# Elder Candidates Introductions **URL:** \ **Category:** Council of Elders\ **Created:** [April 21, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://forum.numer.ai/t/elder-candidates-introductions/3000 "2021-04-21T15:42:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![liz](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/forum.numer.ai/liz/32/1103_2.png) [@liz](https://forum.numer.ai/u/liz)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://forum.numer.ai/t/elder-candidates-introductions/3000/1 "2021-04-21T15:42:15Z")
Greetings! Currently, we are in the middle of the initial formation of the Council of Elders. @jrb suggested today on [Daily Scores and Chill](https://www.twitch.tv/prof_jtaylor) that candidates should submit an introduction of some kind (he recommended IAMA style, or guesting on Daily Scores and Chill). This is in no way binding, but I made this thread to invite candidates who have accepted nomination to post an introduction. I suggest you introduce yourself, elaborate on what you would what to do for the Council of Elders, as well as your vision for the Council of Elders at large. In the next day or two, I will post a video introduction for myself, along with alt-text. ---
**Author:** ![jrb](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/forum.numer.ai/jrb/32/3472_2.png) [@jrb](https://forum.numer.ai/u/jrb)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 6:14pm UTC](https://forum.numer.ai/t/elder-candidates-introductions/3000/2 "2021-04-21T18:14:59Z")
Great initiative, @liz! Most of the candidates have been interviewed by @arbitrage on [OHWA](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz3D6SeXhT3vi9gRLCQLNuYs8aAROGtgV), which in some ways are long-ish intros. I say this because I’m one of them, and I’m not as industrious as @liz, to post a video intro here. 🙂 Besides that, I’m usually on @arbitrage’s [twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/prof_jtaylor) a couple of times, every week. Please AMA there, if you’d like. And you can always DM me on [Rocketchat](https://community.numer.ai) if you’d want to AMA in private. `shameless_self_promotion() {` One more thing: @jrai and I host a weekly Clubhouse chat, every Wednesday at 15:15 UTC on all things [Signals](https://signals.numer.ai/), please join us there if you’re a card carrying member of the cult of the bitten fruit, like I am (wen CH on Android?!) and AMA. `}` ---
**Author:** ![perfect\_fit](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/forum.numer.ai/perfect_fit/32/2527_2.png) [@perfect\_fit](https://forum.numer.ai/u/perfect_fit)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://forum.numer.ai/t/elder-candidates-introductions/3000/3 "2021-04-22T15:29:21Z")
Agree, great initiative! My name is [Carlo Lepelaars](http://carlo.ai). Have been part of the Numerai community for a little over 1.5 years now. For those interested, I was also interviewed by @arbitrage on [OHWA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j6Nf1s_tTU) a while ago. Currently studying Data Science in The Netherlands and working part time as an AI engineer (mostly computer vision). My thesis is about financial sentiment analysis using transformers (with applications to Numerai Signals). I wrote two blog posts on getting people started with [numer.ai](https://numer.ai/) and [Signals](https://signals.numer.ai/): 1. [How to get started with Numerai](https://wandb.ai/carlolepelaars/numerai_tutorial/reports/How-to-get-Started-With-Numerai--VmlldzoxODU0NTQ) 2. [Getting Started with Numerai Signals: Sentiment Analysis](https://wandb.ai/carlolepelaars/finbert-stocknewsapi-numerai-signals/reports/Getting-Started-with-Numerai-Signals-Sentiment-Analysis--Vmlldzo0OTg2MDU) You can also always DM me on Rocketchat. Always happy to help out people with questions about Numerai. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![theomniacs](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/forum.numer.ai/theomniacs/32/1824_2.png) [@theomniacs](https://forum.numer.ai/u/theomniacs)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 4:22pm UTC](https://forum.numer.ai/t/elder-candidates-introductions/3000/4 "2021-04-22T16:22:04Z")
[OmniAnalytics](https://twitter.com/OmniAnalytics) here! I’m one of the OG Numerai contributors, having submitted my team’s first model in early 2017. I’ve dabbled in almost every Numerai initiative, so it might be good to just list all the stuff my team and I have done for the community: As Data Scientists: - 2 Top 10 placings in the Live tournament and 1 Top 5 placing in the staking tourney. - Written 2 articles / forum posts on exploring Numerai data in R. As Developers: - Created the original [NumerDash](https://github.com/Omni-Analytics-Group/numerdash) model performance dashboard. - Developed and currently maintain the [RNumerai](https://github.com/Omni-Analytics-Group/Rnumerai) package. - Created [Shiny applications](https://crypto.omnianalytics.io/eth-data-science-course/case-studies/numerai-explorer/9-1-ShinyIntro.html#1) to assist newcomers explore new tournament target variables. As Shills: - Write the quarterly Numerai crypto analysis for the [OurNetwork](https://ournetwork.substack.com/p/our-network-issue-60) which goes out to over 20,000 readers. - Include special Numerai centered case studies in our [Gitcoin](https://gitcoin.co/grants/562/learning-data-science-on-the-ethereum-blockchain-) hosted [Learning Data Science on the Ethereum Blockchain](https://github.com/Omni-Analytics-Group/eth-data-science-course) online course. - Created analytical infographics and promoted Erasurebay usage [on Twitter](https://twitter.com/thegostep/status/1255818859631849472). As OGs: - Regularly provide comedy and/or random feel good messages to maintain morale. - Actively encourage ecosystem participation from everyone and anyone that feels Numerai can be one of the best cryptos in the world. ---
**Author:** ![liz](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/forum.numer.ai/liz/32/1103_2.png) [@liz](https://forum.numer.ai/u/liz)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 5:08pm UTC](https://forum.numer.ai/t/elder-candidates-introductions/3000/5 "2021-04-22T17:08:17Z")
(skipping a video because I don’t think I can embed them) My name is Liz Young, and my pronouns are they/them/theirs. I’m a candidate for Numerai’s Council of Elders. I’ve been programming for 25 years, since I was 8, and back then I dreamed of learning how to write code that predicts the future, so for me, competing at Numerai is a dream come true. I’ve also been a lifelong musician and artist. My background is diverse, including an unfinished math major at Carnegie Mellon, a finished bachelor’s degree in Music Composition at Rutgers, and currently I am enrolled in a counseling master’s program at the University of Colorado. After graduating from Rutgers I worked in public education in New Jersey and Colorado, spanning roles including: substitute teacher, SAT tutor, 1-on-1 special education aide, and 9th grade math instructor. After that I worked as an actuarial analyst for 5 years, at an actuarial consulting company, where my group focused mostly on Automobile and Workers Compensation reinsurance loss reserving, ratemaking, projections, and more. I played poker semiprofessionally on and off through most of this time as well. I started staking predictions on numerai in October, 2020. With a varied background and an appetite for risk, I’ve added a unique viewpoint to many numerai conversations since joining. I frequently guest on Daily Scores and Chill, and have also co-lead numerai beginner chat sessions on Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces. I regularly communicate in private with the Numerai team, and have been very open to fellow modelers asking questions about how I do or think about things. I wholeheartedly believe that Numerai the company and community can achieve the masterplan of monopolizing intelligence, data, and money, then decentralizing the monopoly. In fact, [Numerai’s master plan](https://medium.com/numerai/numerais-master-plan-1a00f133dba9) is a big part of why I participate here and not in other crypto spaces. What could I bring to the Council of Elders? An orthogonal, but still profitable view, helping the CoE minimize blindspots and maximize impact. A skilled, experienced, and capable communicator. Diversity. Energy. Creativity. What do I think the Council of Elders should do? First, define itself, rules of governing, rules of election, and so on. After that, I think the Council of Elders should build a roadmap to putting the entirety of their endowment to use, the quicker the better, multiple projects. I think the CoE should prioritize enriching and expanding the Numerai community, through a variety of means. As a longer term goal I think the CoE should proactively work with Numerai the company toward their stated final goal of decentralizing. I’m open for questions, on [Daily Scores and Chill](https://www.twitch.tv/prof_jtaylor), [rocketchat](https://community.numer.ai/home), or here. Note : on rocketchat, my username is ‘aelizzybeth’. Thanks for your consideration! ---
**Author:** ![mic](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/forum.numer.ai/mic/32/2949_2.png) [@mic](https://forum.numer.ai/u/mic)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2021, 10:20pm UTC](https://forum.numer.ai/t/elder-candidates-introductions/3000/6 "2021-04-23T22:20:03Z")
To the candidates that have not already discussed, Do you have any visions for the purpose and direction of the Council and its initiatives? Thanks @liz, I note you (and @wacax) have already answered in this and other threads. ---
**Author:** ![of\_s](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/forum.numer.ai/of_s/32/2627_2.png) [@of\_s](https://forum.numer.ai/u/of_s)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 2:38am UTC](https://forum.numer.ai/t/elder-candidates-introductions/3000/7 "2021-04-24T02:38:46Z")
Hi, I’m Fred and here is my earlier introduction on the humans of Numerai thread. > [@The humans of Numerai](http://forum.numer.ai/t/the-humans-of-numerai/54/17): > > Hi, I’m Fred and this is my story: It’s easy to see how Numerai augments the ellipsis… I have several initiatives that align both participant and Numerai objectives without further marginalizing new or smaller staked participants. Some of these ideas include stake management / burn insurance, removing the black box surrounding MMC, and fostering institutional engagement. I look forward to contributing my insights and perspective to fulfill these objectives, thanks for your consideration! ---
**Author:** ![surajp](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/forum.numer.ai/surajp/32/2961_2.png) [@surajp](https://forum.numer.ai/u/surajp)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 1:58pm UTC](https://forum.numer.ai/t/elder-candidates-introductions/3000/8 "2021-04-24T13:58:22Z")
Thanks @liz for the initiative! Hi fam, I am [Suraj Parmar](https://twitter.com/parmarsuraj99) and was interviewed in [OHwA S02E10](https://docs.numer.ai/community-content/numerai-community-office-hours/office-hours-recaps-season-2/ohwa-s02e10). I made my first submission in June 2018, and have consistently submitted from April 2019. I am currently into AI (mostly [NLP](https://huggingface.co/surajp)) and learning blockchain development. Also doing some freelance projects in ML until I start my next endeavor. I wrote a few beginners’ guides to the tournaments on [medium](https://parmarsuraj99.medium.com/) and one on [r/WSB to Numerai Signals](https://parmarsuraj99.medium.com/from-r-wsb-to-signals-684194364022) too. I am trying to contribute to tools that would help the community. One such tool is [`numereval`](https://github.com/parmarsuraj99/numereval). Also trying to make some memes. Feel free to DM on RocketChat. Would love to discuss about the tournaments. Thanks for the consideration 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bensch](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/forum.numer.ai/bensch/32/757_2.png) [@bensch](https://forum.numer.ai/u/bensch)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2021, 5:41pm UTC](https://forum.numer.ai/t/elder-candidates-introductions/3000/9 "2021-04-25T17:41:54Z")
Thanks for setting up a place for this @liz! **Introduction:** Hello, I am bensch, probably the newest person on the COE ballot. I am a general programming, math and science enthusiast who found out about Numerai two months ago on Lex’s podcast. I am a participant in both signals and main tournament, and eventually a full time staker if any models show promise. My background outside of Numerai is in computer science, electrical engineering, and a bit of physics(I am starting a physics degree later this year), you can check out some of my projects on my [github](https://github.com/benschreyer) and [website](https://benschreyer.github.io/showcase.html). **What possibilities I see in the COE:** - Reward those who build smart contracts and software that push the community forward (Contracts to hedge against NMR volatility, payout dashboards, python API modules, external staking) - Encourage collaboration via rewards for shared code and writing related to model building and data sourcing - Fund the staking of participants who have good models and understanding of data science but do not have NMR to stake **Why would I be a good fit for these goals:** - I am excited about and have experience with block chain technologies and web applications. Most recently I built/am building [Steak](https://benschreyer.github.io/Steak/) for Numerai which offers weekly external staking contracts and a web interface(Steak v2 is in the works and will offer 3 month staking contracts with far decreased gas costs). In the process of building Steak I also became well acquainted with Numerai’s current API and even found the API call to fetch the validation correlation of any user’s model before it was announced. - I have shared my useful python scripts I have written so far on my github, and plan to do a write up about my models and signals once they are more mature. - I have recent experience being a new user in both the main tournament and signals. - I enjoy engaging with the Numerai community on rocket chat(memes and technical talk ;). - I have a background in computer science and math education as I have tutored students and worked as a teaching assistant at a local community college. - I hold NMR tokens.