Jennifer Sample has built a career on her drive to make the most impact, first as a scientist and now as a business executive.
“I’m so excited about the next big thing that’s going to change the world. I really enjoy rolling up my sleeves, finding the devil in the details, and pushing things to the other side of the hype cycle,” she says. spoke.
Sample, Empower AI’s recently hired Chief Technology Officer, is a PhD-level physical chemist, an expert in emerging technologies, and holds 10 patents. She most recently worked at Accenture Federal Services and began her career at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, bridging the gap between the most innovative university-published research and real-world defense and space applications.
Currently, she is focused on driving Empower AI’s technology vision, strategy, and execution for government customers. The primary focus is supporting government customers with AI-enabled modernization efforts. Sample said Empower AI is a good fit for her technical skillset and people-oriented personality.
“I want to make the most impact with the time I put into my career,” she said. “I have a lot of ideas and experiences that I want to share and I’m very happy to be in a role where I can set technology strategy. That’s what I came here for and so far it’s definitely been It has been achieved.”
Sample said his current focus is on leading teams in an AI-native world, as government agencies increasingly look to large-scale language model solutions and better understand their applications. said. Additionally, the company is strengthening its relationships as a trusted partner for government agencies as they navigate the AI-driven world that is already becoming more prevalent in the commercial world.
As an example, Empower AI’s long-standing relationship with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) is strengthened by the application of AI. The company reviews claims made by healthcare providers for accuracy, a process that requires careful attention to details about whether the procedure was performed in an inpatient or outpatient setting. The results could total billions of dollars.
“As a technology company, that’s where we focus,” she said. “We are finding ways to leverage technologies like AI to expand sample sizes and analysis, and in the process free up people to engage in more strategic activities that involve critical thinking.”
She said the entire ecosystem of government agencies and contractors can work together toward common goals to improve public services and advance the mission.
High risk, high return
Sample brings years of hands-on experience to her role. She said she thrived at Johns Hopkins by working on rare and difficult problems, sometimes working on only six to 10 projects a year.
“I came in as a nanotechnologist and was immediately faced with all of the most difficult problems ever solved,” she said. “It’s high risk and high reward, but it’s not all reward.”
Some early successes led her to be asked to lead a team of scientists, paving the way for a career that began taking a different approach.
“I influenced in other ways and brought the team to its best. I was also creating harmony between external environmental issues, research sponsors, and our organizational capabilities,” she says. said.
However, not all the problems presented to her can be solved by nanotechnology. Instead, she developed an understanding that she didn’t necessarily want to spend time on a particular technology.
She also dabbled in applied research, including a NASA mission called the Parker Solar Probe, working with a team on an early internal R&D project to demonstrate the feasibility of white ceramic on heat shields. I did. What they learned made this mission possible, which was eventually launched in 2018, she said.
One of the patents in the sample was for the use of carbon nanotubes in space as a thermal interface material.
“During the Hubble refurbishment mission, it was not possible to use conventional materials to connect the new spectrometer to the outside world,” she said. “We have patented an approach to do that using carbon nanotubes.”
The other patent comes as Sample and its research and development team are learning how to more effectively detect anthrax and other bioaerosols in mail.
My career as a sample leader blossomed as I was increasingly asked to lead teams of scientists and researchers. Sociable by nature, she rebels against the trope of the eccentric, difficult scientist. Over time, she embraced the idea of having more impact by assuming leadership positions that leverage both her people skills and technical expertise.
“This was a good choice because it allows me to explore the entire spectrum of technology,” she said. “At Johns Hopkins, I founded programs in quantum computing, defense biotechnology, AI, robotic autonomy, and machine learning.”
Since then, she has stuck to that path and returned to school at MIT, where she earned an MBA. A data-driven, evidence-based business curriculum has opened her eyes to other types of influence. Her desire to make a more immediate impact through a variety of opportunities ultimately led her to join Accenture Federal Services, first as Director of Research and then as Managing Director.
Working with clients on a daily basis, Sample delved into the world of digital transformation, applied AI, and modernization to fulfill missions for federal clients such as the FBI and IRS. After years working in large organizations, Sample pivoted again to making an impact in a different way through her current work at Empower AI.
Sample saw potential everywhere and found endless new opportunities. Choosing what to focus on was one of the most important decisions of her career. For now, she knows it’s an AI.
Artificial intelligence is “something that will change the world,” Sample said. “You can feel it. I get it. And I was aware of those things from an early age.”
dixie cup science
One of Sample’s earliest school memories is of her teacher holding a small type of Dixie cup with little blue flowers on it.
“She poured the water until it started to bubble. Then she asked a question I had never asked myself before: ‘Why doesn’t the water fill evenly and then start spilling out?’ Why does the foam bubble before it starts to drip? Then we started brainstorming. ”
That lesson on surface tension was part of Sample’s gifted education program at his school in Hanover, Pennsylvania. To this day, she believes that her early education laid the foundation for her current successful career.
Another early memory involves learning BASIC programming on a TRS-80 at school. The computer was new and going to the administrative office to use it was treated as a “very serious matter,” she said.
“It was like a pilgrimage when the little kids were taken into the room with the computers,” she said. “I was very impressed.”
As a student at MIT, Sample came across legendary advice from then-faculty member Gary Gensler. His modus operandi was to spend at least 25 percent of his time on social priorities such as networking, she recalled.
“For me, it was very eye-opening,” she said. “Networking and relationships are so important and it has brought so many benefits.”
Another piece of advice she loves is the 80-20 rule, which states that you can have 80% of your impact 20% of the time. Rather than trying to accomplish too many things, she said, it works better to pick one or two things to do on a post-it note on your monitor.
“Otherwise, it’s hard to keep your eyes on the prize and accomplish what you came here for,” she said. “That was a very powerful thing for me and a lesson that I have taken with me ever since.”
Sample has been a competitive athlete for many years. She has run more than 50 marathons, completed several triathlons, and competed at the national level in the Olympic distance. She enjoys spending time with her teenage son and her husband, who holds a Ph.D. and has dedicated his career to advising defense technology and science.
“I’m very motivated,” she said. “It goes beyond my personal life and work. We’re all here to get things done.”
