Nicholas Warren is a patented inventor and Head of Data Science Platform Engineering at the Texas Behavioral Science & Policy Institute (TxBSPI) at the University of Texas at Austin, where he leads the development of next-generation machine learning systems, data analysis pipelines, online platforms, and infrastructure. He is also Co-founder/CTO at OurCoach, the evidence-based assessment and data science platform driving breakthrough organizational- and leadership-development successes for mission-driven organizations, including tech companies, state/local governments, and top research universities. Additionally, he's the Founder/CEO of Metasensor, a venture-backed R&D organization advancing a new generation of wireless sensor devices to significantly improve individuals' and organizations' ability to monitor and track important assets.
Previously, Nicholas collaborated with the executive team at Posit (previously known as RStudio)—one of the world's largest data science software providers (with downloads in the hundreds of millions) as a Product & Design Consultant. During this time, he facilitated the implementation of more rigorous product development and management processes, and created a formal design practice vision. He also worked on groundbreaking new features, like Academy (the best platform for becoming a practicing data scientist with R), and developed the first data analysis pipeline to quantify customer product usage.
Prior to Posit, Nicholas served as Vice President of Product at YouGov, an international research data and analytics group with consumer panels of 11+ million people in 40+ markets. Within YouGov, he worked with Crunch—the most advanced platform for collaboratively analyzing research and survey data; processing datasets with over 90 billion total answers.
Before YouGov, as consulting CTO and Behavioral Product Designer at the Center for Advanced Hindsight at Duke, Nicholas and his team leveraged behavioral insights to address important global issues—ranging from providing uninsured Kenyan families with health insurance, to creating mobile games designed to support long-term positive habits. Earlier in his career, as Director of Program Technologies for the Carnegie Foundation at Stanford, Nicholas led the development and implementation of the Foundation's digital systems and platforms, ultimately improving educational outcomes for tens of thousands of students nationwide.
Nicholas regularly speaks on issues pertaining to product design, technology, cybersecurity, and the internet of things for organizations ranging from Google to the GSMA Mobile World Congress. He has worked with leaders in the defense, intelligence, and tech communities and has been featured in Popular Science, TechCrunch, The Verge, Mashable, The Next Web, USA TODAY, and The Week. He is a passionate photographer, and his product and portrait photography has appeared in publications ranging from Forbes to Women's Health. He is also an avid programmer and a contributor to popular open-source projects, including Blitz and Prisma.
Nicholas specializes in behavioral science/human-centered product design, technical leadership, and building/scaling data science platforms with globally distributed teams. He has a background in physics, computer science, and design, and has raised venture capital for startups in the U.S. and abroad. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his spouse, Danielle Harlan, and their two kids; advising startups; practicing gi/no-gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, cycling, swimming, and hiking; 3D CAD/printing; woodworking; flying drones; cooking; and exploring new cultures.