Category: Diffbot Team

Welcome Elena Czubiak – Software Engineer & Designer

Posted on | by Ariadne Caldwell

Hi! I’m Elena Czubiak and I recently joined Diffbot as a Software Engineer & Designer. My dual role reflects the fun and winding road my career has taken through tech.

One of my first jobs was as the help center writer for Gmail and Inbox (RIP), where I facilitated or observed hundreds of hours of UX research. I learned that it doesn’t matter how “tech-savvy” a user is, everyone prefers to use products that are more obvious and simple than subtle and clever. From there I became a Program Manager and helped investigate and solve the biggest issues users faced for a variety of Google products.

I always knew I had a technical side that wasn’t quite satisfied by my fancy spreadsheets. So I got serious about learning to code and completed an immersive  software engineering program. Afterwards, I was ready to try something different and be able to both code and design, so I developed and launched my own app for iOS & Android, and built interesting web apps for clients.

At Diffbot I get to use the combination of all of my experiences and interests to design and build user-focused tools.

On a typical Saturday, you’ll find me taking a long walk through Berkeley while listening to podcasts, stopping to read a book in a beautiful park, and ending the day with a night at the movies. 

Welcome Ananya Gupta – Machine Learning Engineer

Posted on | by Ariadne Caldwell

Hi! My name is Ananya Gupta and I’m from India. I recently joined Diffbot as a Machine Learning Engineer. I got interested in coding when I was in eighth grade. It led me to pursue my Bachelor’s from NIT Allahabad in information technology.

I gradually developed interest in machine learning, fascinated by the capabilities of the neural networks. I decided to do a deep dive into machine learning. I did my Master’s in Computer Science from Umass Amherst. I liked studying natural language processing (NLP), machine learning (ML) and computer vision (CV). My research was based on making sure that machine learning systems are fair and unbiased, and ensuring high probability guarantees of safety.

My goal is to build NLP and CV systems which can be used to solve real world problems. I feel very fortunate to be working at Diffbot! I also like traveling, hiking, and cooking.

Welcome Bhabesh Chanduka – Machine Learning Engineer

Posted on | by Ariadne Caldwell

Picture of Bhabesh ChandukaHey everyone, I’m Bhabesh Chanduka. I recently joined Diffbot as a Machine Learning Engineer. I currently work on DiffbotAPI, where my work revolves around developing algorithms for web data extraction.

I spent the entirety of my childhood and teen years in the city of Bangalore. I did my Bachelors in Information Technology from the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka, Surathkal (which is one of the few universities in the world to have a private beach).

Soon after this, I came to the US to pursue my Master’s in Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where I developed a keen interest in the field of Knowledge Graphs. I strongly feel that Knowledge Graphs are the key to truly realize the potential of Artificial Intelligence.

Having said that, I’m super excited to start my career at Diffbot. In my free time I like to play chess, swim, bike and play video games.

Welcome Anurag Sharma – Software Engineer

Posted on | by Ariadne Caldwell

Picture of Anurag SharmaHello! I am Anurag Sharma and I work on software infrastructure at Diffbot. Most of my time at Diffbot is spent analyzing API queries, performance tuning, and result verification. If you feel some of the APIs are slow for your queries, you should write to me. 

Before starting at Diffbot, I spent time improving query latencies for an open-source graph database. And earlier than that I used to crunch numbers for a big investment bank that rhymes with “Oldman Tracks”.

I grew up in New Delhi, India, which is a really big and happening city and there’s a really good chance you’ll easily get lost in the hustle. And now I live in Bengaluru, where the weather is so good that you will never want to leave.

When I am not working with software or investigating database internals, I really enjoy reading world history, swimming, and running. 

Returning To Work After Childbirth And During A Global Pandemic

Posted on | by Monica Torres

In this post, we interview Jing Hao, a Software Engineer on the Solutions team. She’s one of the newest mom’s at Diffbot.

 

Hi Jing! Congratulations on the new addition to your family and welcome back to work – we’ve missed you and can’t wait to hear all about your journey into motherhood during a time of uncertainty. I think it’s a good idea to help parents-to-be understand how to navigate the current environment.
Continue reading →

Welcome Huzail Ssemakula – Technical Recruiter

Posted on | by Monica Torres

Hello everyone,

My name is Huzail Ssemakula (pronounced who-zail semakula). I will be joining Diffbot as a technical recruiter on our amazing recruiting team.

My recruiting journey started at Amazon where I helped grow several teams such as Amazon Prime and the Alexa technologies. Since then, my career took me to Google and Cruise Automation where I focused on working with teams solving Machine Learning problems. I am very impressed with what Diffbot has achieved with such a small group of talented people. I look forward to helping the company achieve its mission, by bringing in more talented individuals to the Diffbot family.

On a personal note, I enjoy spending time with my family doing outside activities. We live in the Seattle area surrounded by nature and parks. I’m also huge on sports, soccer/futbol being my number one. Fun facts; I’m left handed, born and raised in Uganda, and I can speak several languages.

I can’t wait to meet you all in person once the world is back in order 🙂

Welcome Ariadne Caldwell – Executive Assistant to Diffbot’s CEO and Founder, Mike Tung

Posted on | by Monica Torres

Hi everyone, I’m Ariadne Caldwell. Recently, I joined Diffbot as the Executive Assistant to CEO, Mike Tung. For the past five years, I have supported C-Level and high profile Executives across industries such as SaaS, Real Estate and Food & Hospitality. I’m passionate and enthusiastic in helping support teams who solve complex problems with industry leading solutions.
I love working on special projects and company initiatives. In my previous roles I have led social media strategy, creation and execution of a podcast, managed recruitment processes, edited and produced videos, designed brand collateral, and other tasks that go outside of the typical Executive Assistant scope of work. 

My goals are to provide proactive and strategic administrative support across the organization. I believe relationship building is key to forming an inclusive and welcoming company culture.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, I am a San Francisco State University graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – International Business.

I enjoy traveling, scuba diving, writing, reading, and spending time with my family. 

Very excited to be a new member of the Diffbot team!

Welcome Will Hare – Sales Development Representative

Posted on | by Kevin Luu

Hello everyone! William (Hare) here, but you can call me Will. I will be joining the sales team at Diffbot as a Sales Development Representative. I am looking forward to meeting everyone – eventually in person – and welcome any opportunity now for a virtual get-together. 

I have always been interested in problem solving and negotiation for mutual benefit, i.e sales! I was actually hired for my first sales job at 14 years old when I was hanging out at the local lacrosse store and started talking with customers about equipment. Ultimately, I was able to refine my skills to not only guide people into the gear and “cosmetics” that would fit them best, but also learned to love the client facing aspect of the job. 

As I moved through college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, I became very interested in technology. I was able to work an internship with a team doing inside sales at Uber for a new project for on demand delivery, and fell in love with the sales development process. After that internship, I went into the wine industry and worked as a tasting room associate at a local winery, learning as much as I could about wine, the industry, and the nuances of pouring. After I graduated, I became the first Sales Development Representative at a small social engagement start-up in Palo Alto working directly with the CEO on sales development and strategy. Once I saw the breadth of Diffbot and understood its mission, I was immediately intrigued. I now consider myself extremely fortunate to be a part of the team!

On a personal note, I love hiking, snowboarding, and wine. I also coach high school lacrosse (go PALY Vikings). Once we are back in the office, I am looking forward to using the pool table and organizing a tournament. 

I’m absolutely thrilled to join the sales team at Diffbot and engage with prospective clients to understand the power and vision of the company!

Welcome Jerome Choo – Director of Growth Marketing

Posted on | by Kevin Luu

Hello! My name is Jerome Choo and I lead Growth Marketing at Diffbot. I spent the majority of my childhood in Singapore, eventually moving to Atlanta, GA, for high school and college where I started a career in biomedical engineering. My research focus, mostly unintended, was on mammal urination. Since then, I’ve found a new passion in leading data driven growth teams. I’m fascinated with blending objective scientific rigor and problem first design to create seven star user experiences. I’m pumped to help Diffbot solve the absolutely essential function of accessible structured data for everyone!

Welcome Andrew Harrold – Data Curator

Posted on | by Kevin Luu

Hello! My name is Andrew Harrold, a new data curator at Diffbot!

I was born and raised in Denver Colorado, and studied economics at the University of California, Berkeley. During my time at Berkeley, I took on a senior thesis which involved looking at the relationship between employee sentiment (scraped employee review data) and stock market returns.

Needless to say, I have a passion for data and love the many creative ways it can be used to derive meaningful insights; specifically within machine learning and web-scraping technology. Diffbot takes on the challenge of exracting data to find meaning out of chaos and can be used to help a wide range of businesses solve problems— which I am all about. I am very excited to join a talented team with such awesome technology!