Junta Nakai graduated from Weinberg in 2004, studying economics and international studies. Nakai is currently the Vice President for Financial Services and Sustainability at Databricks, a Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence(AI) company. He is also an investor, adviser, sake brewery co-owner and father to two kids.
Nakai recently answered a few questions about his Northwestern experience and career path. After graduation, he was a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs and after more than a decade in that role, he made the decision to switch to focus on the future, AI.
Why did you decide to come to Northwestern?
As a highschool student, I first visited Evanston in the summer. I knew it was a premier academic institution but what struck me was the beautiful campus, the shimmering lake, and the hazy Chicago skyline in the distance. I loved the vibe. The proximity to a world class city. The diversity of the students. I didn’t fully appreciate just how cold it got in the winter and how awful I looked in purple but I’m grateful I spent my college years at Northwestern.
What inspired you to pursue your area of study?
I majored in Economics because I wanted to understand how micro decisions impact macro outcomes and vice versa. This interplay between individual choice and communal outcomes is arguably even more important today as we face collective challenges like climate change and equality. My view was that economic growth is the best weapon we have. Commerce has lifted billions of people out of poverty and has the potential to create a better future for all of us. I wanted to learn more about it, test my hypothesis and shape my own views.
Tell us about your career path. How did you get to where you are today?
My first job after graduating was at Goldman Sachs as a Financial Analyst in the Equities division. On Wall Street, I learned that the only constant is change. When I joined Goldman there were hundreds of traders buying and selling stocks. When I left there was just a handful left. I saw automation and disruption all around me. It turns out that trading stocks is a job for algorithms. Machines are far better at connecting buyers and sellers than humans. At 35 years old, I felt that the skills that I had spent 14 years honing were becoming less and less relevant. So I decided I would rather try to be a disrupter rather than being disrupted. I quit my job. That decision led me on a journey towards the defining technology of my generation: Artificial Intelligence. Today, I head Financial Services and Sustainability at Databricks, a Data Analytics and AI company based in San Francisco. As of right now, we are the 7th largest start up in the world.
How would you describe your research and/or work to a non-academic audience? What was it then and/or what is it now?
Artificial Intelligence is a buzzword that we hear everyday. The secret of AI is that “AI is the easiest part of AI”. What is really difficult is not the AI itself, but rather all the steps that need to happen before a data scientist can do his or her magic. For machine learning to work well, you first have to collect lots of data, store it, and curate it to ensure that the data is clean and reliable. These steps are painful and time consuming. Then you need a lot of computing power and tools for people to ask new questions of the data and make predictions. Databricks makes it easy for companies, researchers and academics to bring together the two important assets they have: People and Data.
What are you working on right now that excites you the most?
The topic of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) is very important to me. I work with many companies that are transitioning to becoming greener, more inclusive, and more sustainable. I believe the long-term viability of any organization today depends not just on maximizing profits for shareholders, but making sure the interests of consumers, employees, and the environment are maximized as well. In order for us to collectively progress towards a better future, we must tackle sustainability as a Data+AI challenge. For example, a logistics company cannot become ‘green’ unless they first aggregate data about the routes their drivers take, traffic patterns, and curb weight and then perform advanced analytics to figure out how to reduce CO2. For companies to “do good” they need lots of data, the tools to analyze that data, and must deploy AI to reach their sustainability goals. Data+AI are at the heart of it all.
Any accomplishments would you like to share?
I see more and more companies taking this Data+AI approach towards sustainability and making a real difference in the world. For example, we help one of the leading jet engine manufacturers in the world use AI to optimize the performance of their engines. Next time you fly, the engine propelling the aircraft could be sending data back to Databricks where the engine manufacturer is analyzing and tweaking the engine to be more fuel efficient. By doing so, they reduced their CO2 footprint by 22 million tons per year. A lot of organizations talk about doing good but it’s just talk. But this company is actually walking the talk by using Data+AI in a smart way and I’m thrilled we are a part of it.
What advice would you give your younger self or someone considering a similar path?
My best advice is “don’t take advice from others.” During my career, I’ve made the mistake of seeking golden nuggets of advice – someone to tell me “do these 5 things and you will be successful”. But I learned that each piece of advice is inevitably colored by a set of individual circumstances that cannot be replicated. “It worked for me, therefore it must work for you” is actually terrible advice. It took me a long time to realize that there is no golden nugget of advice. Life is uncertain. Careers are bumpy. There is no playbook for success in the real world. You must constantly define success for yourself. And discover the right path for yourself. TO that end, all I can say to students is “ Believe in yourself. You are equipped with a Northwestern education.”
What’s a fun fact that you want to share with the Northwestern community?
I’m a co-owner of the first sake brewery in New York. The brand is called Brooklyn Kura and we make Sake using New York City water and rice from Arkansas and California. Although I’m not involved in the day-to-day operations, I love being part of something that is well beyond my comfort zone. I knew nothing about the Food & Beverage industry when we started the brand, but I’ve learned so much. More importantly, I have met so many incredible people in the process. Sake making is a grueling and manual process. You have to love it to make it. I love being surrounded by people who have such a strong passion for what they do.
How do you enjoy spending your free time?
I have two small kids and love spending time with them. At the end of the day, you get one shot at life. I want to spend it on things that matter the most. When you die, no one reads out your resume at your funeral. You are remembered for the positive impact you make on your friends and loved ones. So I want to focus on the things that truly matter, which are my son and daughter. Hopefully, one day, both of them will be Wildcats too.