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Forecasting Impact
Forecasting Impact is a bimonthly podcast that aims to disseminate the science and practice of forecasting by introducing prominent academics, practitioners, and visionaries in the forecasting domain. Our vision is to help grow the forecasting community, foster collaboration between academia, industry, and governments, and promote scientific forecasting and good practices.
We will discuss a range of forecasting topics in economics, supply chain, energy, social goods, AI, machine learning, data analytics, education, healthcare, and more.
Forecasting Impact episodes are also available on the IIF YouTube Channel @IIForecasters.
Podcast Team
Chair and Co-host: Dr. Laila Ahadi-Akhlaghi, Senior Technical Advisor at JSI.
Additional co-hosts:
- Dr. Mahdi Abolghasemi, Lecturer in Data Science at The University of Queensland,
- George Boretos, Founder & CEO at FutureUP,
- Dr. Faranak Golestaneh, Data Science Senior Manager at Commonwealth Bank of Australia,
- Mariana Menchero, Senior Forecaster at Nixtla, and
- Arian Sultan Khan, Data Analyst at VAN
Co-hosts in the past have included: Michał Chojnowski, Shari De Baets, Elaine Deschamps, Dr. Sevvandi Kandanaarachchi, Bahman Rostami-Tabar, Anna Sroginis, and Sarah Van der Auweraer.
We welcome your feedback, questions, and suggestions. Please contact us at forecastingimpact@forecasters.org
Forecasting Impact
When Forecasting isn't about Accuracy with Harrison Katz of Airbnb
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Most forecasting goals focus solely on accuracy, but Harrison Katz reveals why understanding the true purpose of forecasts can transform how organizations make decisions. From leading Airbnb’s demand predictions to academic research, he uncovers the nuanced role forecasts play beyond numbers—and why misaligned goals and governance can distort the entire process.
In this episode, Harrison shares his nonlinear journey from dropping out of high school at 15 to leading Airbnb’s forecasting strategies across hundreds of global markets. He discusses how COVID-19 exposed the limitations of traditional models and taught invaluable lessons about system agility, regime shifts, and the importance of separating models for flow versus lead times, and not for supply versus demand. Harrison breaks down the often-overlooked concept of forecast governance, emphasizing that forecasts are not just numbers—they are political, strategic, and even behavioral tools that influence outcomes.