Meet Keren – the Superstar of Software

This post is part of a weekly series in which we get to know Sifties.

Keren Gu is a Software Engineer who has been with Sift Science for a year and a half. A perfect meal for her consists of some sashimi and a killer tiramisu. Prior to joining Sift Science, she received her Masters from MIT in Computer Science.

What are 5 things that make you happy?

1. An elegant solution to a messy problem
2. An organized drawer
3. A good book (Siddhartha is one of my favorites)
4. Good music (like Snarky Puppy)
5. Fish (especially poke)

You moved to the U.S. at a young age. What was that like?

My dad moved here from China 20 years ago and never moved back. So at 12 years old I moved from China with my mom to be with my dad in Maryland. When I came here I only really knew how to say “I’m new,” and I didn’t really know English, but everyone was really helpful and accommodating.

Who do you admire the most?

The first person that comes to mind is Bill Gates, because I think he’s a super nerd and it feels like he never lost his morale.

What’s the best vacation you ever had?

I went on a trip to France this past summer and got a private tour of the Musée d’Orsay in what turned out to be the beta version of Airbnb’s Experiences. The guy who led us was receiving his PhD in Art History. I also went to the Monte Carlo Casino and exercised the Martingale betting system, which worked out well for me.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

I wanted to be a truck driver. They seemed powerful, because they were operating giant machines. I also wanted to be a train conductor, and then a police officer because I was watching shows of cops catching the bad guys. Which seems fitting now because I’m helping to catch the bad guys in the fraud world!