Tyler Otto leads the teams responsible for all user safety, platform enforcement, machine-learning systems, and applied data science across a global platform of hundreds of millions of users. His path to running safety for one of the largest online communities is non-traditional: he began with a PhD in quantum dot semiconductor research at UC Davis, transitioned to Head of Data Science at travel startup Hipmunk (acquired by Concur), and joined Reddit in 2016, where he helped form the company’s first threat-detection team before expanding to lead the entire Safety organization. His background in analytical rigor and systems-level data thinking shapes his approach to building responsible, high-impact safety infrastructure at scale. A former member of the Air Force and Navy Reserves, Tyler is also an avid outdoorsman and a fan of subreddits like r/hotdogs (ironically), r/fixedbytheduet, and NFL meme communities.
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