prominent individuals.
The question is, how can ICIJ deal with the variety of file formats in the Pandora Papers without wasting too much time and effort?
Here is where data science comes to the rescue.
According to the ICIJ website, the data-oriented tools they used to process the large number of forms, emails, passports, etc. contained in the Pandora Papers include Scikit and Python. Skills in these two data science applications are among the many competencies that Eskwelabs learners acquire in our data bootcamps (you may read the “Tools of the Trade” section of one of our blog posts to learn more).
If you want to read the specifics of how ICIJ used data science to process the Pandora Papers, you may click here.
⚡ We are hiring!
For those of you who are looking for a meaningful career in an innovative edtech startup, our doors at Eskwelabs are open for any competent professional who shares our passion in providing inclusive, engaging, and industry-relevant data education for good.
Click any of the links below to know more about and apply for our available positions.
Communities Team: Partnerships Associate, Junior Product Manager, Product Manager, Design Intern
Tech Team: Web Developer, React Developer, Data Engineer,
Education Team:Data Science Mentor, Data Analytics Mentor, Data Instructor (Data Science and Business Analytics)
That’s it for our thirty-eighth issue of the newsletter! Thanks so much for reading! ❤️
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Have a good Sunday! See you again in your inbox next, next week! 😎
💌 Your friend in the world of data,
Mel
Content Associate at Eskwelabs