Toolkit
Data Science: Career Exploration
On-Demand Webinar & Speaker Series
Follow along as data scientists discuss their journeys, insights, and experiences from a variety of industries like sports, AI, and entertainment. Each webinar is joined by students who have applied for a national Data Science “Distinguished Scholar” award of $5,000 in academic funding, delivered by volunteers from Principal® Foundation and Principal Financial Group®. Additionally, select students share their experiences taking the course and completing a data visualization activity and Q&A session.
Careers - Minneapolis, MN
March - May 2025
Careers - Des Moines, IA
April 2025
Education - Atlanta GA
January 2025: Brian Chan
Brian Chan
Data Product Manager
Brian has ten years of working experience as a data product manager, having worked in the supply chain, logistics, and ed-tech industries at Google, Flexport, and Everfi. He loves analytics, visualizations, and telling an immersive data story for all things in life. Off the job, he’s a community leader and operations director at Project by Project. He loves to cook and play piano, and also loves picking up his saxophone when he can. Most recently, he’s been traveling the world as a digital nomad before landing in NYC and starting his journey of self-discovery and growth on the East Coast.
Sports - Minneapolis, MN
February 2024: Chris Fonnesbeck
Chris Fonnesbeck
Principal Quantitative Analyst, Phillies
Chris is the Principal Quantitative Analyst in Baseball Research & Development for the Philadelphia Phillies and an Adjoint Associate Professor in the Department of Biostatistics at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. His research interests include computational statistics, machine learning, Bayesian statistical methods, and applied decision analysis. He hails from Vancouver, Canada and received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.
AI - Washington, D.C.
December 2023: Natasha Singh-Miller
Natasha Singh-Miller
Data Scientist, City of Norfolk, Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence
Natasha Singh-Miller studied Computer Science and earned her Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010. Since then she has worked as a researcher at Sandia National Labs, a data scientist for the City of Virginia Beach, and is currently a data scientist for the City of Norfolk. She is passionate about the impact of data science and AI on our community.
Entertainment - Dallas, TX
October 2023: Matt Lozier
Matt Lozier
VP, Finance and Analytics @ Frndly TV
Matt Lozier, VP of Finance and Analytics at Frndly TV, discusses how data science has transformed the industry of entertainment, from audience engagement to business strategy.
Social Media Assets
Charlotte, October 2024
Signature Event, "Data for Good," Charlotte, October 2024
Social Cut: "Data for Good," Charlotte, October 2024
Social Media Post Copy
How can we turn data into action?
By empowering the next generation to use Data for Good.
At Butler High School in Matthews, NC, students took a hands-on approach to learning by exploring how data can drive real change. Jo Christine Miles, Director of Principal Foundation, and Dr. Terence Lester, Founder of Love Beyond Walls, tackled big questions: How can data shape social impact? How can it unlock career pathways?
Through meaningful discussions with Principal Financial Group volunteers, students developed data-driven research questions on issues they cared about, packed hygiene kits for those in need, and experienced the Dignity Museum.
As for one student, the impact was life-changing: a $5,000 academic award for their powerful essay on how data science is redefining cancer research.
Learn more about this powerful program at https://principal.everfi.com
Brooklyn, May 2024
Signature Event, Brooklyn, May 2024
Social Cut: Signature Event, Brooklyn, May 2024
Social Media Long-Form Post Copy
In May, Principal Foundation and EVERFI joined students from Brooklyn Preparatory High School to learn about the fundamentals of understanding how to interpret data, its relevance to our everyday lives, and the vast career options available in the field of data science. Students heard from a panel of professionals including a NASA scientist, the diversity director for the MLB, an analyst from the Mets, and more, moderated by NFL’s Dhani Jones. A pivotal moment: Brooklyn Prep’s $5000 award winner, Ashlee, received a surprise recognition with a very special person on stage: her mother!
Principal Foundation has teamed up with EVERFI to offer a first-of-its-kind program, DataSetGo, to empower students with the knowledge of data science fundamentals and its value in the job market. Students learn how to apply data science concepts in the finance industry and to build their personal financial literacy and wellness.
Learn more about this year’s award opportunities and the DataSetGo program at principal.everfi.com.
Social Media Short-Form Post Copy
In May, Principal Foundation and EVERFI joined students from Brooklyn Preparatory High School to learn about the fundamentals of understanding how to interpret data, its relevance to our everyday lives, and the vast career options available in the field of data science. Students heard from a panel of data science professionals, completed data-oriented hands-on activities, and one student even received a $5000 award in educational funding! Learn more about this first-of-its-kind program at principal.everfi.com.
DataSetGO: Careers in Data Science
DataSetGo Program Video
October 2024: Data for Good, Charlotte
Leaders Invested in Your Future
Principal Foundation
Jo Christine Miles
Jo Christine Miles
As the Director of Principal® Foundation and Principal Community Relations, Jo Christine oversees the philanthropic investment of Principal Foundation and community initiatives of Principal Financial Group®. With 18+ years of experience in public policy, legal, and nonprofit sectors, her expertise advances the company’s social impact and corporate responsibility goals.
Jo Christine is passionate about community development with a particular focus on the use of partnerships across the philanthropic, private, and public sectors to connect people to resources, promote collective action, and ensure inclusive growth.
Love Beyond Walls
Dr. Terence Lester
Dr. Terence Lester
Dr. Terence Lester is a storyteller, public scholar, speaker, community activist, and author. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Love Beyond Walls, a nonprofit organization focused on raising awareness about poverty and homelessness and on community mobilization.
Additionally, he serves as the Director of Public Policy and Social Change and as a professor at Simmons College of Kentucky (HBCU).
His campaigns on behalf of the unhoused and those facing poverty, have been featured in USA Today, CNN, Black Enterprise, Essence, and Reader’s Digest. They have been viewed by millions of people globally on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS News, NBC, Upworthy, and “The Bright Side” with Katie Couric. He was named by Coca-Cola as one of their History Shakers.
His forthcoming book with InterVarsity Press is set to release Spring of 2025, tentatively entitled, “From Dropout to Doctorate: What it Takes to Break the Chains of Systemic Injustice.”
May 2024: Data Science Career Exploration, Brooklyn
Leaders Invested in Your Future
A career panel featuring data scientists from a variety of industries will join students from Brooklyn Preparatory High School in New York City to discuss how to think critically about data, what career prospects are available in the field of data science, and how to establish and achieve personal life and career goals.
Data Science in
Business
Dhani Jones
Dhani Jones
Entrepreneur, philanthropist, NFL linebacker, author, host, explorer – are a few of the many words used to describe Dhani Jones. Jones began his career as an NFL linebacker, playing with the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cincinnati Bengals. For most, the NFL is a career, but for Jones, it was just a jumping-off point. Dhani is a co-founder and advisor for marketing data analytics company Petram Analytics, as well as an advisor for Suzy, a consumer insights platform utilizing AI-powered research.
Data Science in
Sports
Timothy Wise
Timothy Wise
Analyst, Baseball Information, New York Mets
Tim Wise is an accomplished Research and Development analyst for the New York Mets, where his work plays a vital role in the baseball operations decision-making process. Utilizing a diverse set of techniques and tools, Tim discerns key insights from a multitude of baseball data sources and disseminates these findings throughout the front office.
The foundation of Tim’s analytics background was established at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and a master’s degree in Business Analytics. In addition to his academic pursuits, Tim was an active member of the campus community. He competed as a decathlete on the Varsity Track and Field team, was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, worked in the Admissions department, participated in research, and was a member of Greek Life.
Beyond his professional commitments, Tim is deeply passionate about the intersection of sports and data. He believes that these domains offer vital opportunities to foster community engagement and develop critical life skills. Tim utilizes his enthusiasm for using data to create compelling narratives and his dedication to his community to inspire and educate young students and professionals as they embark on their own professional and personal journeys.
Data Science in Climate Change
Annika Jersild
Annika Jersild
Research Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Annika Jersild is a research scientist working at NASA Goddard in the Earth Sciences division. Her research focuses on applying data analysis and statistical methods to answer questions about climate science and oceanography. She works to improve understanding of ocean dynamics and reduce uncertainty in predictions of climate change. She earned a PhD at Georgia Tech in Atlanta and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany. She’s now living in Maryland where she enjoys taking long walks with her dog and exploring the nearby Washington, DC.
Data Science in
DEI
Tyrone Brooks
Dhani Jones
Sr. Director, Front Office and Field Staff Diversity Pipeline Program
Tyrone Brooks is the Senior Director of the Front Office and Field Staff Diversity Pipeline Program for the MLB, an initiative that seeks to identify, develop, and grow the pool of qualified minority and female candidates for on-field and baseball operations positions throughout the industry.
Brooks, a veteran of 20 seasons working with major league clubs, previously spent six years working for the Pittsburgh Pirates where he assisted the club in their pursuit of three consecutive playoff appearances. Brooks also spent three seasons as a Professional Scout with the Cleveland Guardians and eleven years with the Atlanta Braves, most recently as their Director of Baseball Administration in 2006. He also served the Atlanta organization as a Baseball Operations Assistant, Area Scouting Supervisor, Assistant, Player Personnel and Director of Baseball Operations. Brooks is the founder of the Baseball Industry Network (@tbrooksBIN), a baseball networking group on LinkedIn that includes over 45,000 members from around the world, covering the full gamut of people working within or connected to the baseball industry.
Data Science in Business Development
Lauren Bernstein
Lauren Bernstein
Head of Enterprise Partnerships, CI
Across 20 years, Lauren has partnered with Fortune 500 and 1000 institutions to build and implement innovative community-based solutions that bolster deeper connections with communities, drive measurable and scalable impact, and tell a differentiated story. Lauren has spent nearly a decade helping to build and scale EVERFI’s Financial Capability Network, which today represents over 700 financial institutions across the globe and provides financial education solutions to over 6 million learners annually from grade school to the senior population. Lauren is a member of EVERFI’s Executive Team and speaks regularly on key education trends in the U.S., Impact-as-a-Service™, financial inclusion, and scalable education programs. Lauren is a graduate of the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University and lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband, two sons, and a third furry child.
Lesson Plan
Expose your students to the field of data science and the chance to win $5000 in educational funding! Download the following lesson plan for access to a free digital course, a chance for your students to win the Distinguished Scholar Award, an in-class data visualization activity, and an on-demand webinar featuring data scientists in a variety of industries.
Download the following resources to use with students, grade 9-12. This lesson plan includes a deck to guide students through scholarship application and a data visualization activity and project rubric to be completed in class.
Student-facing Slides (PDF)
Student-facing Slides (PPNT)
Lesson Plan (Word)
Data (City Health Equity, XLS)
Lesson Plan (PDF)
Student-facing Slides (Google)
Data Science Foundations Course
At-A-Glance
Grade Level:
9-12
Languages:
English & Spanish
Length:
3 digital courses with a total of 7 lessons, 15-30 mins each
Curriculum Fit:
Economics, Math, Statistics, and College & Career Prep
Standards:
Common Core Standards in Statistics & Probability, International Standards for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards
Distinguished Scholar Award
DataSetGo Distinguished Scholar Award
The Distinguished Scholar Award is open to any Principal Foundation student in grades 9-12 who has completed at least one of the Data Science Foundations and Data Science Exploration: Financial Wellness digital lessons.
Application Deadline:
Entries must be submitted by April 15, 2025.
Prize:
$5,000 in Educational Funding
Great news! If you bring a DataSetGo event to your classroom, one of your students will be guaranteed to win a $5,000 award in educational funding.
Interested in working with us to bring this webinar opportunity live to your classroom? Please reach out to Kira Jersild at [email protected] directly to request more information.