Katariina Kari

For the past eight years, Katariina Kari has built knowledge graph teams at giant e-commerce companies like IKEA and Zalando. This practical, real-world experience puts her in an elite group of ontology and knowledge graph experts.

Knowledge graphs offer unique benefits to e-commerce merchants. From better product recommendations to more useful search results, the semantic capabilities that knowledge graphs provide routinely result in seven-figure sales increases.

The knowledge graphs that Katariina builds provide a semantic layer in the enterprise architecture that lets companies capture, use, and re-use the organization's unique domain knowledge in any number of applications.

Because knowledge graph isn't one application that does one thing. It's a paradigm shift in the way we work with data. It's a paradigm shift in the way we code, because now you don't need to put business logic into your code.

We talked about:

her work over the past eight years building knowledge graphs at companies like IKEA and Zalando

how using knowledge graphs to improve reccomendation and search routinely brings seven-figure business benefits

the set of skills and talents it takes to implement a knowledge graph project, most of which already exist in most companies

how LLMs and other AI tools can help transform structured or unstructured data into semantic data, a computable resource that captures business domain knowledge

some of the specific skills needed for KG work: ontology experts, back-end developers who understand the semantic web stack, data scientists and engineers, knowledge practitioners to capture domain knowledge, and product management

the need in each organization for a unique knowledge graph team tailored to the needs of the company and the talent available

the importance of user-centricity and use-case understanding in any knowledge graph project

the benefits of capturing business logic in a semantic layer which can be used and re-used in multiple applications

an interesting search-improvement use case that resulted in seven-figure sales increases, as well as experience-improving recommendation and info-box use cases

how capturing subject matter expertise in a knowlege graph can dramatically improve recommendation systems and deliver unexpected benefits to other

the importance of showing the benefits of knowledge graphs to organically advance enterprise adoption

her take on the difference between RDF-based knowledge graphs and labeled property graphs (LPGs) like Neo4j

the compelling case for knowledge graphs in e-commerce, which she has discovered in her eight years of practice

Katariina's bio

Katariina Kari is a leading expert in semantic web technologies, specializing in the development of ontologies and knowledge graphs. Over the past eight years, she has worked with prominent brands like IKEA and Zalando, building knowledge graphs that significantly enhance customer experiences by improving search functionalities and recommendations. Her extensive hands-on experience in creating enterprise knowledge graphs has established her as one of the global top talents in the field.

Katariina is frequently invited to speak at international events on the semantic web and knowledge graphs, sharing her insights and practical expertise with industry professionals. Her deep knowledge and passion for the semantic web have made her a sought-after keynote speaker and thought leader in the field.

Balancing a dual enthusiasm for technology and the arts, Katariina holds both a Master of Science degree and a Master of Music degree. From 2012 to 2016, she ran her own consultancy, where she worked closely with classical music organizations and artists, helping them navigate digital outreach. An art-loving and art-serving nerd, she seamlessly blends her love for music and technology in all her work, constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in her field.