Jeffrey Ma

Jeffrey Ma and his MIT blackjack team were pioneers in the use of data and analytics – the foundation for modern AI. The former head of data science at Twitter and the author of a bestselling business book on the topic, Ma continues to be at the forefront of modern AI, having just completed a stint as an executive leading all the startup work at Microsoft. In this role, Ma worked closely with OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. In this thought-provoking and funny presentation, Ma uses his colorful experiences to explain and demystify new advances like ChatGPT while giving the audience the building blocks to understand how data and artificial intelligence can help any business. With a uniquely accessible approach to the topic, Ma tells stories with data, showing audiences how to use these tools to make better decisions, overcome cognitive bias and drive innovation.

Data, gleaned through technology, is not only supposed to help us do our jobs, but do them better. Sometimes, it can even make us ten times better than the average employee. Through the lens of his experiences in blackjack, pro sports consulting, and Hollywood, Jeffrey Ma discusses the importance of setting goals as well as tracking your progress and productivity along the way, and how gaming, analytics, and competitive tracking can lead to more useful, constructive feedback and more motivated teams and employees.

How one deals with losing tells a lot about the person. Losing tests our confidence, our conviction, our ability to deal with future risk and more importantly our character. The real story and real lessons of 21 come from the adversity faced on the blackjack table. Sharing the story of losing $100,000 in two hands of blackjack, Ma reveals how he recovered his confidence through teamwork, trust, creativity, and goal-setting. “The $100,000 Lesson” is about more than winning and losing: it is about learning how to fight obstacles in order to create the best team possible

Drawing from his unique personal experiences, from the blackjack table to consulting professional sports teams, Ma talks about innovative metrics in a way that will make you reevaluate how your group accesses talent, finds undervalued assets, and measure the true worth of your business. By eschewing emotion and honing in on hard facts and results, Ma has helped usher in what Newsweek calls “a new age of numbers in corporate America.”

As the co-founder of Citizen Sports, which has brought fantasy sports to Facebook and sports information to the iPhone and Android, Jeffrey Ma has a deep understanding of the power of social media in building a brand and business in the digital world. Social media platforms aren’t just a flash in the pan. Ma has worked with media giants as well as blue chip brands to help them harness the power of new media. Learn how social media can transform your business straight from an expert with unique insights and experiences, and bring your business to the forefront of the media revolution.