About Me
Professional Bio
I'm Cris Benge, Head of Federal Innovation at Google, where I lead AI/ML prototype initiatives that transform how U.S. federal agencies leverage cutting-edge technology to solve complex mission problems.
With over two decades of experience in software engineering, data science, and technical leadership, I specialize in building scalable machine learning systems and driving innovation at the intersection of technology and public service.
I'm passionate about mentoring the next generation of technologists and contributing to open-source projects and research that advance the field of artificial intelligence.
Education
Academic foundation in computer science, data science, and machine learning
Certifications
Professional credentials in cloud, data, and database technologies
Cloud
Azure Certified Solution Architect Expert
Microsoft 2023
Data
Azure Certified Data Scientist
Microsoft 2022
Database
Certified Solutions Master: SQL Server (MCSM)
Microsoft 2013
Database
Certified Master: SQL Server (MCM)
Microsoft 2012
Data
Certified Solutions Expert: Data Management & Analytics
Microsoft 2016
Database
Certified Solutions Expert: Data Platforms
Microsoft 2015
Cloud
AWS Certified Solution Architect Associate
Amazon Web Services 2018
Data
Professional Program: Data Science
Microsoft 2018
Data
Professional Program: Artificial Intelligence
Microsoft 2019
Awards & Honors
Competition achievements and professional recognition
Competition Honors
Competition
1st Place
World Bank Publication Topics
DrivenData (World Bank) 2019
Machine learning competition to classify World Bank publications by topic using NLP techniques.
Competition
Top 12%
Data Science Bowl - Nuclei Detection
Kaggle 2018
Computer vision competition to detect cell nuclei in microscopy images for medical research.
Competition
1st Place
College Graduate Earnings Prediction
DrivenData (Department of Education) 2017
Predicting post-graduation earnings to help students make informed education decisions.
Competition
13th Place
Sales Forecasting Competition
Kaggle 2017
Time series forecasting competition to predict retail sales across multiple stores and products.
Professional Recognition
Professional
Circle of Excellence, Platinum Club
Microsoft 2020
Awarded for exceptional performance and significant business impact.
Professional
Champion Award (Q3)
Microsoft 2020
Quarterly recognition for outstanding technical contributions and customer success.
Professional
Hero Award
Microsoft 2020
Recognition for going above and beyond to deliver exceptional results.
Professional
#BetterTogether Award
Microsoft 2019
Awarded for exemplary collaboration and teamwork across organizational boundaries.
Get In Touch
Interested in connecting? Reach out on LinkedIn or check out my work on GitHub.