As an Editorial Research Intern at Stacker Media, I worked exclusively on creating and publishing data-driven stories. I wrote over 90 custom web scrapers utilizing automation testing and data analytics frameworks like Selenium and Pandas. The scrapers would automatically collect the data needed for the story at hand. I then would write a second script with the BeautifulSoup framework that would take the unstructured, JSON, and CSV data I collected and clean it automatically, ensuring a consistent and streamlined process. If the data required special attention or would be shared with a non-technical colleague, I would formulate complex functions in Google Sheets to structure and clean the data. I would then take this data and systemically use Pandas DataFrames to create dynamic stories for partners such as MSN or create/update widgets for client websites. Once I updated these newly created CSV files into our content-management system, the data-driven story creation process was complete and I would move on to a new story.

This two-and-a-half-year experience honed my skills as a resourceful, self-starting technologist. Working in a team of two where I often tackled technical challenges independently, I learned to find solutions using online resources. My exposure to new frameworks and their practical applications led me to pursue personal projects in my spare time, further developing my skills. Navigating a startup environment, I automated redundant and manual tasks, earning recognition for my innovative solutions. My years with Stacker’s small local team and our focus on improving the data-driven story creation process were further validated when the local team was recognized with a nomination for the Mega-Conference’s “Mega-Innovation Award” in April 2022.

I have a substantial number of articles I worked on here.

As a Data Analyst Intern for the Crypto and Digital Assets (CDA) team at Plug and Play Tech Center, I was tasked with sourcing promising crypto and web3 startups within Plug and Play's global network for corporate partners, creating pitch decks, and developing a capstone project on AI adoption in Crypto and Web3 companies. I also conducted in-depth startup calls, gauging founder stories, startup ingenuity, and viability to produce comprehensive reports for the team.

My most impactful project was conducting a summer-long trend and profit analysis of venture capital firms investing in crypto and web3 startups. I leveraged PitchBook's and Crunchbase's insights to collect and analyze investment metrics like funding rounds, capital raised, equity stakes, and pre/post-valuations. I then created Python scripts to calculate advanced financial metrics such as dilution, FMVs, and MOICs for leading VC firms. I also calculated our opportunity costs and provided actionable investment strategies to no longer miss profitable opportunities and drive increased future returns.

This data-driven research culminated in a successful pitch to CEO Saeed Amidi, marking a key milestone for the CDA vertical and demonstrating our team’s ability to provide high-value analysis and actionable insights. This also demonstrated our ability to drive strategic investment decisions and enhance the profitability of Plug and Play's accelerator graduates.