The AI & Data Analytics Club (AIDA) at the Foster School of Business is built on a simple idea: the best way to understand the future of business is to build it. We act as a vital bridge, connecting our members' diverse professional backgrounds with their future careers in the Seattle tech ecosystem. AI and data are no longer futuristic concepts; they are the daily rhythm of corporate work. Our goal is to make sure every Foster MBA feels comfortable, confident, and capable of using these tools to bring their strategic visions to life.
At our core, AIDA's mission is to democratize technical literacy. We want to remove the "intimidation factor" from AI and analytics. By blending hands-on building with business strategy, we empower students to stop being passive observers of technological change and start leading it, both in the classroom and in their future careers.
The club's value proposition rests on four sturdy pillars:
Applied Market Readiness: Modern employers aren't just looking for people who know about AI; they want leaders who can build with it. We focus on practical, portfolio-building experiences, like rapid prototyping, hackathons, and real-world data sprints, that give our members a tangible, unfair advantage in the job market.
Hands-On Skill Building: We act as a practical compass for navigating the fast-moving tech landscape. Through peer-to-peer workshops, no-code development sessions, and curriculum advocacy, we help members master the everyday tools of modern product managers and analysts, from prompt engineering and LLMs to data visualization.
Seattle Tech Integration: Located in the backyard of global tech giants and innovative startups, we leverage our unique "Seattle Advantage." We connect students directly with alumni, product leaders, and engineers who are actively shipping AI features, opening doors to mentorship, collaborative projects, and career opportunities.
A 'Build-and-Break' Sandbox: Innovation requires room to experiment. We curate a hands-on repository of toolkits, templates, and sandbox environments where members can safely test, break, and refine their ideas. Whether you are building a custom GPT, exploring data trends, or deploying a no-code web app, we provide the platform to learn by doing.
AIDA is more than a professional club; it is a collaborative community of builders, strategic thinkers, and future leaders. Guided by curiosity, practical execution, and mutual support, we are shaping a community where every Foster MBA is equipped not just to navigate the AI-driven economy, but to actively lead it.
AYUSH DESHWAL
Co-President
Full-time Class of 2027
Ayush is an MBA candidate with over five years of experience at NatWest Group. He spent three years as a Software Engineer specializing in system architecture and building onboarding systems for Business Banking customers, before advancing to a Technical PM/lead role for two years. Now focusing on leveraging generative AI tools for prototyping to scale his career in tech, Ayush enjoys spending his free time exploring Pacific Northwest trails, playing sports and following Argentine soccer.
TEJASH BAGRI
Co-President
Full-time Class of 2027
Tejash Bagri works at the intersection of AI, analytics and business execution, with experience across AI-enabled workflows, CRM automation, hiring systems, GTM intelligence and prototype-led learning. He helps create spaces where students can move from curiosity to usable tools, whether through hackathons, workshops, demos or industry-led sessions. He is usually found somewhere between a product demo, an AI build night and a spreadsheet that somehow became a roadmap.
JOSH GONZALEZ
Vice President - Communications
Full-time Class of 2027
Josh is an active-duty Army Major and MBA candidate with over 12 years of leadership experience in the U.S. Army. He has held key roles in operational units, leading soldiers across Europe, the Indo-Pacific, and the U.S. Outside of uniform, Josh co-founded Camp Husky LLC, a premium outdoor dog lifestyle brand with 215K followers across five social media platforms and partnerships with leading brands.
SUSAN SALINAS
Vice President - Communications
Full-time Class of 2027
Susan is a Senior Consultant focused on digital transformation and growth strategy. Her experience spans product marketing and customer research for startups across AI material discovery, food delivery, and tourism in the U.S., India, and Peru. Previously at NTT DATA, she drove DevSecOps transformation initiatives and contributed to a new cybersecurity offering. She is also the founder of Tecmentor, an edtech initiative expanding educational access in underserved communities.
RICKY SHELL
Vice President - Corporate Relations
Full-time Class of 2027
Ricky is an MBA candidate focused on early-stage startups and venture capital. He began his career in business development and revenue operations in Texas before returning to Seattle. Ricky recently served as a venture fellow at Pioneer Square Labs and spent his summer helping build UW ecosystem startups and personal projects. Outside of school, he is a huge fan of Seattle sports and getting outdoors.
MAYANK GARG
Vice President - AI Business Integration
Full-time Class of 2027
Mayank is a Chartered Accountant (Indian CPA) with over six years of experience at PwC across management consulting and assurance. He has implemented AI-enabled business integration use cases across diverse industries, bringing a strong blend of strategic thinking and structured problem-solving. Outside of work, Mayank is an avid sports enthusiast who enjoys basketball and cricket, and is always keen to connect over strategy, business, or sports.
SRINIVASA JUTHUGA
Vice President - Evening MBA
Class of 2028
Srinivasa is a Cybersecurity Engineer at T-Mobile and a Foster MBA candidate with over 15 years of experience leading technology teams. He has built global tech teams, driven enterprise security transformations, and delivered platform modernization initiatives at organizations including T-Mobile, General Electric, and Deutsche Bank. Pursuing his MBA with a finance focus, Srinivasa aims to bridge technology, AI, and business strategy to drive executive-level corporate innovation.
SAMYAK ALDANGADY JAIN
Vice President - Finance
Full-time Class of 2027
Samyak is a Financial Analyst focused on digital transformation and business intelligence. He has proven experience within HQ Finance leading global, cross-functional teams to build scalable analytical dashboards that simplify complex data. Samyak is passionate about implementing AI and data analytics projects to drive enterprise-wide efficiency and strategic decision-making.
SANDEEP KUMAR
Vice President - Skill Development
Full-time Class of 2027
Sandeep is an MBA candidate with seven years of experience at SanDisk (Western Digital) as a firmware engineer and product manager within the Embedded Storage division, serving automotive, mobile, IoT, and hyperscaler clients. At Foster, he focuses on helping students build hands-on AI skills and leverage data-driven tools to solve complex business problems. Outside of school, Sandeep enjoys strength training, playing badminton and chess, strumming his guitar, and watching horror movies.
PANACHE LIM
Vice President - Events and Programs
Full-time Class of 2027
Panache has over six years of experience in medtech sales, specializing in business development, stakeholder management, and cross-functional collaboration. She joined the AI & Data Analytics Club to strengthen her analytical skills and explore how AI can optimize decision-making. Outside of class, she enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest through hiking and discovering Seattle’s best matcha spots.
TUHIN KUNDU
Vice President - Evening MBA
Class of 2028
Tuhin Kundu is an Applied Scientist at Microsoft and an evening MBA candidate at the UW Foster School. He works on applied research to train and evaluate AI models on agentic datasets for B2B enterprise use cases at Microsoft Copilot Studio. He has previously worked with Amazon on LLMs for content moderation systems at Alexa, and has also collaborated with academia on research projects. His peer-reviewed publications across LLMs and computer vision have been cited over 250 times. In his free time, he likes to play and follow soccer, and go hiking.
SWETHA KANUBODDI
Vice President - Alumni Relations
Full-time Class of 2027
Swetha has diverse experience across software, private equity, and edtech. She began her career at Microsoft building security products, and later built zero-to-one digital businesses for financial and healthcare clients. These experiences sparked her interest in early-stage AI entrepreneurship and venture scaling. At Foster, Swetha focuses on connecting with Seattle's startup ecosystem. In her free time, she enjoys listening to podcasts, exploring museums, and spending time with friends.
HARSH BHARDWAJ
Vice President - AI Business Integration
Full-time Class of 2027
Harsh is a Product Manager with experience scaling enterprise and consumer products across e-commerce, advertising, travel, and EdTech. Most recently, at CommerceIQ, he led AI-powered initiatives helping Fortune 500 retail brands grow US e-commerce revenue. He is deeply interested in how technology and strategy drive product-led growth. Outside of class, Harsh enjoys playing badminton, reading, and exchanging ideas on startups, technology, and global business trends.
GUNJAN PANDEY
Vice President - Events and Programs
Full-time Class of 2027
Gunjan is an MBA candidate with a Computer Science background. He began his career at Deutsche Bank’s investment banking division before transitioning to a Tech Product Manager, where he led agile teams to deliver eight post-trade applications. His work modernizing legacy systems and reducing technical debt contributed to over $1 million in operational cost savings. Outside of school, Gunjan enjoys playing badminton and swimming, always aiming to stay agile and focused.
Contact Us
Questions about the Data and Analytics Club or want to suggest an event? Contact us at tej1998@uw.edu