Volunteer Spotlight — Natan Mish
Natan is currently a member of our Scoping and Impact Committee, a group of experienced volunteers who provide invaluable support to DataKind UK by assessing the viability and impact of potential projects. He first started volunteering during the pandemic, and has stuck with us ever since!
- Pronouns: He/him
- Roles: Machine Learning Engineer at Zimmer Biomet
Member of the DataKind UK Scoping & Impact Committee - Links: LinkedIn, Github
How did you first get into data?
From the very start of my career, I was drawn to research and exploration, with a particular interest in quantitative and statistical analysis. Beginning in the finance industry, I seized every opportunity to work on data-related projects, and was fascinated by the breakthroughs in the data science field.
Realising my passion for working with data, I decided to pursue a career as a data analyst at a fintech company. This lead me to complete an MSc in data science and subsequently work as a Machine Learning engineer. It was never my plan or dream to work in the data industry, but that is how things unfolded, and I am incredibly happy and grateful for it.
What advice would you give to someone else getting started with data?
If you are starting your data journey, my advice is to not worry about knowing the mathematical proofs of the latest algorithms, or memorising all the commands for the newest Python Dataframe tool.
The field is constantly evolving, and the barrier to entry is becoming lower and lower. Difficult analyses that took weeks of work a few years ago might be done with the click of a button today.
Instead, I recommend cultivating curiosity and a critical mindset. Find what you are passionate about and what drives you to ask questions. At the same time, don’t forget to remain critical and ensure that the questions you ask are the right ones.
What was your first volunteering experience with DataKind UK?
I first volunteered for DataKind UK at a DataDive weekend in March 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in the UK (which seems like ages ago!) It was supposed to be an in-person event, but was changed to remote at the last minute.
The project I worked on helped education charity The Brilliant Club analyse the efficacy and outreach of the programs they run for less-advantaged students across the UK. Amid all the chaos happening in the world, it felt good to work on a project that united many talented individuals to contribute towards a great cause. I had a great time working with awesome people and learned a lot from the process.
What have you learned in your Scoping Committee role?
In our work as the Scoping Committee for DataKind UK, we assess social organisations’ data maturity and project applications. I learned many valuable lessons about how these organisations work with data.
I believe the most important one is that to make meaningful and impactful work with data, you don’t necessarily need substantial financial resources and in-house expertise. What is more important is having the right mindset — dedicating time and energy to learning, staying flexible in the face of challenges, and taking risks when the right opportunities arise.
What is a data project that inspires you?
The latest model releases from OpenAI triggered cynical reactions, or predictions about the end of the world from an Artificial general intelligence. However, I believe that if these models remain accessible and easy to use, many disadvantaged groups will benefit greatly.
For example, visually impaired people could use smartphone cameras to identify objects, and disadvantaged students could use apps as live tutors that interact and explain complicated subjects clearly and empathetically. The future looks and sounds very exciting!
Is there a resource you’d recommend to the community?
A great resource I have found useful in the past are PyData meetups and conferences. PyData is a community for developers and users of open-source Python data tools. It is operated by a non-profit organisation called NumFOCUS and emphasises making the community and events accessible and non-commercial.
There are always opportunities to learn something new, or share your own knowledge and findings with the community. And the best thing about it is that DataKind UK volunteers are regulars at PyData events, as both speakers and participants!
Tell us something completely non-data-related about yourself!
In the past few years, I’ve started playing tennis regularly and even participated in a few local leagues. I played when I was young but never took it seriously. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, tennis was one of the few outdoor activities permitted in the UK, so I got back into it.
At one point I was playing three or four times a week. When I play, it’s almost like meditation. The game requires so much concentration that I can’t think of anything else, so I feel much more relaxed afterwards.
