About Jen Anderson
Decision Scientist · PhD Behavioral Neuroscience · Engineering Leader · Founder
I help engineering leaders unstick blocked decisions and build healthier teams, using insights from how brains actually process complexity under pressure.
The Intersection
Most people see either the tech problem or the people problem. I see how they interact.
I have a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of Illinois Chicago, where I spent years studying how the brain processes signals under complexity and cognitive load. My research focused on visual signal detection: how the brain decides what's real and what's noise when the environment is overwhelming. That work revealed something I didn't expect — the same patterns that cause brains to miss visual signals under complexity also cause engineering teams to miss critical system problems.
I call this "Behavioral Drift" — when system behavior gradually diverges from intended behavior, but remains imperceptible until it's too late. It happens in neural systems. It happens in software systems. And it happens in organizations.
The Journey
📊 Teaching Statistics & Research Methods
~2008 — Academic
I taught statistics and research methodology for nearly a decade, developing expertise in translating complex concepts into actionable insights. This foundation in data literacy and scientific rigor became core to how I approach engineering leadership and decision-making.
🎓 PhD & MS in Computer Science
~2013 — University of Illinois Chicago
Completed advanced degrees with a focus on complex systems and neuroscience, establishing a foundation in rigorous research methodology and systems thinking. Signal Detection Theory became the lens through which I see everything — from neural responses to production incidents.
🚀 Co-founded PyStudio & Led EdTech Transformation
~2014 — EdTech
Co-founded PyStudio while leading digital transformation of an EdTech platform using MACH principles and security best practices. Architected modern, composable systems that improved agility, scalability, and compliance.
📱 Scaled Web & Mobile at Peapod Digital Labs
~2020 — Ecommerce
Led front-end and mobile application modernization for a grocery ecommerce platform. Drove an 87% performance improvement (Time to Interactive: 29.9s → 3.9s), improving conversion rates and customer retention across web and mobile.
🏥 Healthcare Platform Rearchitecture at The Aspen Group
~2023 — Healthcare Tech
Spearheaded rearchitecture of a healthcare web platform across a portfolio of brands supporting 9M+ patient visits. Increased platform speed, conversion rates, and time-to-market. Built high-performing teams and established operational excellence that became a model for the organization.
🤖 Founded Aurvia Consulting
2025 — Consulting
Launched a consulting practice focused on decision science for CTOs and engineering executives. 2-4 week fixed-scope engagements that surface hidden patterns blocking high-stakes decisions and create a clear path forward.
🎯 Launching Operion
2026 — Product
Building a team behavioral health analytics platform that makes invisible work visible — detecting burnout signals, cognitive overload, and collaboration breakdowns before they become crises. Currently in private beta.
What I Do Now
Aurvia
Decision Science Consulting
I help CTOs and engineering executives unstick high-stakes decisions that have been stuck for months. My PhD research in signal detection gives you two leading indicators that matter before outputs degrade: signal clarity and decision threshold.
→ aurvia.ioOperion
Team Behavioral Health Analytics
A platform that detects burnout, cognitive overload, and collaboration breakdowns before they become problems. Built on the same insight: the patterns that cause brains to miss signals cause teams to miss them too.
→ operion.appSpeaking & Writing
I speak at technical conferences, engineering leadership events, corporate offsites, women in tech events, and executive roundtables. My talks bridge behavioral science and engineering practice — helping technical leaders understand why their teams miss critical signals and what to do about it.
I write about AI, engineering leadership, decision science, and building high-performing teams. Topics range from agentic AI systems and platform engineering to the neuroscience of system performance and why the same organizational mess keeps appearing.