Doctorate, Startup, and Standup: Ayana's Story and Path to Success in AI and Science

Research and Academic Focus

I'm currently pursuing a PhD at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), focusing on machine learning research. My research group studies causality — cause-and-effect relationships in data. This is an important topic because we often see correlations in data but can't definitively say that one thing causes another.

For example, during periods when both ice cream sales and water accidents increase, it doesn't mean ice cream causes accidents. Intuitively, we understand both variables increase in summer, but this is a simple example. In complex, high-dimensional data like medical or financial datasets, false correlations often appear, and our task is to identify true causes and find hidden variables. This is what I focus on in my academic work.

Professional Experience and Leadership

Working at INUI Gaming in Dubai significantly influenced my understanding of the skills needed for career development. One of the main lessons was learning to stand up for my position. This is essential in a professional environment. Sometimes you need to be more persistent and confidently defend your point of view.

I joined the company younger than most team leaders and was the only woman on the technical team. This created certain pressure — I needed to establish my professional position correctly from the start. I think this experience taught me a lot, especially in terms of communication, leadership, and confidence.

Currently, I work as CTO at GreenEye, an AI platform for schools that uses video detection to identify various events: from physical violence to cheating or smoking. When incidents are detected, the system notifies the class teacher, school psychologist, or parents — depending on the situation. It's a universal solution that unites all participants in the school process — teachers, parents, and specialists.

I joined the team in October as a machine learning team lead. Initially, with a team of two ML engineers, we designed the system architecture: how video processing would work, which models to use for detection, facial recognition, and event recognition. After we got the first results and experiments, I transitioned to the CTO role. Now I oversee all technical teams, participate in product development, write technical specifications for each team, monitor task status, and make decisions from both technical and product perspectives.

Community Building

Beyond my research and professional work, I'm also a co-founder of DSML.kz, a community of machine learning and AI engineers in Kazakhstan. This community serves as a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and professional development for specialists in the field.

I believe that building strong professional communities is essential for advancing the field of AI and machine learning, especially in regions where these technologies are still developing. Through DSML.kz, we organize workshops, talks, and networking events that help connect professionals and foster innovation in the field.

Balancing Science and Comedy

Beyond my scientific career, I've been actively developing my creative skills in standup comedy for the past 7 years, performing on various stages in Dubai and Kazakhstan. This creative outlet provides a balance to my technical work.

In the interview, I share my experience of balancing scientific research with creative pursuits, discussing how I navigated the path to doctoral studies and how the skills I've developed overcoming barriers in public speaking help me not only on stage but also in my professional sphere.