Page 123 - Powerlist 2020

RAPMAN DEVON EDWARDS-JOSEPH
Music Artist, Writer, Producer Data Engineer, Machine Learning Lab, Machine Intelligence
Programme, Lloyd’s Banking Group
In the summer of 2018, ‘Shiro’s Story’ was the buzz Devon Edwards-Joseph is
phrase that gripped social media, British youth culture already becoming a standout
and subsequently seeped into the consciousness and name in the world of
paths of anyone who considered to have their finger on artificial intelligence, just
the pulse. ‘Have you seen it?’ and ‘What do you think three years after she
of it?’ was all people could talk about. For those who graduated from the
don’t know, Shiro’s Story is a three-part YouTube musical University of Durham.
drama series produced and written by UK hiphop/grime She was the winner
artist Rapman (Andrew Onwubolu). The innovative series of the Future Star in
used Rapman’s trademark style of story-telling to narrate Artificial Intelligence
the majority of the production, which tells the tragic tale award 2018 at the Future
a young man who gets caught up in a life on the wrong Stars of Tech Awards,
side of the tracks and tries to turn his life around, with a made it onto the Influential
strong slant on the far-reaching consequences that often Women in UK Tech list in 2019,
come from getting caught up in was long-listed for Computing’s Most Influential Women
that kind of lifestyle. The series in UK Tech 2019 list and was a finalist for its Woman of
also featured a who’s-who the Year 2019 Award.
from the UK urban music She also sits on the WISE Young Professional board,
scene in cameo roles. patroned by HRH Princess Royal, which works with over
Each part has at the 200 member organisations to promote gender parity in
time of print received STEM, and she is passionate about its goal of getting one
over six million views, million women into STEM in the UK by 2020.
with the final episode Her day job is currently data engineer in the machine
receiving over a million learning lab for the Machine Intelligence Programme at
views in five hours. Lloyd’s Banking Group, where she has been for the past
The huge success of the four years, and where she has developed her technical
series saw Shiro’s Story skills in various roles, including as data analytics manager
pick up several awards and for retail business risk, research and development
Rapman appear on or in several manager of robotic process automation.
major TV platforms and publication talking about the In addition, she is the community co-organiser for
show. It soon reached the attention of international film the AI Club for Gender Minorities and a Co-Organiser of
and entertainment heavyweights such as Tyler Perry the 650-member Artificial Intelligence Club for Gender
and a bidding war ensued to sign the talented Brit, who Minorities community. Devon is passionate about
originally hails from south-east London, with US hip-hop spreading the message that it is possible to successfully
mogul Jay-Z coming out on top and signing him to his transition into technical careers even if you haven’t
Roc Nation Imprint with a lucrative deal. started that journey from a young age.

FIONA RUTHERFORD
Social News Editor, Bloomberg’s TicToc Fiona is responsible for managing
the daily curation operations for
Despite being relatively young in her TicToc’s various social platforms
career, Fiona Rutherford has already across EMEA, co-ordinating and
been making waves as a journalist strategising breaking news coverage
receiving notable accolades for her in collaboration with video producers
reporting, including being nominated and editors.
for the British Journalism Award, She is also the leadership and
Diversity in Media Award, and George development pillar co-lead for
Orwell Prize, for her reporting on the Bloomberg’s Black Professional
2017 Grenfell Fire tragedy. Community (EMEA), managing a key
She is currently the Social News operation in the company’s global
Editor and Producer for Bloomberg’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy.
TicToc, the first and only global news The Brunel University graduate has
network built for Twitter, providing a BSc in Psychology and Neuroscience
24/7 live streaming coverage of and an MSc in Psychology and has
breaking news, live events, top stories also written for the New Statesman,
and trending general interest news Financial Times and British GQ. Prior
around the globe. The platform to her current role she worked at
boasts almost 800,000 followers and BuzzFeed News as a reporter.

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