Fireside Chat with Aleksandra Faust: From New Grad to Director in AI & Robotics Research
Join us for a fireside chat with Aleksandra Faust, former Chief AI Officer at Genesis Molecular AI and Research Director in Google DeepMind’s Robotics division. She’ll share her journey from new graduate to research leader at one of the world’s most influential AI organizations.
This conversation is designed for PhD candidates, recent graduates, and early-career AI researchers who are navigating the transition from academia to industry or looking to scale their impact in applied research. We’ll explore what it actually takes to build a successful research career in industry beyond papers and technical skill alone.
Some topics will include:
Aleksandra’s journey through professional and leadership growth
What a "great" researcher looks like at a top lab
What early-career researchers should focus on in their first three years
How to work effectively with managers and within large research organizations
Key trends in AI and robotics research and how they impact researchers
The non-technical skills that differentiate strong researchers from exceptional ones
We’ll close with reflections on leadership, career growth, and what makes Google DeepMind a compelling place to do research.
Whether you are just starting your PhD, wrapping one up, or already working in industry, this session aims to leave you with practical, concrete takeaways you can apply immediately.
Attendance is capped to ensure that we can properly facilitate Q&As.
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This event is hosted by Tristan from Rora, the first-ever talent agency for deep tech PhDs. Over the past 9 years, Rora has negotiated more than $1.2B in compensation, delivering over $200M in net gains for our clients.