Nutsa Tokhadze, a graduate of Tbilisi State University, is currently employed in London in the field of economics and data science.

Nutsa is employed as a Senior Analyst - Project Lead in the data science team at Annalect. Annalect, Omnicom Group, is an agency of the American global media, marketing and corporate communications holding. This company is among the top two entities in the field. Additionally, the young entrepreneur is the founder and director of the new startup VASO AI. In this interview, Nutsa will discuss her educational background and current professional activities.

From Tbilisi to Edinburgh

In 2006, the Faculty of Economics and Business of TSU received the highest rating and was the most competitive in Georgia. I was drawn to the field of economics and aspired to pursue my studies at TSU. In 2011, I graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Business at Tbilisi State University with honors. In 2019, I commenced studies in the doctoral program in economics, which I completed in a year and a half, having passed all mandatory subjects. In 2021, I commenced work on my thesis but ceased my studies at that point, having relocated to the UK to pursue further education. I studied statistics and data science at the postgraduate level in the UK, graduating from the University of Edinburgh with honors. Prior to that, I graduated with honors from the Georgian University, having majored in theoretical mathematics.

Area of activities and startup

At Annalect, I provide consultation to companies, process data, run various statistical models, develop and present presentations to clients, manage projects, work with clients and assist them in effectively planning annual marketing budgets in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. For large companies, the annual marketing budget can reach several billion dollars, making effective budget planning a critical undertaking.

Concurrently, I am spearheading the establishment of a startup enterprise, VASO AI, in which I serve as the founder and director.

In numerous fields, including economics, business, and medicine, one of the most significant challenges is to ascertain the causal relationships between phenomena. If the cause of the development is precisely identified, the problem can be more readily solved. One of the key challenges in macroeconomics is to accurately gauge the impact of economic policy, encompassing both fiscal and monetary measures, on the economy as a whole. This encompasses a range of areas, including the financial sector, employment, and other key indicators, across varying time horizons, including the short, medium, and long term. In microeconomics, at the level of firms, one of the principal challenges is to ascertain precisely what role a specific marketing channel or platform plays in the ultimate decision of the consumer, at what point it is involved, and which channel or channels have a significant impact. In the field of medicine, one of the most significant challenges is to ascertain the precise etiology of a given disease, including the identification of the actual causal agent. The primary objective of my startup is to ascertain causal relationships between events with a high degree of accuracy, employing a range of data science techniques, including Bayesian Networks, Causal Graphs, and Neural Networks, to perform Causal Inference. The VASO AI startup will assist the public sector in the economy in the formulation of economic policy, enabling more rapid and effective decision-making. It will also support the private sector, including the energy sector, the financial sector, marketing, communications, and others, in the implementation of prompt and effective decisions, as well as in the creation of effective budget plans. It is anticipated that the startup will also make a significant contribution to the medical field, facilitating the rapid identification of diseases and their underlying causes.

The startup VASO AI is still in the early stage of development, at the so-called Pre-Seed Stage. Currently, I am working on business model, product and team building. It is too early to talk about success. I actively attend various start-up events in London and introduce my company to the representatives of Venture Capital (venture capital is generally used to support startups and other businesses with the potential for substantial and rapid growth). I plan to participate in a pre-seed-funding round by October-November. There are many Venture Capital firms in London.

I want to use my knowledge to solve problems that will benefit a lot of people and help them in rapid development and progress.

TSU and advice for those interested in STEM subjects

I believe that the knowledge and connections gained at Tbilisi State University were instrumental in my subsequent career advancement. In particular, the lectures delivered by professors who had held leading positions in both the public and private sectors were highly beneficial.

I advise a person interested in technical subjects and fields to study data science. This science becomes the basis of any field, including economics, business, medicine, or art. The development of many fields and the elimination of problems depend on data science.

TSU had many programs enabling you to study and work abroad, making studies there even more attractive. I won the EU exchange Erasmus Mundus program in 2008, and I spent 10 months in Greece studying and gaining work experience. I met a lot of people and made contacts that helped me move forward.