Ivan Bestvina, Developer in Zagreb, Croatia
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Ivan Bestvina

Verified Expert  in Engineering

Bio

With over seven years of data science and over nine years of coding experience, Ivan has developed a wide range of data and AI products for startups and large companies. He has a proven record of managing development and data science teams and enjoys building products from the ground up. He specializes in large language models, predictive modeling, network science, and anomaly detection and has excellent communication skills and attention to detail.

Portfolio

Qluent AB
Python, NLP, Artificial Intelligence (AI), SQL, Large Language Models (LLMs)...
Clas Ohlson AB
Python, SQL, Data Science, Sales Forecasting, Artificial Intelligence (AI)...
Athena Analytics LTD
Data Science, SQLAlchemy, SQL, Matplotlib, Scikit-learn, XGBoost, Pandas...

Experience

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Jupyter, Git, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Python

The most amazing...

...product I've developed was Qluent.com, an AI assistant enabling non-technical business experts to analyze data and leverage insights.

Work Experience

Co-founder

2022 - 2023
Qluent AB
  • Developed the core AI stack of the solution, including the question-to-SQL generation with process explanations.
  • Participated in sales and fundraising efforts with another co-founder.
  • Developed an AI assistant that enables users to explore their database in natural language from Slack.
Technologies: Python, NLP, Artificial Intelligence (AI), SQL, Large Language Models (LLMs), Machine Learning, Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT), Chatbots, LangChain, LlamaIndex, Django, JavaScript, ChatGPT, OpenAI GPT-3 API, Docker, OpenAI GPT-4 API, PyTorch, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), REST APIs, Deep Learning, Language Models, Neural Networks, OpenAI, Prompt Engineering, Technical Leadership, Web Scraping, Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), Software Development

Senior Data Scientist

2020 - 2022
Clas Ohlson AB
  • Developed an automated promotions system, including forecasting, cross-sales, and cannibalization analysis modules. Maintained and further developed an automated markdown system.
  • Participated in developing a centralized data warehouse, connecting various internal and external data sources. Developed an extensive analytical stack on top of the data warehouse.
  • Led AI workshops to upskill different teams across the organization.
Technologies: Python, SQL, Data Science, Sales Forecasting, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Data Cleansing, Random Forests, Data Analytics, Language Models, NLP, Neural Networks, Technical Leadership, Web Scraping, Recommendation Systems, Software Development

Data Scientist

2020 - 2020
Athena Analytics LTD
  • Implemented an end-to-end data pipeline for student score prediction and anomaly detection.
  • Delivered in-depth analysis of data patterns and model performance, enabling important strategic data-driven decisions.
  • Corrected multiple issues with the previous processing and modeling implementation, improving prediction accuracy while reducing the computation time by more than 200x.
Technologies: Data Science, SQLAlchemy, SQL, Matplotlib, Scikit-learn, XGBoost, Pandas, Python, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Data Cleansing, Random Forests, Data Analytics, Django, REST APIs, Neural Networks, Technical Leadership, Software Development

Co-founder/Lead Data Scientist

2019 - 2020
Clarify
  • Co-designed a novel automated BI reporting system that detects shifts and anomalies in retail data and delivers them as natural language news feed posts enriched with interactive charts and data exploration tools.
  • Led the research into predictive modeling of the demand of highly perishable produce, as well as the application of such models for pattern and anomaly detection.
  • Spearheaded sales efforts and customer relations of the company.
Technologies: Data Visualization, SQLAlchemy, Data Science, SQL, PostgreSQL, ECharts, XGBoost, Scikit-learn, Pandas, Python, Machine Learning, Chatbots, NLP, Data Analytics, Django, JavaScript, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), REST APIs, Neural Networks, Software Development

Senior Data Scientist

2017 - 2019
FoodTracks
  • Developed the framework and the processing pipelines for demand forecasting for German bakeries, all the way from the client's ERP data sources to the automated production orders.
  • Created a novel data science management framework and, based on it, led a team of data scientists through product research and development.
  • Prototyped, developed, and maintained tens of tailor-made data products for retail management.
Technologies: SQLAlchemy, Data Science, SQL, PostgreSQL, Scikit-learn, NumPy, Pandas, Python, Machine Learning, Data Cleansing, Random Forests, Data Analytics, Neural Networks, Technical Leadership, Web Scraping, Software Development

Software Developer

2017 - 2017
Mireo
  • Developed core C++ algorithms for a platform-agnostic car navigation system.
  • Implemented WebSocket server and client in C++ from scratch for use in standardized navigation app notifications.
  • Adapted the car navigation system for use in proprietary client hardware.
Technologies: Ubuntu, C++, REST APIs, Software Development

Data Scientist

2016 - 2017
Ericsson
  • Developed machine learning models for smart home sensors data anomaly detection to detect occupant accidents and assist elders living alone.
  • Set up data pipelines for IoT data processing in Java.
  • Created exploratory analysis reports comparing the outputs of different smart home sensors.
Technologies: Java, Data Science, Python, Data Analytics, Software Development

Student Project Assistant

2015 - 2017
University of Zagreb
  • Developed novel election prediction models based on social network topology data.
  • Developed telecom operator churn predictors based on communication networks.
  • Modeled drug effectiveness based on virus protein networks.
  • Developed epidemic model parameter estimators based on snapshots of infected nodes.
Technologies: NetworkX, Scikit-learn, NumPy, Python, Software Development

Datasloth

https://github.com/ibestvina/datasloth
LLM-powered text-to-code engine, integrated directly into Pandas, enabling users to interact with their data in natural language. Datasloth observes all the data loaded through Pandas in the current Python session, which users can then query and process by simply writing their questions in natural language.

DAGpy

https://pypi.org/project/dagpy/
A data science collaboration tool based on iPython notebooks enables data science teams to collaborate easily by efficiently branching out of others' notebooks, thus minimizing code duplication and providing an intuitive project overview. I was the sole designer and developer behind the project.
2015 - 2017

Master's Degree in Computer Science

University of Zagreb - Zagreb, Croatia

2012 - 2015

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science

University of Zagreb - Zagreb, Croatia

Libraries/APIs

Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib, NetworkX, Scikit-learn, XGBoost, SQLAlchemy, PyTorch, REST APIs

Tools

Jupyter, ChatGPT, Haystack, PyCharm, Git

Languages

Python, SQL, Java, C++, JavaScript

Frameworks

LlamaIndex, Django

Platforms

Ubuntu, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Docker, Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Storage

PostgreSQL

Other

Data Science, NLP, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Data Cleansing, Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT), Chatbots, Random Forests, Data Analytics, OpenAI GPT-3 API, OpenAI GPT-4 API, Language Models, Retrieval-augmented Generation (RAG), OpenAI, Prompt Engineering, Technical Leadership, Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), Software Development, Data Visualization, Network Science, Predictive Modeling, Large Language Models (LLMs), LangChain, Deep Learning, Neural Networks, Llama 2, Web Scraping, Recommendation Systems, ECharts, Software Development Management, Sales Forecasting

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