What Happens When a Data Scientist Tells a Different Story
- Apr 9
- 7 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Senior Director of Data Products at Microsoft
Bestselling author of Cass Freeman: Decision Trees
Advocate for equity in STEM—empowering the next generation through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
He spent years decoding the world through numbers and algorithms. A data scientist by trade, Bryan H. Kelly lived in the language of precision—until one day, he picked up something completely different.
Not a spreadsheet. Not a model. But a story.
Why fiction? Because there are some truths that numbers can’t carry alone.Because too many young people have never seen themselves in the world of science and tech—and he wanted to change that.
Cass Freeman: Decision Trees isn’t just a novel. It’s a quiet revolution—a story of curiosity, courage, and the kind of leadership that doesn’t need a spotlight to matter.
It’s a reminder that data is human, and that stories—especially the ones we’ve never heard before—still have the power to build bridges, shift structures, and show us who belongs.
This is where that story begins.
From Data to Creativity
🎤 As a tech leader, how did you bring your data brain into creative writing?
Working in data science at scale—especially at a company like Microsoft—teaches you to see structure, systems, and signals. But what I began to realize over time is that data, at its core, is really about people. It's about their behaviors, decisions, hopes, and challenges.
When I started writing Cass Freeman: Decision Trees, I approached the process with the same mindset I use when solving complex technical problems: curiosity, iteration, and pattern recognition. But this time, the patterns weren’t in dashboards—they were in human emotion, in untold stories, in the questions young people aren’t asking yet because no one’s shown them the possibility.
The transition wasn’t always easy. Data science rewards precision, while storytelling embraces nuance and ambiguity. But in both worlds, what matters most is clarity and connection. Writing made me a sharper communicator. It challenged me to distill complex ideas—like algorithmic thinking or business modeling—into something relatable and real.
Ultimately, it was the same core motivation that drove me in both disciplines: to make meaning, and to make impact.
Why Fiction?
🎤 Why tell this story through fiction?
Because fiction is one of the most powerful tools we have for expanding who belongs. I remembered Mae Jemison’s story—how seeing Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek sparked a realization: That could be me.
She became the first Black woman in space—a physician, engineer, and NASA astronaut—proving that representation doesn’t just show you the future; it shows you that you belong in it. I wanted Cass Freeman: Decision Trees to offer that same kind of spark. A story not just about data, but about courage, curiosity, and showing up fully as yourself.
Equity in STEM: Through Cass Freeman’s Lens
🎤 Cass Freeman isn’t just about STEM—it’s about access and equity. What did you want readers to take away?
For me, Cass Freeman: Decision Trees was never just about introducing data science—it was about dismantling the barriers around it.
I’ve spent decades in tech, and I’ve seen how access is too often dictated by zip code, race, or resources. I wanted to write a story where a young Black girl didn’t have to be exceptional to be seen—just curious and given a chance.
By placing Cass in a family business under financial pressure, I grounded her data journey in real-world urgency. She’s not running models for a school grade—she’s trying to save her family’s restaurant. That kind of story reflects the stakes so many communities face, where innovation is born not from luxury but necessity.
And through that lens, I hoped to show that data isn’t just a tool—it’s a language of power. The story’s heart is about reclaiming that language for those who’ve been left out of it for too long.
Not Just a Character—A Legacy
🎤 What does Cass carry forward?
Cass carries the strength of those who came before her—women like Mae Jemison, the first Black woman in space, Katherine Johnson, the mathematician whose calculations guided NASA missions, and so many whose brilliance made space for future generations.
She’s not written to be flawless. She doubts, she stumbles—but she keeps thinking, asking, trying. That, to me, is what leadership looks like.
Through Cass, I wanted to show that you don’t need to be the loudest person in the room to make an impact. Leadership can look like listening deeply, making thoughtful decisions, and staying curious when others give up.
And equally important, I wanted her to model that your voice matters—even when the world hasn’t told you that yet. For every young reader, especially girls of color, I hope Cass becomes more than a character—I hope she becomes a mirror.
The Cover? Yeah, That Was Personal
🎤 Why did you want the book to look like a biography?
Yes, I really wanted the cover to look like a biography. I wanted it to feel like the story of a real girl—someone you could imagine, someone whose journey felt true.
So I started going through portfolios, searching for the right artist. And when I finally found him, he shared a few concepts.
And then—there it was. One of the designs just stopped me.I remember thinking,
"That’s it. That’s the one."
It was beautiful, honest, and had that sense of realness I was looking for. I could immediately pictExploring STEM Equity Through Fiction – Cass Freeman: Decision Trees by Bryan H. Kellyure it as the cover. As the process continued—through technical editing, creating the glossary, pulling all the pieces together—it all just clicked. Everything came together in such a beautiful, harmonious way.
Getting It Out There
🎤 The book hit #1—how are you making sure it actually reaches the right readers?
It actually reached #1 in a Young Adult Computer/Tech category—something along those lines. It’s been doing really well, and I’m incredibly grateful.
But more than the ranking itself, what’s been on my mind is how to get the book into more hands—especially in places where it can make a real impact.
I’ve been speaking with people in education, nonprofits, and EdTech, exploring ways to include the book in summer programs, like the one at USC. Even if it’s not part of the official curriculum, could it be added to reading lists, where students can discover it on their own?
I’ve also been reaching out to female tech leaders—especially those involved in networks like Chief—and encouraging them to share the book with their mentees, or even build book clubs around it.
From the start, I envisioned it being more than just a YA story. When people ask, “Is this just for kids?”—I always say, I can picture a 40-year-old woman and her 16-year-old daughter reading it together, having real conversations about technology and how it shows up in their lives.
That’s the kind of shared experience I hoped this book would inspire.
When History Showed Up and Said Yes
🎤 A Hidden Figure endorsed your book?!
No, I never had the chance to meet Katherine Johnson in person—she’s passed now. But something truly special happened.
I traveled to Washington, DC and met Elva Hicks Glover, who lived that history—decades before STEM equity was even a conversation. It all began when I got connected to her daughter, who works in federal law enforcement. We were chatting casually, and I used the phrases “Hidden Figures” and “Emerging Figures.”
Then she said something that made my heart skip a beat:
“My mother is a Hidden Figure.”
Let me tell you—I had prayed for this. I carried a quiet hope that one of these barrier-breaking women might bless the book with a foreword. But it felt nearly impossible. Most of them are now in their 80s. Where would I even begin to find someone?
So when she said those words, I nearly did a cartwheel. But I kept it together and replied, “Tell me more about your mother…”
And gently added, “I would be so honored if she might consider writing the foreword.”
Her response?
"Absolutely. She reads all the time. Just send her the book. If she likes it, she’ll write something."
A few hours later, she sent me her mother’s address. The very next day, I mailed the book. And a few weeks after that, Elva Hicks Glover had finished reading it… and wrote the foreword.
It was one of those moments that felt like a parade of miracles—unexpected, unplanned, but exactly right. When I look back at the whole journey, I’m filled with gratitude—for the grace, the timing, the people, and the way everything came together in ways I never could have imagined.
The Moment That Changed Everything
🎤 What’s one moment that proved this story really matters?
There was a young girl who came up to me after a school visit. She looked me straight in the eye and said,
“Cass Freeman made me believe I could be a scientist too.”
That moment hit me harder than any award or chart ranking ever could. Representation has always mattered—but that is what it looks like in action. For too long, STEM has been presented as something distant, rigid, and reserved for the few.
Through Cass, I wanted to show something different: a girl who looks like them, who makes mistakes, solves problems, and leads—not by being perfect, but by being curious and committed.
Hearing from students, especially young women, who now see tech as a space they belong in—that’s the deepest form of success for me.
The book may have started as a story, but it’s growing into a mirror.
And in that mirror, I hope the next generation sees possibility, not limitation.
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