Speaker Profile

As a member of the infamous MIT Blackjack Team, Jeff Ma created an ingenious method for counting cards—using talent, creativity, math, and teamwork to win millions in Las Vegas. (Card-counting, by the way, is not illegal; casinos just don’t like it). Ma was the inspiration for the best-selling book Bringing Down the House and the hit movie, 21, which topped the box office in its first two weeks. He is also an accomplished entrepreneur having started four different companies including GolfSpan (sold to Demand Media), CircleLending (sold to Virgin), Citizen Sports (sold to Yahoo) and tenXer (sold to Twitter).

Beyond his work as an entrepreneur, Ma has been at the forefront of the “Moneyball” movement working with professional sports teams like the San Francisco 49ers and the Portland Trail Blazers and media powerhouses like ESPN and Major League Baseball Advanced Media, helping them to make better decisions using data and analytics. His business bestselling book, “The House Advantage: Playing the Odds to Win Big in Business” draws on his unique experiences at the table and in the sports world to create a truly accessible book about analytics.

In addition to his work as an entrepreneur, Ma has held two executive roles, serving as VP of Data Science and Analytics at Twitter leading all central work in this area. Most recently, Ma served as Vice President of Microsoft for Startups overseeing Microsoft’s program to accelerate the success of developers, startup founders, and students around the world.

Ma has also been a pioneer in the world of sports betting serving as ESPN first sports betting expert in 2013 and later launching the Bet the Process podcast. Bet the Process has become one of the top sports betting podcasts and is referenced by mainstream properties like ESPN and Fox.

Ma continues to be fascinated by the intersection of sports , media, analytics and technology and continues to try and lower his handicap