Aaron Parker: Capax Employee Spotlight
By Kassidy Kushner, Marketing Coordinator at Capax Global
Published mathematician from the Pacific Northwest to Data Scientist in Chicago, our new teammate has us wondering what he’s going to do next.
What did you do before you came to Capax Global?
When we asked Aaron Parker where he grew up, he quoted the movie Smoke Signals saying, “I grew up where the land meets the sky, where the eagle and raven fly free.”
As a Native American on an Indian Reservation in Neah Bay, Washington, Aaron often found himself surrounded by the outdoors. In the fishing town of 1,500 people, he quickly became involved in data analytics by testing and analyzing the local water quality as an environmental government regulator for the Makah tribe.
Aaron then saw an opportunity to repurpose the same data in an effort to rediscover lost secrets behind the ancient fishing technology. Using Machine Learning, he was able to determine what specific features allowed the traditional hook design to catch the most Halibut. This would not only save endangered marine species, but it also save fisherman time and money.
Aaron’s transition from living on a Native American reservation 80 miles from a chain grocery store, to living in Chicago and working in Data Science, is one that we would call fate. “I just consider myself a life-long student of Math” says Parker, “and because of that love for math, I also love computers and analyzing things.”
He became intrigued by the title Data Scientist, a field that had everything to do with the components he loved most about his job, without the limitations of government regulation that came along with it.
How did you find Capax Global?
Aaron was introduced to the field of Data Science by one of our very own Senior Data Architects, Sharon Bjeletich. Sharon has known Aaron since he was a teenager, the two often bonding over their mutual passion for mathematics. When she introduced him to Capax Global and the Data Science world of the possible, he had to know more.
Eager to dive in, Aaron packed his bags and moved with his family across the country to our HQ in Chicago, to join Sharon and the rest of our team.
What is a project you’re working on right now?
“Right now I’m working on a predictive model that is actually an extension of some of the stuff I was working on before I came to Capax.” Aaron is taking the very math he created, and incorporating it into the world of Data Science that he now lives in.
“I would consider this finally putting all of my work into fruition, because now I have access to the technology and resources I need to accomplish what I had originally imagined! It’s incredibly exciting.”
Outside of mathematics and data science, what are some of your hobbies?
When Aaron isn’t working on writing his next math book, he likes to put his artist hat on, specializing in 2D and 3D art pieces.
Most recently, he starred in a multimedia live performance called Animal Skin at the Burke Museum in Washington, prior to his move. His performance drew inspiration from the Makah masks used in his tribe along with some of the traditional mythologies within his heritage. A short film starring himself served as a back-drop as he live-painted a large-format expressionist painting. All while his creative partner, Chris Cunningham, provided a soundscape for the performance as well.
His goal was to take the ancient traditions of his tribe and bring them to an interactive audience, pushing artistic boundaries while keeping the cultural integrity of the Makah tribe in-tact. Aaron would love to bring this performance to Chicago, and when he does, you can count on everyone at Capax Global to be in the front row.
What is a quote you like to live by?
“A college professor once told me, ‘If you don’t have a mountain in your heart you will never reach any peaks.’ It’s the best advice anyone has ever given me.”
You can find Aaron’s book, A Practical Methodology for Multi-Variable Mathematics, on Amazon here. Please contact us if you would learn more about how our passion for data, science, math, and the art of the possible can help enable your business.
