Last year, Rashmi Nagpal, a machine learning engineer from India, presented a talk at PyCon Estonia titled “Unwrap The Black Box: Building Fair, Ethical & Unbiased ML Systems.” This talk caught the attention of many participants, including the team from Patchstack, a leading cybersecurity startup and a proud sponsor of PyCon Estonia. What began as a simple speaking engagement ended up being a life-changing opportunity for Rashmi.
The Impact of PyCon Estonia
Rashmi applied to speak at PyCon Estonia through the conference’s call for papers. At the time, she was deeply involved in machine learning and AI, balancing her role as a team lead in India with her research work at MIT.
“I was initially hesitant to attend PyCon Estonia due to funding issues,” she said. “But Grete, the head organizer at PyCon Estonia, secured a scholarship from the Python Software Foundation (PSF) for me and another speaker. It felt like a dream come true!”
Her talk on building unbiased machine learning systems, like facial recognition models, that correctly identify faces of all skin shades resonated with the diverse audience at the conference. “It sparked interest from people across different fields, including developers, artists, and even members of the army. The interaction was very fun,” Rashmi recalled.
Rashmi described her experience at PyCon Estonia 2023 as life-changing as she said, “People have reached out to me on LinkedIn, recognising my work and mentioning they saw my talk at Pycon Estonia. The organizers and the community have been amazing, and it’s transformed my life by opening up more speaking opportunities and helping me make new friends and connections.”
Connecting with Patchstack
During a break at the conference, Rashmi visited the sponsor booths and met Helis, a recruiter from Patchstack.
Patchstack, an innovative Estonian cybersecurity company, is revolutionizing the way we approach web security. Their mission is to create a safer digital space for all of us by bridging the gap between bug bounties, community-driven security research, and cutting-edge virtual patching technologies. With over 50,000 developers already benefiting from their platform, Patchstack empowers them to identify and address vulnerabilities in third-party code.
What started as a casual game at the Patchstack booth during PyCon turned into a discussion about the company’s innovative projects and their search for a machine learning engineer. “Helis introduced me to Oliver, Patchstack’s founder, who explained their ambitious projects. Despite some initial doubts about my fit for the role, their excitement and vision convinced me to consider it seriously,” she said.
After returning to India, Helis reached out on LinkedIn, encouraging Rashmi to apply for the role. “I went through a few interview rounds, and eventually, I became the first machine learning engineer at Patchstack,” Rashmi shared. “Now, I’m working on cutting-edge technologies like building code vulnerability solutions, and I love the autonomy and challenges of my work. The European Innovation Council (EIC) and other government bodies are interested in our work, which is significant, especially as a foreigner contributing to this project.”
Patchstack Work Culture
Patchstack’s fully remote work culture has been a perfect fit for Rashmi. “The experience of working with such a global and talented team has been incredible,” she said. “We use asynchronous conversations on Slack and have set priorities for our tasks. For instance, someone can complete their work and ask for feedback on Slack. The reviewer checks it at their convenience, and we have overlapping hours from 10 am to 2 pm Estonian time when everyone from different departments is available. This overlap ensures effective communication and helps build trust and faith in each other to keep our team strong.” Recently, the entire team met in Turin, Italy, for in-person meetings, further strengthening their bond.
This year, Patchstack is returning as a PyCon Estonia sponsor, with Ibad Rehman from their team as one of the keynote speakers. The company sees PyCon Estonia as a key platform for recruitment and networking and plans to expand its AI team by hiring more data scientists. “Our team will be there, ready to connect with potential candidates. I encourage anyone attending to visit Patchstack’s booth,” Rashmi added.
Join us at PyCon Estonia 2024
Rashmi’s story is a proof of the opportunities that PyCon Estonia offers. Not only did it lead her to an exciting role at Patchstack, but it also expanded her professional network and opened doors to new speaking opportunities. “Even though it (Pycon Estonia) looks small on a very granular scale, the impact it has created was huge: I got so many other speaking opportunities because of it and not just that. The HR people from companies started recognising me, and I made a lot of friends,” she emphasized.
If you’re a Python developer, AI/ML enthusiast, or a recruiter looking to connect with top talent, PyCon Estonia 2024 is the place to be. Scheduled for September 5-6, 2024, at Mektory of TalTech, this year’s conference will bring together 16 industry experts from around the world. With workshops, keynote presentations, and plenty of networking opportunities, PyCon Estonia is more than just a conference—it’s a gateway to new opportunities.
Don’t miss out—get your tickets now at https://pycon.ee. If you’re interested in exploring career opportunities with Patchstack, be sure to visit their booth and check out their careers page.
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