• 404-507-6104
  • info@hqconsultinginc.com

News

Big Data

Algorithm Predicts Crime a Week in Advance, but Reveals Bias in Police Response

Advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence have sparked interest from governments that would like to use these tools for predictive policing to deter crime. Early efforts at crime prediction have been controversial, however, because they do not account for systemic biases in police enforcement and its complex relationship with crime and society. Scientists have developed a new algorithm that forecasts crime by learning patterns in time and geographic locations from public data on violent and property crimes. The model can predict future crimes one week in advance with about 90% accuracy.
Read More
Protecting people’s privacy on health topics
Big Data Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Protecting people’s privacy on health topics

Protecting our users’ privacy and securing their data is core to Google’s work. That’s why we design products to help people keep their personal information private, safe, and secure — with easy-to-use tools and built-in protections.Privacy matters to people — especially around topics such as their health. Given that these issues apply to healthcare providers, telecommunications companies, banks, tech platforms, and many more, we know privacy protections cannot be solely up to individual companies or states acting individually. That’s why we’ve long advocated for a comprehensive and nationwide U.S. privacy law that guarantees protections for everyone, and we’re pleased to see recent progress in Congress.But we haven’t waited for a law to take action. We understand that people rely on Google to keep their personal data secure. We’ve long been committed to this work, and today we're sharing additional steps we're taking to protect user privacy around health issues.Protecting user privacyWe offer a variety of easy-to-use privacy tools and settings that put people in control of their data. This is particularly important to people around health topics, which is why our data policies include a number of restrictions. In addition, we have protections around:Location History: Location History is a Google account setting that is off by default, and for those that turn it on, we provide simple controls like auto-delete so users can easily delete parts, or all, of their data at any time. Some of the places people visit — including medical facilities like counseling centers, domestic violence shelters, abortion clinics, fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, weight loss clinics, cosmetic surgery clinics, and others — can be particularly personal. Today, we’re announcing that if our systems identify that someone has visited one of these places, we will delete these entries from Location History soon after they visit. This change will take effect in the coming weeks.User Data on Apps: Google Play has strict protocols to protect user privacy — including policies that prohibit developers from selling personal and sensitive user data and a requirement that they handle that data securely and only for purposes directly related to operating the app. To further promote transparency and control for users, we also recently introduced Play’s new data safety section that developers use to give people more information about how apps collect, share, and secure their data. For Google Fit and Fitbit, we give users settings and tools to easily access and control their personal data, including the option to change and delete personal information, at any time. For example, Fitbit users who have chosen to track their menstrual cycles in the app can currently delete menstruation logs one at a time, and we will be rolling out updates that let users delete multiple logs at once.Law Enforcement Demands for User Data: Google has a long track record of pushing back on overly broad demands from law enforcement, including objecting to some demands entirely. We take into account the privacy and security expectations of people using our products, and we notify people when we comply with government demands, unless we’re prohibited from doing so or lives are at stake — such as in an emergency situation. In fact, we were the first major company to regularly share the number and types of government demands we receive in a Transparency Report. We remain committed to protecting our users against improper government demands for data, and we will continue to oppose demands that are overly broad or otherwise legally objectionable. We also will continue to support bipartisan legislation, such as the NDO Fairness Act recently passed by the House of Representatives, to reduce secrecy and increase transparency around government data demands.We’re committed to delivering robust privacy protections for people who use our products, and we will continue to look for new ways to strengthen and improve these protections. We support Congressional efforts to reach bipartisan agreement on nationwide privacy protections that move the burden of privacy off individuals and establish good data practices across the board. In the meantime, we will continue our focus on securing our products and protecting the privacy of our users around the world.
Read More
Helping AI startups grow in Africa
Big Data Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Helping AI startups grow in Africa

In 2016, Dr. Anicia Peters discovered a problem. Dr. Peters, a researcher with the University of Namibia and chairperson of the Presidential Task Force on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, noticed that machine learning (ML) startups were not able to grow or shift quickly enough. She believed that early career, self-taught techmakers in the field lacked the necessary breadth and design fundamentals to successfully launch their businesses.Dr. Peters saw a need to teach these fundamentals in a way that would be shareable across the region. The University of Namibia needed to develop a course that would address the need for African AI expertise and, therefore, the needs of these startups. However, that would require funding.In 2020, Dr. Peters learned of Google’s new pilot funding program, the Award for Inclusion Research Program (AIR), managed by the University Relations team within Google Research. They had an open call for applications. Dr. Peters believed securing funding and mentorship from Google's AIR pilot program would help maximize the impact of the AI startups, break down barriers and bridge connections.“You have to start small, so it's hard to convince funders who are looking for big numbers,” Peters says. “You know, how many people are you going to be impacting? Namibia has few people compared to other countries.” However, Google’s AIR program saw the potential for immediate and long-term impact and selected Dr. Peters for the award.The funding enabled her to hire a staff member to manage the day-to-day operations of the program. This allowed her team to focus their work on social justice, specifically on inclusion, and ethics, increasing the numbers of African developers and ensuring anyone in Africa could access the resources needed to train as a developer. This funding helped secure these resources and meant they could invite experts to virtually teach, share knowledge and collaborate. “That’s part of what Google does through the University Relations program,” Peters adds. “They enable African university research and tech development.”Dr. Peters had big plans to expand this project to other countries across Africa. Thanks to the relationships established through the AIR grant, she secured an additional Google research grant and recruited additional staff members to help with expansion. This expansion allowed the University of Namibia, which has a strong focus on agriculture, to develop AI technologies in partnership with their agricultural department.“At one stage I was saying – Google if you want to come and help us, in Africa, then you have to join hands with those of us on the continent,” Peters says. “And I think that for me, this is one of the main messages: that now we are really walking the path together. That, for me, is very important. It's the beginning of great things to come."Google is currently accepting applications for the Award for Inclusion Research Program. Applications close July 13, 2022 at 11:59pm coordinated universal time (UTC-12).
Read More
Big Data

With Chips Scarce, Now is the Time for a Data Management Redo

In this special guest feature, Nathan Wilson, Channel Marketing Manager at Redstor, outlines why the current chip shortage presents a great time to review your data management strategy. There are several key challenges to keep in mind when it comes to hardware-based data management and protection.
Read More
Mentoring the next generation of women techmakers
Big Data Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Mentoring the next generation of women techmakers

Annalisa Arcella, a scientist based in London, spent her career working in data science, using her technical expertise to work alongside people in different sectors with different backgrounds. But a project in March 2021 led her in a new direction — working with cloud technology and ultimately becoming a Women Techmakers Ambassador.She started working on a project for the Public Sector in London. The goal was to analyze thousands of responses to public policy consultations. She was collaborating with a customer engineer from the Google Cloud Platform team on the project, as it was her first time using the technology. After the two worked together, he suggested she participate in the Women Developers Academy, an intensive program for women in tech to develop their public speaking skills and confidence.Annalisa was accepted to the Women Developers Academy a few months later. “For two months, they taught us how to contribute to the community via technical public speaking and writing blog posts, as well as how to prepare technical video content,” she says. After graduating, Annalisa was inspired to do more for the community of women in tech around her. “Joining the program motivated me to share my experience and inspire like-minded young women who want to pursue careers in tech,” she says. “I worked and lived in different countries between Europe and the U.S. and women are still a minority group in tech, especially in non-European countries.”In December 2021, Annalisa became a Women Techmakers Ambassador, joining a global group of leaders around the world passionate about impacting their communities and building a world where all women can thrive in tech. Additionally, her first experience using Google Cloud Platform sparked her interest in new areas of technology and led her to a new role as machine learning engineering manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers. “I have always worked closely with engineers in high-performance computing environments, on the boundary of science and tech,” she says. “Now, I’m excited to move to machine learning engineering, spending most of my time on the cloud.”Since becoming an Ambassador and getting a new job, Annalisa has kept quite busy. As an Ambassador, she’s been able to share her knowledge about Google Cloud, and is planning learning sessions in MLOps and Tensorflow. “I am meeting really inspiring people from all over the world,” she says. This role has also allowed her to mentor other women who are interested in getting into the tech industry, as well as participating in training sessions to help her grow her own skills.In June — almost a year after she first participated in the Women Developers Academy — she took center stage to give a talk about the advantages of using fully managed Google Cloud services at the DataLift conference in Berlin. “The talk attracted many people, and the room was full,” she says. “I was talking about the challenges of a small team in machine learning operations, which is one of the hottest topics in data science right now.”
Read More
Inside Scoop: National Ice Cream Day with Google Maps
Big Data Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Inside Scoop: National Ice Cream Day with Google Maps

What better way to beat the hot summer heat than with ice cream? We’re not the only ones who crave this sweet treat. In fact, of all the dishes searched on Google Maps in the U.S., ice cream is the second most-searched. So with National Ice Cream Day on July 17, we couldn’t resist a sweet opportunity to celebrate!Whether you prefer an elaborate cone, a simple scoop, or chasing the ice cream truck for your favorite popsicle, we have Google Maps ice cream trends that are sure to make you melt.Here are the most popular ice cream chains in each U.S. state in one fell scoop 🍨:We all scream for ice cream! There are tons of waffle-y beloved local ice cream spots across the U.S. According to Google Maps, these are the ten most popular:Sundaes and cones (New York, NY)Soft Swerve Ice Cream (New York, NY)Milk & Cream Cereal Bar (New York, NY)Surreal Creamery (New York, NY)Glazier Rolled Ice Cream & Boba Tea (San Francisco, CA)Cones Artisanal Ice Cream Since 1998 (New York, NY)Little Man Ice Cream (Denver, CO)Toscanini’s Ice Cream (Cambridge, MA)Sweet Alchemy Ice Creamery (Seattle, WA)Shug’s Soda Factory and Ice Cream (Seattle, WA)Just desserts. Ice cream is the top searched dessert on Google Maps in the U.S., but which states love ice cream the most? These are the top 10 states where anything is popsicle, according to Google Maps data:HawaiiRhode IslandColoradoMassachusettsNew YorkVermontFloridaMaineNew HampshireUtahWho says you have to stick to Sundae Funday? Saturday is the most popular day people search for ice cream on Google Maps. So treat yourself this weekend by heading to your favorite spot, or discovering a new one! We even cone-done spoiling your dinner, because you de(soft)serve it!🍦
Read More
Introducing the first 50 recipients of the Latino Founders Fund
Big Data Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Introducing the first 50 recipients of the Latino Founders Fund

Ver abajo versión en españolSince joining Google almost twelve years ago, it’s been a personal mission of mine to seek new ways for Google to provide access and opportunity to the Latino community. Most recently I've been focused on how we can provide this to the Latino startup community, where gaining access to funding — the necessary fuel to grow their companies – is a constant struggle. Latino-led businesses are the fastest-growing segment of U.S. small businesses, but as an aggregate they only receive 2% of total U.S. venture capital funding, despite comprising 20% of the U.S. population.This disparity is why we committed $7 million last year to help Latino founders grow their businesses and support the organizations already nurturing communities of Latino-led startups. We allocated $5 million of that funding to our inaugural Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund, and today at the UnidosUS Annual Conference in San Antonio, we revealed the 50 Latino founders who will each receive $100,000 in cash awards. They’ll also receive hands-on support and mentorship from Googlers across the company, $100,000 in Google Cloud credits, and access to therapy sessions to use as needed for any support they may need emotionally and professionally.These Latino Founders Fund recipients have created amazing businesses that are already making a significant impact. They are helping solve some of the country’s biggest problems, from providing accessible, personalized reproductive health support to helping college graduates get out of debt and creating a more equitable legal system for Americans. Meet some of the recipients below, and read the full list of this year’s awardees here.Two women, one wearing a black shirt and one wearing a green shirt, sit side by side facing the camera in front of large green plants.Tanya Menendez and Pamela Martinez, cofounders of Snowball WealthA woman wearing a blue shirt stands next to a man sitting in a chair behind a laptop.Francisco Cornejo and Daniela Vega, cofounders of StorybookA woman with long brown hair and wearing a black turtleneck smiles at the camera in front of a large green plant.Noelle Acosta, founder of Noula HealthA man wearing a gray suit stands with his arms crossed in front of a brick wall.Eric Alvarez, founder of Grapefruit HealthA woman with black hair smiles at the camera, wearing a black shirt.Ariana Abramson, founder of DivySci SoftwareA man wearing a gray shirt with "USMC" in blue letters looks at the camera, in front of a Spanish-style building.Clay Treska, cofounder of Family ProudA woman with black hair sits angled towards the camera, wearing a pink blazer and top and blue jeans.Camille Padilla, founder of VODIUMA man wearing a blue shirt and baseball cap leans against a stone column in a park.Eli Rivera, cofounder of The Way OutA woman with brown hair over her shoulders smiles at camera, wearing a black shirt that says "People Clerk" in white letters.Camilla Lopez, founder of People ClerkA man with dark hair, beard and mustache leans against a wall outside, wearing a light-colored button down shirt.Alejandro Harb, founder of Lena HealthWe know having a robust network of support is critical to Latino founders’ success. That’s why we committed $1 million to supporting organizations that are dedicated to growing the Latino startup community. In the past few months, we connected founders across North and Latin America through our partnership with eMerge Americas. We teamed up with Visible Hands to launch VHLX, a new program to support Latino entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of their process; those founders received $10,000 in cash stipends from Google to help kickstart their ideas. And we recently wrapped our first Latinx Leaders Summit with Inicio Ventures, and will host a series of pitch competitions for aspiring entrepreneurs later this year.We’ve seen firsthand what happens when we support underrepresented founders with funding and community. For example, over the past two years, Google for Startups has provided $10 million in cash awards to 126 Black founders in the U.S. through our global Black Founders Fund. I’ve had the privilege of working directly with these incredible founders, who have collectively gone on to raise over $75 million in follow-on funding. In addition to follow-on funding, many report that the fund allowed them to attract customers and hire new teammates.I hope this funding and support will not only catalyze the growth of these 50 Latino-led startups, but also inspire other Latinos entrepreneurs to dream, create and innovate to showcase the talent of our community and change the course for their families and communities in the process.Presentamos a los primeros 50 beneficiarios del Fondo de Fundadores LatinosDesde que me uní a Google hace casi doce años, mi misión personal ha sido buscar nuevas formas para que Google brinde acceso y oportunidades a la comunidad latina. Más recientemente, me he centrado en cómo podemos proporcionar esto a la comunidad latina de empresas emergentes, donde obtener acceso a la financiación, el combustible necesario para hacer crecer sus empresas, es una lucha constante. Las empresas lideradas por latinos son el segmento de más rápido crecimiento de las pequeñas empresas de Estados Unidos, pero en conjunto solo reciben el 2 % del financiamiento total de capital de riesgo en Estados Unidos, a pesar de que representan el 20 % de la población del país.Esta disparidad es la razón por la cual comprometimos $7 millones el año pasado para ayudar a los fundadores latinos a hacer crecer sus negocios y apoyar a las organizaciones que ya nutren comunidades de empresas emergentes dirigidas por latinos. Asignamos $5 millones de esa financiación a nuestro Fondo inaugural de Fundadores Latinos de Google for Startups y hoy en la Conferencia Anual de UnidosUS en San Antonio, anunciamos los 50 fundadores latinos que recibirán cada uno $100,000 en efectivo. También recibirán apoyo práctico y tutoría de Googlers (empleados de Google) en toda la empresa, $100,000 en créditos de Google Cloud y acceso a sesiones de terapia para usar según sea necesario para cualquier apoyo que puedan necesitar emocional y profesionalmente.Estos beneficiarios del Fondo de Fundadores Latinos han creado negocios increíbles que ya están teniendo un impacto significativo. Están ayudando a resolver algunos de los problemas más grandes del país, desde brindar salud reproductiva accesible y personalizada, ayudar a los graduados universitarios a salir de deudas y crear un sistema legal más equitativo para los estadounidenses. Lee la lista completa de los galardonados de este año aquí.Sabemos que tener una sólida red de apoyo es fundamental para el éxito de los fundadores latinos. Es por eso que comprometimos $1 millón para apoyar a organizaciones que se dedican a hacer crecer la comunidad latina de empresas emergentes. En los últimos meses, conectamos a fundadores de América del Norte y América Latina a través de nuestra asociación con eMerge Americas. Nos asociamos con Visible Hands para lanzar VHLX, un nuevo programa para apoyar a los empresarios latinos en las primeras etapas de su proceso; esos fundadores recibieron $10,000 en estipendios en efectivo de Google para ayudarlos a poner en marcha sus ideas. Y recientemente finalizamos nuestra primera Cumbre de Líderes Latinx con Inicio Ventures, y organizaremos una serie de concursos de lanzamiento para aspirantes a empresarios a finales de este año.Hemos visto de primera mano lo que sucede cuando apoyamos a los fundadores subrepresentados con fondos y comunidad. Por ejemplo, en los últimos dos años, Google for Startups ha otorgado $10 millones en premios en efectivo a 126 fundadores afroamericanos en los Estados Unidos a través de nuestro Black Founders Fund. He tenido el privilegio de trabajar directamente con estos increíbles fundadores, quienes colectivamente recaudaron más de $75 millones en fondos de seguimiento. Además de la financiación de seguimiento, muchos informan que el fondo les permitió atraer clientes y contratar nuevos compañeros de equipo.Espero que este financiamiento y apoyo no solo catalice el crecimiento de estas 50 nuevas empresas lideradas por latinos, sino que también inspire a otros empresarios latinos a soñar, crear e innovar para mostrar el talento de nuestra comunidad y cambiar el rumbo de sus familias y comunidades en el proceso.
Read More
A guide to common Ad Manager policy questions
Big Data Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

A guide to common Ad Manager policy questions

Ad Manager program policies help ensure we preserve a healthy digital ecosystem for the benefit of all users, advertisers and publishers. But we know we can do more to help Ad Manager partners better understand our policies. So, to answer some common questions, we’re sharing a new infographic with important information on:The role of advertising policies for Google’s advertising platformsMost frequently faced policy violationsResolving policy issues and navigating through the Ad Manager Policy CenterCheck it out below, and don't forget to download or bookmark the infographic below.
Read More
Big Data

Cortical.io Semantic Folding Approach Demonstrates a 2,800x Acceleration and 4,300x Increase in Energy Efficiency over BERT

Cortical.io announced its breakthrough prototype for classifying high volumes of unstructured text. Classifying documents or messages constitutes one of the most fundamental Natural Language Understanding (NLU) functions for business artificial intelligence (AI). The benchmark was carried out on two similar system setups using the same, off-the-shelve, dual AMD-Epyc server hardware. The “BERT” system, a transformer-based machine learning technique for natural language processing, was augmented by a NVidia GPU. The “Semantic Folding” approach utilized a cost comparable number of Xilinx Alveo FPGA accelerator cards.
Read More
Big Data

Wallaroo Introduces Free Community Edition to Democratize Production Machine Learning

Wallaroo Labs announced the general availability launch of its new, free Community Edition (Wallaroo CE) version of its enterprise product that helps teams speed up and simplify the deployment and operations of machine learning (ML) models and pipelines in production. For too long, the perception was that scaling ML required unlimited resources or specific skills/expertise for data scientists and ML engineers.
Read More
Big Data

Big Conversational Data Delivers More Helpful and Human Engagements Between Bots, Customers

n this special guest feature, Andrew Hamel, EVP, Technology, Operations and AI, LivePerson, discusses the connection between big data and human engagement, specifically ways big conversational data delivers more authentic, human engagements between bots and customers.
Read More
Big Data

Third Annual Global RPA Industry Report Indicates that Intelligent Automation Will Lead Companies Out of Global Crises

As world tensions increase and the stock market faces volatility, business leaders indicate that intelligent automation has become a pivotal strategy to navigate current market challenges and sustain business performance. Of the 1,000 global organizations surveyed, more than 90 percent say automation addresses the impact of supply chain and economic uncertainty, according to the third edition of the Automation Now & Next report from Automation Anywhere.
Read More
Big Data

Impact of Data in the E-Commerce Industry

In this contributed article, Raphaël Menesclou, Head of Marketing & Growth at DataHawk, discusses how data puts your business on the front lines with consumers, giving you a better understanding of their online behavior through the foresight of patterns, trends and personalization so your products will stand out in the saturated markets of today.
Read More
Big Data

Study: Majority of CFOs Are Feeling Mounting Pressure to Automate the Finance Function

To better understand the impact of automation within finance departments, Vic.ai, the artificial intelligence (AI) platform for autonomous accounting and real-time insights, in partnership with StrategicCFO360 released a new study examining the challenges and opportunities Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) face in the current environment to automate the finance function with the resources and systems they have.
Read More
Suicide prevention resources on Google Search
Big Data Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Suicide prevention resources on Google Search

Three out of four people in the United States come to the internet first with questions about their health and wellness. The pandemic has exacerbated the need for high-quality, timely and actionable health information — in fact, since 2020, people are searching for “mental health hotline” twice as much as they did before. On Search, we work to connect people in crisis situations to reliable support as quickly as possible.Today, when you search for information about suicide prevention in the U.S., you’ll find a new, easy-to-remember hotline number and chat support at the top of your search results. We’ve updated this to reflect the new national mental health crisis hotline number, 988. Services are provided by the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a network of more than 200 state and local call centers funded by the U.S. Department of Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).Suicide is a leading cause of death among people of all ages globally. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the second-leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34 in the U.S. While Google has included suicide prevention information at the top of relevant search results for many years, this new hotline will make it easier for people in emotional distress and seeking mental health support to get help.With search interest in mental health resources reaching record highs this year, 988 provides a critical lifeline for those in need. "Hope has a new number, and it's 988," says Dr. John Draper, Executive Director of 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. "This is a historic moment in our country's approach to mental health. When people call or text 988, they will be connected to trained counselors who will hear them, support them and connect them to resources. With this transition to 988, our hope is to reach so many more people in emotional crisis, and connect them to care."For over a decade, we’ve worked closely with crisis support providers to help people navigate topics like suicide, substance use disorders and domestic violence. In addition to returning helpful information from reliable sources for related queries, we work with local suicide crisis partners to surface high-quality information around the world. Beyond the U.S., suicide hotlines are available in dozens of countries and we recently expanded the feature to Costa Rica, Pakistan and Belgium. We’ll continue working to bring this feature to even more countries.People come to Google looking for information in critical moments, and access to high-quality information is crucial to helping them navigate those moments safely. Providing hotline resources is one way we’re continuing to help people stay safe while they search.
Read More
4 ways web creators build community
Big Data Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

4 ways web creators build community

Creators are always looking for ways to connect with their audiences, starting with producing and sharing content that resonates with them. But how do you take these interactions to the next level and build a stronger sense of connection with your followers? We asked creators who cover a wide range of topics how they turned their followings into active, engaged communities.Use multiple platforms to build your audienceMost creators have a favorite platform they post on, but there are benefits to being active on more than one. For example, posting on multiple platforms can help with discovery, boost engagement and drive traffic to your website. Lindsey Bomgren, a fitness trainer and blogger who posts at Nourish Move Love, says, “I use Instagram for building audience engagement, Pinterest for driving traffic to my website and YouTube for sharing full-length workout videos. No matter where you post, you can always link back to a common destination, like your website. Our most loyal readers are our email subscribers, but we love YouTube and Pinterest for their discoverability!”Lindsey Bomgren posts content for her brand, Nourish Move Love, on multiple platforms to boost discoverability and engagement.Choose how you want to measure and define successAs a creator, how do you know whether you’re building community among your target audience? Should you focus on how big your audience is, how well your topics resonate with them or both? Two important tools to measure success are analytics and direct feedback, including using direct messaging through platforms, comments or emails.Lindsey uses analytics to understand “which posts are driving the most traffic, and where that traffic is coming from.” She adds, “We create content for different audiences. Some of our content is designed for search engine optimization; whereas other content, like full body high intensity interval training (HITT) and pyramid workouts, is geared toward our Instagram followers.”Other creators rely more on community feedback to find out what content is resonating. Payton Cavin, who built the media brand Mellow Yellow Media to inspire women to explore the world and their passions while working remotely, shares, “Analytics help us understand what our audience is craving more of. That being said, direct feedback is always more beneficial. There's nothing like having a conversation with a follower who found value in what you shared.”Mellow Yellow Media founder Payton Cavin values direct feedback from her fans and followers.Find ways to engageInteracting directly with your audience can not only help you figure out what's working, it can build community and bring your brand to life. Many creators shared that they interact with followers in comments or direct messages on social platforms, or via email. Beauty blogger Kendall Alfred says, “I try to respond to as many YouTube comments as I can, and my direct messages are always open on Instagram. I go live on my platforms and answer questions in real time. I also try to do giveaways and donations as often as possible.”And Lindsey hosts “live workouts on YouTube and Instagram, sharing weekly seven-day workout plans and daily #WOD's [workouts of the day] that we follow together as a community.”Beauty blogger Kendall Alfred engages with her community through live sessions, giveaways and donations to promote her YouTube channel.Partner upEager to grow your brand’s reputation and think outside the box? Partnering with other creators can be an effective way to mix things up while bringing your communities together. It can also help you get creative by exploring more topics related to your brand.Shylah May, a lifestyle and wellness blogger, says, “I’ve made friends with a lot of other creators throughout the years. We travel, take photos and attend events together, and they even help promote my clothing line, Shop Shylah May. Teaming up with other creators helps your brand so much — it creates awareness, better defines your brand and allows you to grow your audience.”Shylah May loves partnering with other creators.
Read More
Big Data Black Women in Tech

100: The Road to 100 Episodes and What We Learned From The Podcast

In the guys celebrate reaching 100 episodes! The discuss the genesis of the podcast and lessons they learned over the last 2 years. Later the discuss what’s next for the podcast and guest they would like on the show. Tune in! Be sure to check out our bonus episode this week as we continue our celebration of 100 episode on YouTube featuring a very special guest. https://youtube.com/channel/UCQhmskTHdfYOFwJleMPdX8Q --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/30tolifepod/support
Read More
How this intern’s passion for Africa led her to Google
Big Data Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

How this intern’s passion for Africa led her to Google

Welcome to the latest edition of “My Path to Google,” where we talk to Googlers, interns, apprentices and alumni about how they got to Google, what their roles are like and even some tips on how to prepare for interviews.Today’s post is all about Angela Kagabo, a Kenya-based intern working on marketing projects for the Ads sales team.Can you tell us a bit about yourself?I was born and raised in Kigali, Rwanda in a family of four children and a super mom. Two words that best describe me are authentic and funny (I might be exaggerating the funny part but my own jokes crack me up). I’m a rising junior, studying international business and trade at the African Leadership University in Kigali. I’m very passionate about women’s rights, my country and the African continent — particularly her stories, people, history and, most importantly, her future.What do you work on at Google?I’m an intern with Google’s Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) marketing team, and I’m working out of our Nairobi, Kenya office this summer. I support marketing projects for our Ads sales team, like planning client events. So far, I’ve had a blast working with the SSA marketing team because of all the new things I get to learn every day. I even got to meet most of my team at a recent offsite in Cape Town, South Africa.Angela and her teammates participating in a community service projectWhy did you apply to Google?I applied because I was inspired by all the Google products that have made my life easier — like Google Forms and Google Sheets, my go-to tools for collecting feedback and organizing data. And I wanted more people, especially those in lower-income communities, to know about and have access to these products. Google’s company culture was another big draw for me, as was the opportunity to work on projects specifically focused on Africa.How did your interview process go?Honestly, it couldn’t have been a smoother process. Although I went into the interviews feeling nervous, my interviewers put me at ease. In one of my interviews, I remember not understanding one of the questions. However, I felt comfortable enough to tell my interviewer (and now manager), “I’m not sure I understand that. May I have more context?” And she happily explained. As it turns out, not knowing the answer right away doesn’t mean automatic rejection — it actually means there’s an opportunity to learn something new.How did you prepare for your interviews?While the interview process was different from what I was used to, my recruiter shared a lot of resources to help me better understand the process and team I was interviewing for. I also spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos from previous Google interns and the Google Students team, and about overall interview etiquette.Angela and her motherAny advice for aspiring Google interns?First, be yourself. Don’t try to fit into a box you think Google expects you to be in — because there is no box. Second, if you’re thinking about applying, watch videos on the Google Students YouTube channel. They’ll teach you how to create a strong resume and give you insight into the recruitment process. Also, spend time on Google’s career site because there’s a lot of important information to help you better understand the company.And finally, just apply! I almost didn’t, because I didn’t think I’d actually get this internship, but I’m so glad I pushed myself to do it. If you’re worried about the interview process, Google is rooting for you and will share all the resources you need to be prepared. So go for it!
Read More
New tools to make collaboration and ad creation easier
Big Data Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

New tools to make collaboration and ad creation easier

We want to make it easier to create effective ads for any Google Ads campaign. That starts with improving how images and videos are organized, accessed and created. With assets available in a central place, you can create ads and campaigns faster or swap content more easily when you need to make a change. And, if you’re missing a video needed to reach an important audience or business objective, you can now make one directly in Google Ads.A new home for asset storage and organizationWhen you’re working with a team supporting several different campaigns, it’s important that everyone can access the content they need. With the asset library, images and videos are available to users across your Google Ads account in a visual-first experience. You and your colleagues can view, import and organize creative assets from both past and present campaigns. This makes sharing, collaboration and consistency easy.When it’s time to create or edit a campaign, you can access the library directly while building an ad. There’s no need to re-upload assets that you’re using across multiple campaigns. This experience is currently available in Performance Max, Discovery, App, Local, Display campaigns and some ad extensions.If you use Google Ads Editor for campaign management, you’ll find an asset library there too. Similar to Google Ads, you can view and select content from your library to construct ads. And, you’ll soon be able to import images and videos to Google Ads directly from your Google Drive account.We hope the asset library will help you spend less time managing or hunting down assets and more time developing creative ideas.An easy, fast way to create video ads that work on YouTubeVideo has a unique ability to captivate and influence people, especially on YouTube where billions of people come to watch content they love. Yet, many businesses struggle to unlock the full potential of video advertising because the creation process can often be lengthy, resource-intensive and complex. But, it doesn’t have to be!With video ad creation now available in Google Ads, anyone can create a high-quality video ad in a matter of minutes. Start by selecting a template from our catalog and populating it with your brand colors, logo, images and text. Then, pick a music track from our audio library. Finally, use the video in any campaign that includes video, like a Video action campaign or a Performance Max campaign.The templates are made for YouTube, meaning they have optimal pacing, brand and product placements and prominent calls to action. They are designed to help your ad stand out and drive results. With templates guiding you, the complexity of creating a video disappears and you can spend more time developing your messaging, audience insights or campaign strategy.Invertironline is an Argentinian fintech company that turned to video creation in Google Ads for its efficiency and flexibility. “We always thought about YouTube, but we didn’t want to enter in the design loop until video creation in Google Ads appeared,” says Ariel Peralta, acquisition marketing lead of the financial technology company. With the help of templates, Invertironline reduced the time to produce video ads from two days to just 15 minutes. Compared to previous video ads, conversion rates doubled and the cost per acquisition was cut almost in half.[39b95e]Another aspect of video creation we’d like to simplify is adding voice-over to videos. Audio is a critical factor in driving creative effectiveness on YouTube. The ABCD guidelines for effective video ads consistently show that videos with voice-over drive better performance. That’s why we’ve launched an easy way to generate a voice-over for YouTube videos, powered by Google’s industry-leading text-to-speech technology. This feature is accessible directly from the asset library.Simply type in your script, select your preferred voice and with one click we’ll overlay your voice-over onto your video. We currently offer 7 voices in English (US) that are specifically created with advertising in mind. We also offer general text-to-speech voices in the following languages: Filipino, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Malaysian, Mandarin, Spanish and Swedish. We plan to add more ad voices and languages in the future.In studies, creative is often the most significant driver of advertising return on investment. That’s why we’re so focused on helping you create and curate great assets for all of your Google Ads campaigns. We hope the asset library fosters more collaboration and smooth campaign deployment for your teams, freeing up time for you to develop creative ideas. With easier video ad creation and voice-over in Google Ads, we’d like to help you fully unlock the benefits of video advertising.Learn more about the asset library, video creation and voice-over in the Google Ads Help Center.
Read More
4 days with Google at the 2022 ESSENCE Festival
Big Data Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

4 days with Google at the 2022 ESSENCE Festival

Earlier this month, a group of Googlers traveled to New Orleans for the 2022 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, an annual celebration that brings together Black women and allies for conversation and connection. After a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic, ESSENCE returned with over 500,000 attendees and a packed lineup of performances, workshops and panels focused on sisterhood, personal development, civic engagement and community leadership.It was an honor to represent Google as a festival sponsor this year, and to witness thousands of Black women leaders, creators, founders, educators and entertainers gathering together. The experience proved how important and powerful it is to create a sense of belonging.Here are some highlights from our four whirlwind days at the 2022 ESSENCE Festival:Thursday: Building connections over brunchWe kicked off the festival on Thursday with a brunch for Googlers and their plus-ones. Over food and conversation, attendees admired photographer Deun Ivory’s work, which was specially shot with Pixel’s Real Tone technology to reflect the nuances of skin tones.At the Google-sponsored brunch, Googlers and their guests admired Deun Ivory’s photographs, shot using Real Tone on Google Pixel. Photo by Jonathan Priester.“Starting the ESSENCE festivities with the brunch event was a highlight for me,” says Stephanie LeBlanc, Global Lead of Community Inclusion Programs for Intersectional Communities at Google. “As a plus-one, you can sometimes feel like a tagalong, so it was important to us to welcome guests as part of an ever-growing and empowering community of Black women leaders. It was an amazing networking opportunity — many of us discovered how closely we’re all connected.”Stephanie LeBlanc helped lead Google’s brunch at the ESSENCE Festival. Photo by Jonathan Priester.Friday: Sharing skills and training opportunitiesOn Friday, we hosted a conversation with sorority organization partners, moderated by Cassandra Johnson, VP of Customer Care and Vendor Management Office and an executive sponsor for our internal Black Googler Network. The session spotlighted Black Women Lead, a Grow with Google partnership with The Links, Incorporated, Dress for Success Worldwide and four Black sororities: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Since launching in 2021, Black Women Lead has provided digital skills training to 100,000 Black women across the U.S.Cassandra Johnson hosted a conversation with leaders from our sorority organization partners: (L to R) Elsie Cook-Holmes (Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.), Valerie Hollingsworth Baker (Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.), Nichole McCall (Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.) and Andria Daniels (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.). Photo by Jonathan Priester.The Grow with Google team also sponsored a booth in the festival’s convention center, where they set up time for a sorority “takeover.” Hundreds of sorority members from across the country stopped by to learn more about training opportunities and workshops available through Black Women Lead. “It was amazing to hear firsthand from my Delta Sigma Theta sorority sisters about the success of this initiative in our communities," says Shani Waugh, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Google.Getting ready for the sorority takeover at Google’s ESSENCE Festival booth.Saturday: Holding space for conversationsOn Saturday, I had the pleasure of hosting a fireside chat on building career paths with Jewel Burks, Head of Google for Startups U.S. and the co-founder of Partpic Inc, which Jewel sold to Amazon at age 27. Among many topics, we talked about the important role champions play throughout a career.Later that day, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage in conversation with Emmy Award-winning actress Keke Palmer — two of the many high-profile and inspirational speakers at ESSENCE. Kamala’s take on the importance of community and connection with others really captured the theme of the weekend.I sat down with Jewel Burks at the ESuite stage event “Dynamic Pathways: Charting Your Career Through Reciprocity.” Photo by Jonathan Priester.Sunday: Reflecting on the ESSENCE experienceOn the final day of the festival, Googlers wrapped up their volunteer duties, said their goodbyes to new and lasting connections and reflected on the experience. Although we were one of many companies that attended and contributed to ESSENCE, it was inspiring to see how Google’s efforts helped lift up and bring so many people together. I personally reflected on the limitlessness of human potential, and how the work we do at Google can help Black women pursue successful career journeys.Laurie Bennett, a consultant on Google’s Human Resources team, summed up the experience well: “It was really powerful to see all the different ways people showed up at ESSENCE — from companies and vendors offering support to the Black community, to celebrities and entrepreneurs sharing professional, and even personal, advice. It leaves you feeling proud and wanting to pay that work forward. ”Rachel Spivey (L) and Laurie Bennett (R), joined a group of Googlers at this year’s ESSENCE Festival. Photo by Laurie Bennett.
Read More
1 2 3 10