My name is João Castanheira, and I'm a 26-year-old software developer and data scientist. I have a bachelor's degree in Information Systems Management, and currently, I'm finishing the Master's degree in Data Science at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon.

I've worked for four years in software development, mainly using .NET technologies. During that period I've been enrolled in projects for the financial, pharmaceutical and legal industries. I ended up being responsible for developing and maintaining all the layers regarding software: front-end, back-end and databases.

In the last years, I've changed my path through data science. I have one year of experience in the industry, working in the transportation industry by applying data mining and machine learning techniques in order to uncover new insights and add value to their business processes. Currently, I'm working as a research fellow in data science, closed with the Portuguese Ministry of Health, with my research being focused on extracting temporal and geographical patterns from blood donation data.

The main reason why I want volunteering is that I feel I have skills that could be used for social good. I would like to help and contribute to a good cause. I want to feel useful and have the opportunity to help those in need through the skills I have.