Celebrating Women in AI -Shilpa Rao
Research reports have shown that the optimal way to reduce the gender gap in STEM fields is to expose young women to professional and personal experiences of actual female role models who have been successful in STEM fields.
To advance Women in AI’s mission of reducing the gender gap in AI by increasing women’s participation, we from the India Chapter present to you all this Q&A blog with an impressive woman in AI, Shilpa Rao.
History has it that discovery happens at the strangest of places and at the oddest of times. I would add that, if and only if we are observing and intent on solving problems. Shilpa’s journey is an emphasis of the same!
Shilpa was born and raised in Malad, a small suburb in the bustling Mumbai, India. It was Shilpa’s world for her schooling , engineering and B-school before she was posted to her first job in Chennai, India, far away from Malad. It was indeed a surprise as one of her work campuses was just 15 minutes away from her house in Malad! Nevertheless, Shilpa continued to what she now calls her home and destiny to Chennai.
Soon after, Shilpa was working outside London in an old Victorian building and freezing in her first snowy winter. During this time, Shilpa had to wait for a couple of hours for the only bus that could drop her at her place of stay after work (Pre-Uber and ride-sharing days!) The town’s only grocery store provided her with refuge from the cold winter. And this is where Shilpa’s journey as an intrapreneur began to seed.
Yes, that’s the truth! Brought up in a culture that respected food as a divine resource, Shilpa was shocked yet curious when the store manager trashed packets of ready-made meals. She went and talked to the store manager. It led to her presenting a product idea optimizing the retail process to her organization and several clients. What started as a concept then, is a complete platform today helping global companies leverage the power of AI to drive growth, profitability and serve their customers better. As Shilpa says, “anything that’s creatively challenging is fun, and I just dive into it.”
Today, Shilpa is the Head of AI powered strategic intelligence Optumeraᵀᴹ at Tata Consultancy Services driving strategic growth initiatives in the retail industry.
Shilpa candidly shares this journey of growing to face the uncertainties and others including, missing her flight while sleeping at the boarding gate, landing up in a different place than intended and, eating ice-cream crying through the pains of growing up. You can find below the questions answered by Shilpa, hoping that another woman can relate to this and see themselves where Shilpa is today and even beyond.
1. Your LinkedIn Introduction states that ‘Passionate about combining art and science to improve how people make decisions and make the world a better place.’ Could you please elaborate on this?
An average human being makes about 35000 decisions per day. 50–60 % are bad due to decision fatigue. But not all decisions are made at the same level; there are higher-order and lower-order decisions. In any industry, a lot of higher-order decisions are made. For example, in retail, a merchant makes over 1 billion higher-order decisions. If some of the decisions are bad, the costs are 470 billion in overstocks, 80 billion in spoilage, 12.8 million tons in the landfill.
As an intrapreneur, we leverage the combinatorial power of art and science through Optumeraᵀᴹ. We enable industries to make impactful decisions about floor layout, space assortment, pricing & mutual benefit, manufacturing, supply chain, inventory, and forecasting. By optimizing this process through AI, we empower both industry and humankind.
2. All of us are intent on finding our passion in our work. However, in addition to passion, we require interpersonal skills to find happiness in our work. What has been your mantra for this in your long career?
I believe that everyone is unique in their way and is a star. I do not try to find myself in other people! I believe in my team and enable everyone to shine bright in their unique way.
3. Work is an integral part of life. What other things outside of your work help you to be your best version?
I like to be creatively challenged and experiment with different things.
A few years ago, I was concerned about a dried lake in a nearby village. The lake is amidst paddy fields and a reserved forest which is home to the endangered blackbuck.
I had seen former Mrs.India supporting different causes through the pageant platforms. Despite being overweight and not fitting into the traditional pageant standards, I decided to give it a shot. I then participated in the 2019 Mrs. India Worldwide and won the Sponsors award. I leveraged my voice and the platform to promote awareness. The efforts were successful and the lake is restored to its glory now.
It was quite a transformative journey — not just in weight loss, but to be focused and persevere.
I also drive the local chapter of Women in Data and an executive council member of Women in Leadership.
During the pandemic, it has been acting classes, virtual coffees, and fun themes for team birthday celebrations.
These experiences help me grow and enable me to seek challenges.
4. Do you want to share a few lines with women looking for a change in their careers or just starting?
Believe in yourself. There is an abundance of opportunities for you. In your initial days, be a sponge, absorb everything and keep learning. Remember that a job is never restricted by the title, description, or even skillset- Your job is what you make out of it.
