Charles Shen, PhD, EMBA

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Charles is an innovative leader and entrepreneur, currently spearheading advancements in Generative AI at Intuit. With over two decades of rich experience, Charles has been at the forefront of technological innovations across artificial intelligence, blockchain, mobile Internet, IP telecommunications, and cybersecurity. His current role at Intuit places him at the vanguard of leveraging Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) to pioneer cutting-edge financial technologies. His leadership and technical acumen are instrumental in bolstering the capability of Generative AI-powered financial assistants to deliver accurate insights while ensuring safety, security, and alignment with human values.

Among his entrepreneurial ventures, Charles founded inWeb3 and built ChatWeb3, a pioneering application and ChatGPT plugin that leverages OpenAI’s ChatGPT to democratize blockchain data analysis for the masses. In his stint as a VC investor at VU Venture Partners, he honed his acumen for spotting and nurturing disruptive innovations in frontier technologies. His past leadership role as Co-Director at Columbia University's Advanced Construction and Information Technology Lab witnessed him catalyzing a significant shift in the AEC domain, steering projects that harnessed Deep Learning and AI technologies to modernize construction management methodologies and drive sustainable urbanization.

Charles holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University, an Executive MBA from Columbia Business School, and is a senior member of IEEE. He has held vital research and engineering positions at tech giants like AT&T and prestigious academic hubs, including Columbia. His groundbreaking research has culminated in eight US patents and three Internet standards. His extensive publications have drawn more than 1600 citations worldwide.

Beyond technical achievements, Charles has been a staunch advocate for the fusion of industry and academia, evident from his role as a former Special Advisor to Columbia’s Dean of Engineering and the University’s Global Centers Initiative. He has chaired premier technology and entrepreneurship forums, and through these platforms, collaborated with civic bodies to drive economic and STEM development, catalyzing innovations through global dialogues. His overall contributions reflect a dedication transcending personal achievements, with his receipt of the US President's Volunteer Service Gold Award testifying to his profound commitment to community service and societal progress.

Additional Professional Experience

Delving into earlier chapters of Charles' professional journey reveals substantial contributions in Blockchain and Crypto technologies before his immersion in Generative AI. During his tenure at the leading Ethereum company ConsenSys, Charles identified gaps in crypto ecosystem design and introduced the W5H token design framework. Coupled with advanced computer simulation methodologies, he helped shape the architecture of notable Web3 platforms like Infura's Decentralized Infrastructure Network initiative. At Columbia University's Tech Lab, Charles led the “Blockchain for Cities” initiative, exploring blockchain's role in urban sustainability. His discerning analysis revealed disparities in blockchain application practices, and as the industry evolved, his foresights were corroborated, showcasing their enduring value and impact.

In the early stages of his career, Charles’s experiences highlight two essential aspects of any modern technical services and products: Cybersecurity and large-scale system reliability, laying a solid groundwork for his subsequent explorations.

Cybersecurity is a paramount issue for any industry. While at AT&T, Charles and his colleagues developed advanced cybersecurity techniques to fortify mobile Internet, such as a verification service using alternate channels to counter phishing, strengthened mobile apps against breaches with layered defenses like honey servers, and designed systems to avert server denial-of-service attacks. These efforts resulted in five US patents. Partnering with IBM, Charles also examined secure Internet multimedia signaling efficiency, created a quantitative cost model for improved server provisioning, and published the results in the IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking journal.

Charles’ work on system scalability and reliability focused on pivotal challenges in deploying Internet Protocol into massive modern telecommunications systems. Innovative algorithms addressed signaling server congestion, enabling servers to efficiently manage high user loads. He also introduced a tunnel signaling solution to streamline transitions between diverse networks. Collaborating with renowned institutions and tech giants, Charles's work resulted in three U.S. patents, focusing on enhanced IP-based telecommunications functionalities. Beyond patents, his research contributed to three Internet RFC Standards, each fortifying the efficiency and reliability of IP-telecommunication networks.

In conclusion, Charles' multifaceted career exemplifies a continuous endeavor towards technological advancement and innovation, with a significant emphasis on leadership and entrepreneurship. His enduring efforts continue to resonate within the communities he impacts, making a significant imprint in the evolving narrative of modern technological innovation and societal progress.

Below are some example outcomes of his prior work