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Using Music Therapy for a Relaxing Commute

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Using Music Therapy for a Relaxing Commute

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After earning the extraordinary employee excellence award during his time at WeWork, data analyst Brian Richmond became the first senior data scientist at the wellness startup Aura Health. As a member of the product intelligence team, Brian Richmond built an innovative machine learning engine that gives personalized recommendations based on peoples’ tastes. Alongside meditations, life coaching, and nature sounds, the Aura app streams multiple music therapy stations.

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After earning the extraordinary employee excellence award during his time at WeWork, data analyst Brian Richmond became the first senior data scientist at the wellness startup Aura Health. As a member of the product intelligence team, Brian Richmond built an innovative machine learning engine that gives personalized recommendations based on peoples' tastes. Alongside meditations, life coaching, and nature sounds, the Aura app streams multiple music therapy stations.

The tones, vibrations, and tempo of a musical piece can change a listener's mood and also impact his or her physiological state. Listening to an appropriate playlist can counteract the stress and anxiety often associated with long commutes. Commutes lasting more than an hour have been linked to increased blood pressure and less satisfaction with life.

Not only can listening to music while commuting decrease negative emotions, but it can also mitigate pain and lower blood pressure. Slow-paced classical pieces can be ideal for reducing stress resulting from a long commute on public transit. Uptempo sing-a-longs, which enhance focus, and life coaching sessions are ideal for drivers during a commute to begin the workday with positivity and focus, and to disconnect from work when commuting home.

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Using Music Therapy for a Relaxing Commute

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After earning the extraordinary employee excellence award during his time at WeWork, data analyst Brian Richmond became the first senior data scientist at the wellness startup Aura Health. As a member of the product intelligence team, Brian Richmond built an innovative machine learning engine that gives personalized recommendations based on peoples' tastes.

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How Meditation Improves Employee Well-Being

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How Meditation Improves Employee Well-Being

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An award-winning expert in applied machine learning and people analytics, respected researcher Brian Richmond, PhD, develops and manages data infrastructure for the health-focused technology company Aura Health. In this role, Brian Richmond derives data-driven innovations to improve the firm’s meditation apps, which are great for the workplace.

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An award-winning expert in applied machine learning and people analytics, respected researcher Brian Richmond, PhD, develops and manages data infrastructure for the health-focused technology company Aura Health. In this role, Brian Richmond derives data-driven innovations to improve the firm's meditation apps, which are great for the workplace.

While meditation has its origins as a religious practice, it also provides a host of benefits that can apply to secular and practical situations. Many corporate wellness programs use meditation because of its positive effects on mental and physical health, employee engagement, and proven effectiveness with:

- Reduced stress. Stress interferes with focus, creativity, and productive, and stress-induced health conditions are major contributors to workplace absenteeism. Chronic stress can elevate levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with a weakened immune system, high blood pressure, and weight gain. Meditation induces a calm state that lowers cortisol.

- Increased productivity. Meditation can enhance emotional self-regulation, which reduces feelings of anxiety. Meditation programs have been shown to increase concentration, improve mental clarity, and stabilize emotions. Meditation can also improve communication and collaboration in the workplace.

- Better focus. A consistent meditation practice can help practitioners gain control over their thoughts and resist distractions. One study found that seasoned meditators are better at managing activity in the ventral posteromedial cortex, the part of the brain that regulates impulsive thoughts. This can make tuning out distractions easier. In other words, meditation can help train the brain to focus better.

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How Meditation Improves Employee Well-Being

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An award-winning expert in applied machine learning and people analytics, respected researcher Brian Richmond, PhD, develops and manages data infrastructure for the health-focused technology company Aura Health. In this role, Brian Richmond derives data-driven innovations to improve the firm's meditation apps, which are great for the workplace.

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California resident Brian Richmond has applied his experience as a data scientist to creating machine learning models for various organizations, most recently Aura Health [link Aura Health to https://angel.co/brian-richmond-3]. Outside of his professional work [link “professional work” to https://github.com/brianrichmond], Brian Richmond enjoys exploring the outdoors as a backpacker.

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For novice backpackers, the first trip can be overwhelming if they are unfamiliar with the conditioning needed for the experience. New backpackers can improve the chances of having a fun time by knowing what to wear and what equipment to bring. Use a checklist put together by experienced backpackers, like this checklist [link to https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/backpacking-checklist.html].

A well-constructed trekking wardrobe can mean the difference between an unpleasant trip and an enjoyable one. Seasoned backpackers build their travel wardrobes around layering and having insulation against the elements. Base layers consist of socks, underwear, and long underwear for cold temperatures. Merino wool and synthetic fabric blends are effective materials. Base layers should also be moisture-wicking to counteract the effects of sweat or rain. Popular top layer clothes include stretch-woven hiking pants and long-sleeved tee shirts, which can add insulation and protect against insect bites. A variety of outerwear provides protection in the event of fast-changing weather conditions, such as lightweight puffer or fleece jackets, hats and waterproof coats. Cotton is not a recommended fabric for backpackers as it absorbs moisture fast and takes time to dry.

When it comes to equipment, new backpackers should try to pack light; trekking with a heavy backpack can quickly become exhausting. It is a good idea to test various backpacks with weights, to get used to managing the load for extensive periods. It is also helpful to remember that even the basics for a trip can add up, starting from sleeping bags to food, water and first-aid supplies. And maybe a lightweight camera or backup charger for your phone to take photos of your adventure!

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For novice backpackers, the first trip can be overwhelming if they are unfamiliar with the conditioning needed for the experience. New backpackers can improve the chances of having a fun time by knowing what to wear and what equipment to bring. Use a checklist put together by experienced backpackers, like this checklist [link to https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/backpacking-checklist.html].

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ML Basics: Prediction and Confidence Intervals

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ML Basics: Prediction and Confidence Intervals

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Data Scientist Brian Richmond currently works for Aura Health in San Francisco. As leader of the product intelligence team, Brian Richmond creates machine learning (ML) models to improve products for the company. An important part of modeling is the confidence around any prediction, such as prediction intervals and confidence intervals.

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Data Scientist Brian Richmond currently works for Aura Health in San Francisco. As leader of the product intelligence team, Brian Richmond creates machine learning (ML) models to improve products for the company. An important part of modeling is the confidence around any prediction, such as prediction intervals and confidence intervals.

Prediction intervals differ from confidence intervals in their purpose. Confidence intervals show the window of error within which an estimated value, such as an average, will fall. Prediction intervals represent the window of error around a value and the error in the prediction of the future value. So, the prediction interval is always larger than the confidence interval.

Prediction intervals work in ML by forecasting what a value will be in the future, such as the number of employees in a company a year from now, based on past growth together with data on business trajectory. If a company currently had 1,000 employees 2 years ago, 2,000 one year ago and 4,000 employees now, an ML model might predict 2x growth each year, at 8,000 a year from now. However, the number of employees is unlikely to be exactly 8,000. So, if the 95% prediction interval is 7,000-9,000, then there is a 95% chance that the company's headcount will fall in that range, assuming the model's data is robust and the future business environment does not change dramatically.

Confidence intervals function differently in that they provide estimates of multiple samples in a given population regarding how likely a statement is to be true. These intervals involve using the mean, and standard deviation to determine the chance that a sample group will fall within a certain standard deviation.

For example, if a researcher is trying to estimate the percentage of Americans that love basketball, they would take a number of groups (samples, perhaps from surveys of different groups) to see what percentage of people like basketball. After several samplings, the researcher plots each percentage on a graph to determine how many people fall within the distribution parameters (e.g. standard deviation of -2 to +2). Typically, the confidence interval investigates how many of the samples (people who love basketball) fall between the preset parameters that determine confidence. So, the confidence interval tells you about the likely location of the true population parameter.

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ML Basics: Prediction and Confidence Intervals

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Data Scientist Brian Richmond currently works for Aura Health in San Francisco. As leader of the product intelligence team, Brian Richmond creates machine learning (ML) models to improve products for the company. An important part of modeling is the confidence around any prediction, such as prediction intervals and confidence intervals.

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Brian Richmond, Self: Origins of Us. Brian Richmond (PhD, Anthropological Sciences) is an award-winning data scientist with expertise in statistics, experimental design, machine learning, analytics, and data visualization. As a senior data scientist at WeWork, Brian was a Founder of the People Analytics team and awarded a '2018 Excellence Award' for his major contributions after only...

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Data Scientist, Health & Wellness Techie, People Analytics geek, PhD in Anthropological Sciences, outdoors enthusiast, dad. Not necessarily in that order. - brianrichmond

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Interested in data science and analytics? Check out my data blog and resources pages to learn more!