Michael Moszczynski

Chief Data Scientist

I lead Data Science efforts at Cooper/Smith, designing and implementing systems that take advantage of the latest technologies and algorithms available for processing and understanding data, while ensuring that they are genuinely useful to those making decisions and that they adhere to the strictest ethical standards. I believe that modern machine learning techniques, used responsibility, have the potential to mark a sea change not only in Monitoring and Evaluation, but in program design and adaptation.

Having worked in the aid and development sectors for a decade, I see a tremendous opportunity to use data in ways that has not been possible before, offering new insights to help decision-making. However, I believe it is of paramount importance to understand the limitations and potential biases of any algorithm that can affect people's lives. Creating innovative and useful solutions while maintaining this balance is at the core of my mission at Cooper/Smith.

I started my career at startups in the private sector, working as Chief Software Architect and Chief Technology Officer at a company that created custom software for the aid sector, designing large-scale applications for clients such as USAID, the UN, and IRC. One of my proudest achievements is a system that used GPS tracking to improve delivery rates of over $10m in hospital supplies to Syria while ensuring the safety of drivers and recipients. Subsequently, I founded a startup that delivered data science and machine learning solutions to organizations in the non-profit sector and subsequently joined Cooper/Smith, beginning work on their efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.