Our History
We are a family-owned business focused on guiding students in AI research. Since 2020, our students have produced 30+ publications, 70+ contributed lectures, and numerous award-winning projects under our mentorship. This includes multiple publications with IEEE BigData [the Google Scholar No. 6 ranked publication in data mining & analysis], IEEE MIT URTC, and CORE-ranked conferences. Our aspiring young researchers have also been named finalists at Regeneron ISEF, Regeneron STS, and the Spellman HV Clean Tech Competition. All achievements prior to July 2025 can be viewed on our parent-company website www.thecuriocat.com
Meet Our Team:
Derek F: Lead AI Researcher
Derek (B.S., P.E.) is our AI expert and research guru! He is an alumnus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he was a Lockheed Engineering Scholar and a UCLA Alumni Association Scholar. By day, Derek is a senior engineering supervisor. By night, Derek pursues his true passion: teaching students how to do AI research! Derek’s students have 70+ publications and contributed lectures with ACM, IEEE, SIAM, AMS, CJSJ, and more. Want to reach out to the expert? Email [email protected] for a free consultation!
Christian K: Associate AI Researcher
This is Christian – our assistant AI researcher! After finishing his service in the United States Marine Corps, Christian graduated cum laude with a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Utah. In his spare time, you’ll find him country dancing, fly fishing, riding his motorcycle, hiking, camping, or gaming on the PC he built himself!
Hannah S: Media Manager
This is Hannah – our media/content manager, resident photographer and videographer, and field research assistant! She is a former-nurse-turned-naturalist and photographer who likes to spend her free time exploring, hiking, birding, and playing with her cameras and three rescue cats. In particular, she specializes in nature photography and videography, research assistance (citizen science), and data collection. She is very passionate about sharing her love of nature with the world. She is also part of the Yelp Elite Squad – Find her on Yelp here!