Carleton Students Build Award‑Winning AI Agents in MindBridge’s 2026 Data Science Challenge

Carleton University students demonstrated impressive technical skill and creativity in this year’s MindBridge Data Science Challenge. The annual competition, held in partnership with Carleton, continues to reflect the rapid shift toward artificial intelligence in financial systems and the growing need for tools that can operate within increasingly autonomous environments.

The 2026 challenge asked students to design an intelligent agent capable of translating natural language questions into SQL queries for a relational database. This task mirrors a real trend in modern finance, where systems must interpret human intent and convert it into precise and auditable actions. As financial processes accelerate and become more automated, the ability to monitor and understand these systems in real time has become essential.

The competition began on January 28 with a lecture by Dr. Aras Kayvan, Senior Data Scientist at MindBridge. His presentation introduced students to the principles of agentic artificial intelligence, including design patterns and practical applications in complex financial settings. Over the following eight weeks, undergraduate and graduate students worked independently to build agents that could operate reliably and explain their outputs clearly.

A panel of judges evaluated each submission based on performance, innovation, creativity, and clarity of presentation. The judging group included Sriram Subramanian from Carleton University, along with MindBridge experts Lakshika Girihagama, Louis de Thanhoffer de Volcsey, Nima Anvari, and Michael Bourassa. Their goal was to assess both the technical strength of each project and its relevance to real-world financial oversight.

The top three students in the 2026 competition were announced at the end of March. First place was awarded to Ansh Kakkar, who received a MacBook Pro and an interview opportunity for a paid internship at MindBridge. Second place went to Mohamad Ghanem, who received an iPad Pro and an internship interview. Third place was awarded to Sam Minasyan, who received an iPad along with the same interview opportunity.

MindBridge Chief Technology Officer Rachel Kirkham noted that this year’s submissions demonstrated how quickly artificial intelligence agents are moving from theoretical concepts into practical tools. She highlighted the students’ ability not only to build functioning systems but also to apply them to complex financial problems and communicate their results clearly.

Olga Baysal, Director of the Institute for Data Science at Carleton University, emphasized the value of the challenge for students who are preparing to enter an industry that is increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. She remarked that the level of innovation on display this year shows how well prepared Carleton students are to contribute to the next generation of financial technology.

MindBridge and Carleton University extended congratulations to all participants and expressed appreciation for the creativity and dedication shown throughout the competition.

Carleton University is a research-intensive institution located in Ottawa. Founded in 1942, it offers more than 170 undergraduate and graduate programs across a wide range of disciplines. Its location in the nation’s capital provides students with unique opportunities to learn and work in a multilingual and multicultural environment.

MindBridge is a global leader in autonomous financial oversight. Its platform analyzes all transactions across enterprise systems in order to detect risk early, explain insights clearly, and support governed action. As artificial intelligence becomes embedded across financial processes, MindBridge provides the independent oversight layer needed to maintain data integrity at scale.