In our first Reclaim the Algorithm webinar, data science and machine learning experts Allen Hillery, Dr. Brandeis Marshall, and Anthony Starks explored the W.E.B. Du Bois legacy and its connection to modern AI systems. Convened online April 30, 2026, the conversation examined how his thinking and the centuries old mathematical foundations behind modern AI impact ethics, equity, and lived experience today.
Dr. Kara Emery, Director of Data Science at NYU McSilver’s AI Hub, and Chris Hemphill, Founder and Head of Data Science at Modular Feedback and NYU McSilver Fellow, facilitated a dynamic discussion ranging from W.E.B. Du Bois’s use of data to dismantle racial stereotypes to how we all have a role in shaping the future of AI policy.
Recording
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Speaker Bios
Allen Hillery is a Distinguished Lecturer at Macaulay Honors College where he develops innovative programs that give way to impactful data initiatives. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer at Brown University, where he brings his industry experience into the classroom through teaching data literacy, data bias, and data storytelling courses. Allen has been studying and researching the data visualizations of W.E.B. Du Bois for the past 9 years. Du Bois’ life and work has insipred him to pursue projects at the intersection of data and social justice. He is the cofounder of the social media project the Du Bois Challenge. This challenge celebrates the data visualizations of Du Bois by having participants recreate his iconic visualizations and share across social media.
Brandeis Marshall is founder and CEO of DataedX Group, a data & AI governance consulting agency. Formerly a college professor, she speaks, writes, teaches and consults on how to move slower and build better people-first solutions. Dr. Marshall helps cross-functional teams improve their data strategy, responsible AI practices and overall AI orchestration efforts. She also founded Black Women in Data in 2020 to broaden awareness, support and retain senior-level Black women whose expertise intersect with the data industry.
Anthony Starks is an independent developer and designer and a co-founder of the Du Bois challenge. Anthony directs and curates the annual program that challenges the on-line community to re-create the historical visualizations created by Du Bois and his team for the 1900 Paris Exposition.
Director of Data Science for the McSilver Institute’s AI Hub, Dr. Kara Emery is a data scientist with extensive experience researching human perception, learning, and decision making. In her research and outreach, Kara is interested in service to marginalized, under-resourced, and underprivileged communities using an intersectional and community-based approach. As the Assistant Director of Research at the AI Hub, she currently works on projects which aim to address challenges in youth mental health and inform targeted interventions based on social factors such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Prior to joining the McSilver Institute, Kara’s research experience in academia and technology companies included developing computational and machine learning models describing how our perception and decision making processes are influenced by our previous experiences.
Kara completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology at Roosevelt University in Chicago, received a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Nevada, Reno, and completed her postdoctoral training in the Center for Data Science at New York University.
Chris Hemphill is the Founder and Head of Data Science of Modular Feedback. Modular Feedback seeks to “reclaim the algorithm” with innovative approaches to data science, algorithms, and AI — with health equity as the North Star. As a McSilver Fellow-in-Residence, Hemphill helps drive the McSilver Institute’s AI Hub explore the use of AI and for social good.
Chris Hemphill focuses on how data science can help us understand and improve the human condition. As Director of Commercial Intelligence at Woebot Health, Hemphill helped merge science with AI strategy for health systems and insurers. This work at the intersection of tech and strategy has a broader theme: working with healthcare leaders to drive ethical and effective decisions with AI and algorithms.
Hemphill started the “Hello Healthcare” podcast, featuring strategy and technology discussions with healthcare leaders and policy makers. Hemphill started and led data ethics initiatives at Actium Health, which led to collaborations between Chicago Booth’s Center for Applied AI and reduced racial and gender bias in algorithms. Hemphill’s current focus is on engagement arcs and uncovering unseen population health needs in the digital mental health sector. They graduated from the University of South Alabama and have helped teach data science at General Assembly.