Nik Spirin

Hands-on technology leader and PhD with 12+ years of experience applying AI/ML to drive business results as a startup founder, executive, consultant, and advisor. Worked with Fortune 500 corporations and VC-funded startups on AI strategies, products, platforms, and built high-performance AI orgs from zero multiple times. Managed multi-year digital transformation programs and software projects with $10M+ R&D budget and multiple cross-functional and globally distributed teams. Marquee clients: Canon, Dentsu, Vodafone, McDonald’s, GSK, Intel, BillGO, Jibo Robotics.

Now, Nik is the co-founder & CEO of Metapixel AI, SaaS company providing AI-powered product photo retouching for eCommerce. In the past, Nik was the Director of AI at Gigster (YC ’S15, Andreessen Horowitz, Redpoint). He managed the AI practice (technical pre-sales, AI strategy workshops, hiring ICs and managers, team formation, full-cycle project delivery and client hand-off, AI platform and methodology development) and complex AI engagements with strategic accounts. Nik also provides on-demand high-value consulting services and speaking engagements via his boutique consulting firm Neuroinfra.

Nik holds a PhD Degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, summa cum laude Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics and Physics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (5.0/5.0 GPA), and is a Google-certified Professional Data Engineer. He publishes and reviews regularly for premier academic conferences, like CIKM, KDD, SIGIR, WWW, and gives talks at world-class industry events, like Google Next, Agile Days, Sberbank AI Journey, DataFest, ClickCDO, RIT++, TechWEEK, DSGOX, to name a few.

Nik actively shares his knowledge with the fellow industry practitioners and executives via master classes and workshops at top-50 business schools and corporate training centers. He is the author of “Accelerated Artificial Intelligence Deployment for Digital Leaders” and “AI Product Manager” executive courses produced by Netology. His work was covered by major industry publications and expos, including Google Next 2019, CES2019, CES2020, Digital Imaging Reporter, PetaPixel, Digital Photography Review, Time Magazine, RBC, Expert Magazine, Snob, Rusbase.

Specialties: Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Search, Recommendations, NLP, Spam Detection, Crowdsourcing, Human-in-the-Loop/Hybrid AI Systems, Cloud AI, Mobile AI, Solution Architecture, Product and Technology Strategy, Data Monetization, Program Management.

Education

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Computer Science
• Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University) (MIPT) - Master of Science - MS, Computer and Information Sciences, General
• Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University) (MIPT) - Bachelor of Science - BS, Applied Mathematics and Physics
• Yandex School of Data Analysis - Computer Science