DATA SCIENCE · AI · OPERATIONS

I’m Albert Ponferrada Sicart.

A UC Berkeley Data Science graduate, technical builder, and Division I athlete. I use data, automation, and AI to make systems clearer, faster, and more reliable.

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San Francisco Bay Area Open to data, AI, operations, fraud, and technical analyst roles

ABOUT

Built for work that rewards patience, ownership, and curiosity.

My background sits across data science, process improvement, AI, and high-performance sport. I enjoy understanding how a process works today, where it slows down, and what can be redesigned or automated.

Years of competing at the highest level in water polo taught me to stay disciplined without needing immediate rewards. I bring that same mindset to technical work: keep showing up, test assumptions, and stay with the problem until the path is clear.

EXPERIENCE

Turning analysis into measurable operational improvements.

BlueChipNIL Berkeley, CA 2026–Present

Co-Founder · AI Marketplace & Deal Automation

Building an AI-powered NIL marketplace that connects overlooked college athletes with small businesses.

Automates athlete discovery, creative generation, and legal contracting.
Designed for the 98% of athletes underserved by existing platforms.
Winner of a Berkeley SportsTech entrepreneurship award in 2026.

DMK Mining LLC Istanbul, Türkiye 2024

Geological Image Processing Intern

Built and deployed a Python-based image-processing pipeline for geological PNG files used in iron and chrome exploration.

Increased processing throughput by 40% and reduced manual intervention by 30%.
Automated RGB-channel extraction and added multi-format compatibility.
Worked with geologists to integrate the pipeline into existing mapping workflows.

PFotoalbums Barcelona, Spain 2022–2023

Business Analytics Intern

Improved sales-data workflows and used segmentation and product analysis to support inventory decisions.

Reduced processing time by 25% while improving data integrity.
Applied clustering and segmentation to identify customer patterns.
Helped reduce overstock by 20% through product and inventory analysis.

PROJECTS

Work at the intersection of AI, automation, and practical problem-solving.

AI · MARKETPLACE · AUTOMATION

BlueChipNIL

An AI-powered NIL marketplace and deal-automation platform designed to connect overlooked college athletes with small businesses.

Automates athlete discovery, creative generation, and legal contracting.
Focused on the 98% of athletes underserved by existing NIL platforms.
Winner of a Berkeley SportsTech entrepreneurship award in 2026.

PYTHON · COMPUTER VISION · OPERATIONS

Geological Image Pipeline

A modular processing system that connected raw geological imagery to the workflows used by exploration teams.

DATA PIPELINES · SEGMENTATION · INVENTORY

Sales & Inventory Analytics

A structured analytics workflow used to improve data quality, surface customer patterns, and support inventory decisions.

LEADERSHIP

Athlete Experience.

California Men’s Water Polo

Team Captain · NCAA Division I

NCAA Champion in 2022 and 2023
All-American selection in 2023, 2024, and 2025
Team captain in 2024 and 2025

Spanish National Team

International Athlete

U17 European Championship silver medal
Senior World Cup bronze medal
Years of training toward the highest level of the sport

SKILLS

Tools I use to understand, build, and improve systems.

PythonPandasScikit-LearnSQL PostgreSQLRJavaJavaScript HTML/CSSC++JupyterAI tools Process improvementData analysisAutomation

FUN FACTS

A little more about me.

Cooking

I love cooking. My signature dishes are Loco Moco and San Sebastian cheesecake.

Learning

I’m a complete beginner in bouldering and piano, which is exactly why I enjoy them.

Languages

Catalan, Spanish, and English, plus A2-level Turkish.

CONTACT

Let’s build something useful.

I’m interested in roles across data, AI, operations, fraud, analytics, and technical product work.

albertponferrada@berkeley.edu LinkedIn Résumé