I've been in the industry for 6+ years. I've sat through countless events—talks, panels, networking sessions. Most of them blur together. And now, one semester into my MS at Columbia, I'm noticing the same patterns here.
Let me be honest about the current state of student events:
Low curiosity. Low involvement. Low participation. The subjects are often boring with no immediate value proposition. Speakers and guests—sometimes they bring the "wow," but often it's generic advice we've heard a hundred times. And the conversations? Stuck on interviews and internships. Nothing beyond.
Here's my question: Are we not intellectually curious about AI and Data Science?
We're in one of the most exciting fields in human history. Frontier models are reshaping everything. And yet, our events don't nudge knowledge-seeking. They don't center on the real questions. We keep complaining about past events—maybe it's time for a different objective and experiment.
The Socratic Dialog
What if we did something different?
A premium, highly selective event. 25-30 students max—selected based on curiosity and preparedness, not just showing up. Student-led discussions on frontier AI/DS topics through Socratic questioning. No lectures. No slides. Just questions that make you think harder.
Occasionally, we invite guests—from frontier labs, startups, PhD students, other Columbia schools, even professors. But they come as participants, not performers.
The outcome?
- Better networking—because attention is scarce and everyone in the room earned their seat
- Ability to identify real talent
- Elevate the cohort's intellectual self-image
- Make us more competitive
Networking happens with more attention when the room is curated.
The $100 Budget
They asked me to plan an event for $0-100. Here's how I'd spend every dollar:
| Category | Item | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Refreshments | Coffee, tea, cookies, crackers, fruit (Trader Joe's) | $45 |
| Drinks | 2 cases bottled water (Target) | $10 |
| Supplies | Cups, napkins, stirrers, plates (Dollar Tree) | $8 |
| Materials | Name tags, markers, printed prompt cards | $12 |
| Subtotal | $75 | |
| Best Participant Award | A good book—How Data Happened, A Brief History of Intelligence, or similar | $25 |
| Total | $100 |
Venue? Free—reserve a Columbia classroom.
Facilitation? Me and 2-3 volunteers.
Promotion? Email lists, Slack, word of mouth.
The award isn't for the loudest voice. It's for the most thought-provoking question. That's the Socratic spirit.
The Bigger Vision
If this pilot works, here's where it could go:
1. Cross-School Collaborations
One-day events where data science students team up with students from political science, psychology, law, business. Tackle real-world problems in a single-day sprint. Different perspectives converge to design new algorithms or prototypes.
- Breaks silos
- Builds unexpected connections
- Produces tangible output
2. Applied Research Sprints with Compute Grants
A one-month challenge, industry-partnered. Teams receive small grants (~$1,000) for compute or data access. Develop a practical, impactful research project. Present outcomes at a closing showcase.
- Real-world skills
- Industry-academic synergy
- Publishable work
The Flywheel: Socratic Dialogues build thinking culture → Cross-School events expand the network → Research Sprints channel both into real output.
What I Bring to DSISC
Why me?
- 6+ years of industry experience—a rare perspective for a student council member
- A different lens on Data Science and AI—I've worked across supply chain, healthcare, aquaculture, and now research; I synthesize multiple schools of thought
- Passion for building student-led entrepreneurial and intellectual initiatives—not just consuming, but creating
- Advocacy for change that actually matters—making the upcoming MSDS cohort stronger and more distinctive among SEAS student communities
- Industry partnerships—I can bring startups and companies to support our cohort with compute, mentorship, and collaborations
- A dedicated outreach and partnerships wing for the student council—connecting us with people across different levels of expertise
The Bottom Line
I'm not here to run the same events with a different name. I'm here to experiment. To build spaces where we actually think together. To make our cohort intellectually distinctive.
The Socratic Dialog is the pilot. The vision is bigger.
Let's see what happens.