Tech Leader · Entrepreneur · Professor · Philanthropist
Dr. Deana BrownPhD in Computing
Building the future at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and social impact. From a small island in the Caribbean to the forefront of Silicon Valley innovation — empowering businesses and communities to thrive.
10+
Years at Google
1,200+
Students Impacted
$300K+
Raised for Caribbean Youth
100+
Startups Mentored
Chapter One
A Decade at Google
For over a decade at Google, Deana held an unwavering commitment to ensuring small businesses could compete fairly in the marketplace. As a senior-level lead, she initiated and led Google's largest effort to engage with, uncover, and quantify hundreds of SMB needs — unlocking opportunities that redirected VP-level decisions to advance product offerings across Search, Maps, Ads, and Commerce.
She was a founding member of the team that developed food ordering with Google, enabling consumers globally to order food from local restaurants. It became one of the top three largest food ordering platforms in the United States alongside UberEats and DoorDash.
Deana then founded an internal startup at Google's Area 120 innovation lab, building AI-powered growth acceleration tools for small businesses — a precursor to the work she now leads at Talawa.ai.
Strategic UX Research Lead/Manager
Search, Maps, Commerce
Area 120 Founder
AI for SMBs
Founding Team Member
Food Ordering Platform
Startup Mentor
Google for Startups (LATAM, Africa, NA)
Chapter Two
Building Talawa.ai
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"I'm driven to help build the household brands of tomorrow — empowering entrepreneurs with accessible AI infrastructure."
In 2023, Deana co-founded Talawa.ai, a VC-backed startup building accessible AI infrastructure to empower brands — from solopreneurs to scaling startups — with personalized models for brand-building, strategy, and creative needs.
Named after the Talawa warriors of Jamaica, the company embodies resilience and strength. Talawa has secured strategic partnerships with industry leaders including Target, launched paid pilot programs with emerging beauty, health, food, and beverage brands, and welcomed over 200 brands to its platform.
The platform provides a hybrid human-AI co-pilot that helps emerging CPG brands build and scale their business faster with strategic tooling that spans brand-building and market adaptation.
Community Builder
Founder, Black UX Network
Deana founded and leads the global and corporate chapters of the Black UX Network — a thriving community of over 1,000 user experience and design professionals worldwide. What started as an initiative at Google has expanded to other workplaces and an independent chapter, fostering collaboration, mentorship, and career advancement for Black professionals in the UX and design fields.
Chapter Three
Where It All Began
Glenmuir High School computer lab, Clarendon, Jamaica — where an eight-year-old dream took root.
PhD in Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology — Intel Fellow, Google Scholar, Foley Scholar.
"At eight years old, I knew I wanted to be a computer scientist. Growing up in Jamaica, that dream felt both impossible and inevitable."
Born and raised in Clarendon, Jamaica, Deana's journey began with a childhood fascination with technology and an unwavering belief that innovation could transform communities. As a pre-teen, she won a national essay competition articulating how technology could shape the Caribbean's future — a vision she has spent her career bringing to life.
At Glenmuir High School, she pursued her dream with fierce determination, earning first place in the entire island for Business and Technology in her CXC examinations. She achieved nine top marks in her Caribbean Examinations, ranking among the top students in the country. Her exceptional academic performance earned her a scholarship to the United States at just sixteen years old.
From there, she went on to earn her PhD in Computing from Georgia Institute of Technology — one of the world's premier research universities — where she was awarded the prestigious Intel PhD Fellowship (one of only nine recipients from top CS schools nationwide, and the only female awardee), the Google CS Scholarship, and Georgia Tech's Foley Scholar Award — the School of Computing's highest honor for student excellence.
Chapter Four
Scholar & Educator
Carnegie Mellon University
As an Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Silicon Valley campus, Deana has educated over 100 Masters students in product innovation, shaping the next generation of tech leaders. Her courses bridge the gap between academic theory and industry practice, drawing on her decade of experience at Google and her entrepreneurial journey.
Her academic foundation includes a PhD in Computing from Georgia Institute of Technology (4.0 GPA), where her research focused on human-computer interaction, technology for social good, and designing systems that serve diverse communities. She also holds a Master's in HCI from Rochester Institute of Technology and a dual B.A. in Computer Science & Mathematics from Lawrence University.
Her academic journey also includes a Certificate in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Harvard Business School, as well as studies at Stanford University in Design Thinking and Technology Entrepreneurship, and research affiliations at the University of Cape Town.
Academic Honors
Intel PhD Fellowship
$50K — Only female recipient among 9 awardees (9% acceptance)
Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholar
$10K — Academic excellence & leadership in computing
Georgia Tech Foley Scholar
School of Computing's highest award for student excellence
NSF Grace Hopper Scholar
National Science Foundation recognition
1st Place, UN Global Hackathon
Development in Education category (2013)
GEM Fellowship Recipient
Graduate Education for Minorities (2010–2011)
Research & Scholarship
Publications & Patents
Over a decade of peer-reviewed research at the intersection of human-computer interaction, technology for social good, and designing systems that serve diverse communities worldwide.
10+
Publications
6
Top Venues
2009–2016
Active Research
4.0
PhD GPA
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Brown, D., Grinter, R. E. (2016)
Brown, D., Ayo, V., Grinter, R. E. (2014)
Abroad Abroad: Supporting Transnational Parent-School Communication in Migration Separated Families
Brown, D., Grinter, R. E. (2014)
Parenting Across Borders: Designing a Network to Connect the Home, School and Migrant Parents of Caribbean Teens
Brown, D., Grinter, R. E. (2013)
Takes a Transnational Network to Raise a Child: The Case of Migrant Parents and Left-Behind Jamaican Teens
Brown, D., Grinter, R. E. (2012)
WATER Alert!: Using Mobile Phones to Improve Community Perspective on Drinking Water Quality in South Africa
Brown, D., Marsden, G., Rivett, U. (2012)
Designing a Cell Phone Application to Alert and Report Drinking Water Quality to South Africans
Brown, D. (2009)
3 additional works — click to expand
Patents & Intellectual Property
As founder of an AI startup within Google's Area 120 incubator and co-founder of Talawa.ai, Deana has contributed to proprietary AI and product innovations in generative AI, brand automation, and commerce technology. Her foundational work at Google evolved into Pomelli (Google Labs), a generative AI marketing tool now serving businesses globally.
Patent details associated with proprietary Google and Talawa.ai technologies are subject to confidentiality agreements.
Research Themes
Technology for Social Good
Designing systems that serve refugees, migrants, and underserved communities
Human-Computer Interaction
User-centered research methods applied to global product development
ICT for Development
Mobile and web technologies for health, education, and community empowerment
Transnational Families
Communication technologies bridging geographic separation in Caribbean families
Published At
Chapter Five
The Azarae Foundation
Founded and led by Deana, the Azarae Foundation supports the educational advancement of children in the Caribbean through scholarships, crisis response, and access to STEM programs.
$300K+
Raised for Caribbean Youth
From Silicon Valley diaspora members and global supporters
1,200+
Students Impacted
Through scholarships, mentoring, and STEM programming
400+
Backpacks Deployed
To displaced students in St. Vincent after volcanic eruptions
3
Caribbean Nations Served
Jamaica, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Barbados
Crisis Response Leadership
2020 Pandemic Response: Adopted multiple rural and under-resourced schools in Jamaica, providing a tablet or laptop for every enrolled student — receiving acknowledgement from the Jamaican government.
2021 Volcanic Eruption Relief: Led the team to raise and deploy over 400 backpacks packed with personal and school supplies to every student in St. Vincent and the Grenadines displaced in shelters due to the La Soufrière eruptions.
"The good stuff in life is a harmonious blend of passion, purpose, and connection."
Recognition
Awards & Press
100 Most Influential Women in Silicon Valley
In 2024, Deana was honored as one of the Women of Influence by the Silicon Valley Business Journal — recognized for her multi-faceted leadership across the tech industry as an AI leader and former Googler, academia as a professor at Carnegie Mellon, and philanthropy as founder of the Azarae Foundation.
Read MoreIn the Press
Women of Influence 2024 Honoree
Recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Silicon Valley for impact across tech, academia, and philanthropy.
The Caribbean Roots Shaping Dr. Deana Brown's Trailblazing Work in Tech
An in-depth profile exploring how Jamaican heritage and values shaped a career spanning Google, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.
LIVE with Dr. Deana Brown, PhD — Leadership & Entrepreneurship
An in-depth live conversation exploring leadership under pressure, building startups, and the intersection of tech and social impact.
Work With Me
Advisory Sessions
Leverage over a decade of experience at Google, entrepreneurial expertise, and academic rigor to accelerate your goals.
Product Strategy Advisory
60 min
Get expert guidance on product strategy, user research, and go-to-market planning from a former Google senior product lead.
Startup Mentorship
60 min
One-on-one mentorship for founders — covering fundraising, product-market fit, team building, and scaling your startup.
Career Coaching
45 min
Navigate your career transition into product management, UX research, or tech leadership with personalized coaching.
AI & Innovation Workshop
90 min
Deep-dive session on leveraging AI for your business — from strategy to implementation, tailored to your specific needs.
Payment processed securely via Stripe. Booking link coming soon.
Invite Deana
Speaking Engagements
Deana is available for keynotes, panels, fireside chats, and workshops on technology, entrepreneurship, AI, and social impact.
Speaking Topics
AI & Innovation for Business Growth
Product Strategy & User Research
Entrepreneurship & Startup Building
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Tech
Caribbean Diaspora & Global Impact
Women in Technology Leadership
Philanthropy & Social Impact