We sat down with Marshai Heart, a recent graduate of Palantir’s American Tech Fellowship who has since joined PVM as a Deployment Strategist. With refreshing honesty and excitement, she shares how the fellowship opened unexpected doors, why automation and ontology sparked a new passion, and how meaningful mentorship ultimately drew her to PVM.
What inspired you to apply for Palantir’s American Tech Fellowship, and what was the biggest lesson you took away from that experience?
I just had a baby, and right before my due date I saw the fellowship was about a month long. It felt like the perfect window to learn a new skill. Palantir became really popular this year, everyone was talking about it, so I tried downloading the open-source tools to play around. But I quickly realized I needed a starting point and guidance.
So when I saw there was an actual fellowship, I thought, this is great. I was excited, and it was cool knowing I’d be part of the first cohort. The timing was perfect and it felt good to stay active and engaged right before my maternity leave. I’m really glad I did it because it opened up a new direction for my career.
I never understood what was so difficult about getting AI to match the real world. And what Palantir Foundry does really well is it gives real world things and objects, and you create the relationships amongst them. Teaching the large language model what information it’s gaining from and what it needs to give back to you was powerful.
And I love automation. Anything I can automate makes me happy. My final case study was a wedding seating chart—because I hate making them for community events. Foundry let me define the people, the relationships, the seats, and let AI handle the rest. That’s what we need more of—automating the mundane things so we can focus on better things.
How did the fellowship shape your perspective on technology’s role in solving real-world challenges?
It confirmed my belief that AI won’t necessarily decrease the workforce, it can improve it. People spend so much time on work that drains them before the day even starts. AI removes those repetitive tasks you have to do but don’t enjoy.
I think about Detroit, my father’s hometown, and how innovative it once was, and how missing the technological shift changed everything. As technology continues to evolve, some roles will naturally change or even disappear. But innovation also creates new opportunities, especially when we intentionally help people bridge the skills gap. We’re no longer in an era where one job lasts an entire lifetime, and that’s not necessarily a negative. If approached with care and proper training, AI and new technologies can open the door to more meaningful, creative, and impactful work rather than replacing it.
Foundry’s combination of automation and ontology really drives that home.
What drew you to join PVM after completing the fellowship?
Dana, PVM’s Head of Talent. Doesn’t everyone say Dana? She’s a rock star. Talking to her was exciting. After the fellowship, I had more interviews than ever. But she stood out immediately. She was personable, kind, realistic, and honest about what roles existed.
She kept the conversation going even when there wasn’t an immediate fit. She introduced me to so many people—Sydney, Brett, Jonda, Gavin—and everyone was amazing. They wanted to teach, they wanted to share, they even wanted to learn. I ask a ton of questions, so that meant a lot to me.
In other interviews, people seemed uninterested or disconnected. PVM felt the opposite. It felt like a place where people genuinely care.
As a Deployment Strategist/Echo, how do you use tools like Palantir Foundry to help clients make a meaningful impact?
My biggest strengths are active listening and innovation. I have a lot of ideas. Some are great, some are not so great, but with a team, even the weaker ones can turn into something useful. I try to really understand what the customer wants, put myself in their shoes, and figure out how to get them to the outcome they care about.
Building relationships and then delivering something that earns trust—that’s where I think I make the biggest impact.
Looking ahead, what excites you most about your work and the difference you hope to make here?
I’m excited about everything that’s next. I’m new, and it’s my first time at a small company, so I’m curious about all of it—my clients, what those relationships will look like, what we’ll build together.
And honestly? I think a lot about company parties. We’re all in different places, so I wonder: what would it look like if we hosted one? Florida? San Diego? Virtual? How do we make it fun?
I’m excited for all of it. The work, the people, and whatever comes next.
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The PVM Team
