Andrew Kou
Chief Technology Officer at OWL AI
Andrew Kou is Chief Technology Officer at OWL AI, where he leads the development of AI and machine-learning systems that work with financial data and proprietary workflows at scale. A technology leader with two decades of AI, engineering and leadership experience, Andrew has held senior and leadership roles across fintech, real estate finance, media, and SaaS for both startups and large institutions, building scalable teams and data-intensive platforms. He is a frequent voice on demystifying AI, algorithms, and data management for non-technical audiences.
Talks
Data Con LA 2026
No Permission Required: Turning a Data Problem Into a Product
You do not need permission to build. Whether inside a company or outside one, start with what you have: data, tools, curiosity, insights into customer / stakeholder pain, and the ability to create useful artifacts. Build from means, not permission. Treat new ideas as searches. Make AI the accelerator. Balance exploration with guardrails. Hear from five founders and operators on landing on a problem worth solving, getting from idea to a first version, reaching the right audience, and what AI has changed about all of it. For anyone who is inspired to build and has been waiting on a title, a budget, or someone else's green light.