About Me
👋 Hi there, thanks for checking out my site!
✨ 🎓 🌐 My name is Rachel Minkowitz, and I am currently a Master's student at Cornell Tech - Technion
Institute, studying
Information Sciences and Information Systems with a concentration in Connective Media. No one really
knows what that is, but I like to say - that we blend social, business and engineering to understand our technology ecosystems.
💻 🎨 🧠 I previously studied Computer Science at CUNY Brooklyn College, where I developed my skills in
Frontend Design and Engineering.
I enjoy working with cool people to build cool things for other cool people.
💡 🌎 ♿ With a strong eye for design and a deep understanding of user needs, I love creating inclusive
experiences that put
people first. As such, I am also a digital accessibility champion for change.
🖌️ 📊 🤝 Digital developement allows me to combine my love for technology, problem-solving and teamwork
to build things that truly
make a difference in the world as we know it!
experience
Education
Dual Master's of Science
2023 - 2025
Cornell Tech - Technion Institute
Dual Major: Information Sciences, Information Systems
Concentration: Connective Media
Relevant Coursework: Analysis of Algorithms, HCI and Design, Psychological and Social Aspects of Tech,
Developing and Designing Interactive Devices, Virtual Reality, Applied Machine Learning, Practical
Applications of Machine Learning
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
2020 - 2022
Brooklyn College, City University of New York
GPA: 3.98
Relevant Coursework: OOP in Java, Data Structures, Algorithms,
Web Development, Human Computer Interaction, Multimedia Design
and Computing
Associations
Teach Access
2022 - present
Participated in a semester long digital accessibility training module and live classes.
HackNY
2022 - present
Selected as one of 16 top student technologists to join an intensive fellowship immersed in the NYC tech ecosystem.
Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Center
2022 - 2023
Development based program aiming to find local talent to join buisnesses in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
CUNY Tech Prep
2021 - 2022
Selected as one of the 183 students for a technical training program where we learned in-demand technologies like React, Node + Express, and PostgreSQL as well as industry best practices for design, implementation, and deployments such as MVC, version control with Git/GitHub, agile & Scrum with Trello and Slack, test-driven development, and CI/CD.
Break Through Tech
2022
Joined BTT which works to propel women and underrepresented communities into computing degrees and tech careers.
Professional Experience
AI Product Manager
June 2025 - present
Proto Innovation
- Leading Proto’s internal AI initiative to streamline strategic workflows and increase operational efficiency through ai-automation and agentic tooling using n8n. Designed and launched a company-wide training series to empower teammates to use AI in their daily work, with an initial goal of reducing drafting time by 10%.
Research Assistant - GenAI
August 2024 - Jan 2025
Cornell Tech Lab for Information Sciences
- Built highly anthropomophic GenerativeAI chatbots using React to test whether humanistic effects in chatbot display would effect people's belief in a false stereotype.
Software Engineer Intern, Frontend
May 2024 - August 2024
Work&Co
- Developed 5 key frontend features utilizing Typescript and React for the Practicing Law Institute (PLI) site redesign, focusing on the Search page filtering functionality, achieving 100% QA satisfaction by optimizing components for performance and accessibility
- Resolved 23 bugs flagged by the client team to improve functionality and consistent user experience. Fixes included refactoring of existing components to ensure compatibility with proposed designs and compliance with accessibility standards
- Actively participated in Scrum sprint rituals, including 100% attendance at daily standups, sprint grooming and retrospective sessions, using Jira to track progress and ensure 100% task completion rate, enhancing team collaboration and sprint velocity by 15%
- Presented completed feature work to clients during joint calls, effectively communicating technical details and progress to stakeholders
Research Assistant - AI Mediated Communication
January 2024 - May 2024
Cornell Tech Lab for Information Sciences
- Joined a research group looking at topics at the intersection of technology, media and democracy. The group applies multidisciplinary techniques — from machine learning to qualitative social science — to study the information ecosystem and its challenges, with a special focus on AI-mediated communication and its impact on society.
- Designed and developed an experiment aiming to see whether AI can mediate the Hostile Media Effect within politically charged participants
Software Engineer Intern, Accessibility Engineer
May 2023 - August 2023
Teladoc Health
- Successfully identified and resolved over 8 accessibility bugs within component library codebase, enhancing the usability and inclusivity of the frontend library.
- Lead a team of 3 in company-wide hackathon which identified the optimal live closed captioning library for the Teladoc video service, thus enhancing accessibility for users with hearing impairments.
- Explored GitHub Copilot and it's potential accessibility biases in AI models, with goals of promoting ethical AI and accessibility.
- Guided a Design Thinking project group as lead prototyper, orchestrating collaborative ideation and rapid prototyping phases, resulting in a creative, realistic, user-centered solution.
Web Development Intern
Sept 2022 - August 2023
Allied Importers Ltd., Brooklyn, NY
- Lead in the design, development, and implementation of the graphics, layout, and product visuals of company website
- Supervised the assessment of all graphic materials to ensure quality and accuracy of the design
- Designed and created 50+ digital spec sheets for new products
Research Assistant - Digital Accessibility
Aug 2022 - Present
Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY
- Conducted Human Computer Interaction Research under the guidance of Proffessor Devorah Kletenik
- Developed an accessibility teaching game which simulates coginitive disabilities to test whether teaching accessibility through games evokes greater empathy from students
Software Engineer Intern, Frontend
May 2022 - Aug 2022
Chartbeat, New York, NY
- Joined 2 cross-functional feature teams during the agile scrum cycle and completed cycle tasks including sprint planning and roadmapping
- Integrated export CSV functionality and UI into Chartbeat dashboard utilizing React and Django to apply company styles
- Improved web security by resolving frontend bug involving cookies and vulnerable API endpoints
- Won company-wide hackathon by participating on a team of 7 which developed a demo version of a Chartbeat dashboard to help prospective clients understand what their ROI can be when using the Chartbeat product
User Research Intern
Jan 2022 - Feb 2022
Teladoc Health
- Collaborated with the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) team to improve accessibility for 4+ Teladoc Marketing webpages resulting in 100% WCAG compliance
- Examined user experience by conducting cognitive walkthroughs of the marketing site from the perspective of people with disabilities
- Researched 5 relevant user personas of people with disabilities using Teladoc web services to better understand target audience
