DCSIL Guest Speakers

Victoria Bukta is currently a Member of Product Staff at Databricks, a data and AI company. While she doesn't have a formal title, her role is essentially that of a Product Manager. You might be curious why a product manager is teaching this course—Victoria has a technical background, and her current role in Product has equipped her with a unique skill set to bring technical products to market.

Prior to joining Databricks, Victoria held positions as a Staff Engineer and later an Engineering Manager at Shopify, where she gained experience in leading and developing technical projects within data engineering. She then transitioned to Tabular, a startup founded by the creators of the Apache Iceberg project (which originated at Netflix), where she served as a Product Manager until the company's acquisition in 2024.

As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Victoria specialized in Computer Science, with a keen interest in AI and Operating Systems. Her background in operating systems provides a unique perspective within the big data landscape; she believes every challenge in this space can be viewed as a systems problem, solvable by breaking it down into core algorithms and methodologies learned in theoretical courses.

Having been a student in CSC 491 and a TA years ago, Victoria is excited to return and incorporate her product background into the course. Her journey from technical roles to product management gives her a comprehensive understanding of both the engineering and business aspects of building successful products.

Victoria's unique combination of technical depth and product management experience makes her an ideal instructor for students looking to understand how to bridge the gap between building technical products and successfully bringing them to market.

Learn more about Victoria on her LinkedIn profile.

Ivey is the Sr Manager of AI Research Partnerships & AI for Good with the TELUS AI Accelerator Team. She works on a diverse portfolio of data science and AI projects including those in Responsible AI, People Analytics and Sustainability. Her AI for Good team has the distinction of winning two consecutive Industry Sustainability awards from the Global Generative AI Association (2024, 2025), demonstrating TELUS' commitment to use its technology for good.

She has been accorded a Special Jury Recognition by the Women in AI Association (Canada-2022) for her industry innovations in AI. She has also been recognized for her inclusive leadership with the TELUS CHLOE Champion of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion award, and for her ability to tell the story of the TELUS AI journey with the 2024 TELUS Social Media Influencer Award. She is active in the Technology & Engineering Community (TEC) at TELUS as an executive member and served as VP and President of TEC from 2023-2024.

Ivey Chiu brings extensive expertise in AI research, responsible AI practices, and AI for Good initiatives. Her work at TELUS focuses on developing and deploying AI solutions that create positive social impact while maintaining the highest standards of ethics and responsibility.

As a panelist at the 35th annual IEEE CASCON Conference (2025), Ivey participated in discussions on "The Future of Software Engineering in GenAI Era". The panel explored how Generative AI is transforming software development, discussing its impact on methodologies, innovation acceleration, and the evolving skill sets required for software engineers.

Her leadership in the Technology & Engineering Community at TELUS and her recognition for diversity and inclusion work demonstrate her dedication to creating inclusive environments where technology serves all members of society. Through her role at the TELUS AI Accelerator, Ivey helps bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI research and practical, ethical applications that benefit both businesses and communities.

Learn more about Ivey on her LinkedIn profile.