Coworking with José Fernández

Coworking is a weekly segment where we spotlight Emerging Tech Brew readers who work with emerging technologies. Click here if you’d like a chance to be featured.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in tech?

Explaining to banks how to properly assess the creditworthiness of the future of work (aka gig workers and freelancers).

What’s your favorite emerging tech project you’ve worked on?

AI for financial inclusion. At Bankuish, we partnered with Google and Intuit to improve our ML risk models for gig workers that were being denied loans and other financial products because they didn’t fit under the narrow definition of creditworthiness of traditional credit bureaus like FICO, TransUnion, Equifax, or Experian.

What emerging tech are you most optimistic about? Least? And why?

Bullish on human-guided ML because it can help us fight (not amplify) the inequalities our bias and legacy systems already bring about.

Bearish on Crispr, because, well, I’ve watched Gattaca and it seems more and more like a plausible Black Mirror future.

What’s the best piece of tech-related media you’ve read/watched/listened to?

High Growth Handbook by Elad Gil. A bright and insightful take on how to transform your tech startup into a system-changing organization.

One thing we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile?

For someone who’s devoted his life to risk analysis, you wouldn’t think my preferred mode of transportation in NYC is my electric skateboard.

What do you think about when you’re not thinking about tech?

How to be healthy and still be a local at the bakery around the corner.