Yash Tekena
Driving innovation in privacy infrastructures and secure data systems to safeguard user's trust in the digital age.
About Me
I am Yash Tekena, a Staff Data Engineer at Meta Platforms Inc, specializing in Data Privacy and Security within the digital world. With a strong background in building scalable systems, my focus is on ensuring that data is handled securely and responsibly, particularly in the context of Generative AI. I work to ensure that these powerful models are trained with privacy-compliant data, adhering to the highest ethical standards and privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA.
Prior to my role at Meta, I spent over 5 years at American Express as a Senior Software Engineer. During my time there, I developed innovative systems and contributed to advancements in fraud detection and data security. It was at American Express that I was granted two patents, highlighting my ability to drive technological solutions that enhance data privacy and security at scale.
My technical expertise was recently recognized with the approval of a National Interest Waiver (NIW), underscoring the national importance of my work. This achievement was highlighted by the Murthy Law Firm, which underscored how my work in data privacy and cybersecurity has significant implications for securing sensitive information and advancing trust in the digital age.
Through my work in Generative AI, I focus on implementing privacy-first principles that ensure data is handled securely during model training. By integrating compliance frameworks and anonymization techniques, I strive to empower organizations to innovate with AI while maintaining user trust and data integrity.
Through my innovations in data privacy, AI compliance, and large-scale systems, I continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in the intersection of technology and privacy. My goal is to develop systems that are not only powerful but also ethical and privacy-compliant, ensuring a safer digital future.
Professional Experience
Staff Data Engineer at Meta Platforms, Inc. (February 2024 – Present)
Key Responsibilities and Achievements:
- Focused on ensuring the privacy-compliant training of Generative AI models, integrating privacy-first approaches and compliance frameworks to protect sensitive data while aligning with global privacy standards.
- Lead initiatives focused on Data Understanding within Meta’s Exabyte-scale data warehouse, optimizing data management and usage across vast datasets.
- Automated the identification and categorization of diverse data types across multiple tables, ensuring seamless data accessibility and management throughout the warehouse.
- Specialized in cross-application data privacy and security, safeguarding user data integrity and ensuring compliance across Meta's suite of applications.
- Designed, built, deployed, and maintained a scalable privacy infrastructure, incorporating violation detection, access control, and sophisticated monitoring and automation within Meta’s app ecosystem.
- Developed and maintained scalable solutions for extensive data profiling, metadata management, and data quality checks across the data warehouse, supporting improved data governance.
Meta Platforms, Inc., - Senior Data Engineer (June'2020 - Feb'2022)
Description of role and accomplishments.
American Express - Senior Engineer - I (Aug'2018 - June'2020)
Description of role and accomplishments.
American Express - Senior Engineer - II (Oct'2016 - Aug'2018)
Description of role and accomplishments.
American Express - Engineer - I (Jan'2015 - Oct'2016)
Description of role and accomplishments.
Patents
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Network Effect Classification
Patent Number: 11200518
Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
Inventors: Yash Tekena, Matthew K. Meyer, Rajesh Shah
Abstract: This patent introduces a system that utilizes a distributed file system to store and process entity attributes. It employs a node linking system to classify links between nodes, calculate the network effects of actions, and dynamically adjust parameters based on these effects. The system is optimized for large-scale data environments, leveraging distributed computing clusters to enhance data processing, storage, and analysis.
Key Features:
- Efficient classification of node links within distributed systems.
- Dynamic parameter adjustments based on calculated network effects.
- Integration with Hadoop and Apache Spark for scalable data processing.
- Applications in fields requiring high-performance big data management.
Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Applications: This innovation is applicable in financial systems, social network analytics, and any domain requiring real-time, scalable processing of interconnected data.
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Node Linkage in Entity Graphs
Patent Number: 10769179
Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
Inventors: Yashwanth Tekena, Matthew K. Meyer, Rajesh Shah
Abstract: This patent focuses on creating a distributed file system to store and process entity attributes. It introduces a node linking system that identifies similarities between attributes of different entities. The system generates an interactive entity graph that visually displays relationships and similarities between entities, facilitating real-time data analysis and decision-making.
Key Features:
- Visual representation of entity relationships via interactive graphs.
- Parallel processing for efficient handling of large-scale data.
- Use of distributed computing clusters like Hadoop to optimize storage and analysis.
- Applications in data science, financial systems, and analytics.
Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Applications: Useful in domains requiring dynamic analysis of interconnected data, such as fraud detection, social networks, and large-scale enterprise systems.
Education
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Master's Degree in Management Information Systems
University of Arizona
Key Courses: Big Data Analytics, Data Mining, Systems Security, Web Computing & Mining, Database Management, Information Security, Cybersecurity, Object-Oriented Software Design.
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Bachelor of Technology in Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Pondicherry University
Aspirations
My aspirations are deeply rooted in advancing the fields of Data Privacy and Security, ensuring that emerging technologies, including Generative AI, are developed and deployed in a way that prioritizes ethical data use and user trust. I strive to build systems that not only protect sensitive information but also empower organizations to innovate responsibly while adhering to global privacy standards.
I aim to be at the forefront of creating scalable, privacy-first infrastructures that address the growing challenges of data compliance, security, and transparency. By focusing on automation, innovation, and policy-aligned solutions, I hope to bridge the gap between technological progress and user-centric privacy safeguards.
Looking ahead, my goal is to drive impactful contributions that shape a safer, more ethical digital ecosystem. I am passionate about collaborating with industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers to ensure that advancements in technology align with societal needs and global regulations, ultimately fostering trust and security in the digital world.
Certifications
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Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT) – Issued by IAPP
Issued: August 2023 | Expires: August 2025
Credential ID: 000631183I -
American Express & Harvard Certificate in Leadership Excellence – Issued by Harvard Business Publishing
Issued: September 2019 -
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate – Issued by Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Issued: March 2019 | Expired: March 2022
Credential ID: 2Y6FS0YCB2V4QX96 -
Functional Programming Principles in Scala – Issued by Coursera
Issued: November 2018 -
Developer Certification for Apache Spark – Issued by Databricks
Issued: July 2016
Credential ID: 1.x-0601 -
Cloudera Certified Developer for Apache Hadoop (CCDH) – Issued by Cloudera
Issued: September 2014
Credential ID: 100-010-737 -
Computing for Data Analysis using R – Issued by Coursera
Issued: February 2014
Credential ID: V9YAJF5V7G -
Oracle PL/SQL Developer Certified Associate – Issued by Oracle
Issued: January 2014 -
Oracle Database SQL Certified Expert – Issued by Oracle