Machine Learning Engineer

Former Zillow VP Matt Gilliland joins ASI as chief product officer. Gilliland will be tasked with helping shape the future of the ESP+ platform and accelerating development of new AI-powered tools. Key Takeaways - ASI has hired former Zillow VP of Product Matt Gilliland as chief product officer. - Gilliland will lead product strategy, oversee ESP+ and drive development of new AI-powered tools for distributors and suppliers. - The appointment creates separate leadership for product and technology at ASI, with Gilliland focusing on product innovation and CTO Ryan Hutchison concentrating on the company's technology infrastructure. Matt Gilliland has found a new home at ASI. The former vice president of product at Zillow is taking on a new role as chief product officer at ASI, the company announced today. In the position, Gilliland will lead the company's product organization, help shape the future of the ESP+ platform and drive development of new AI-powered tools for distributors and suppliers. Matt Gilliland will start his role as chief product officer at ASI on Sept. 14. "ASI has spent decades building something technology alone can't create: deep industry expertise, trusted relationships and a thriving community of distributors and suppliers," said Gilliland, who will begin his role on Sept. 14. "I'm excited about the opportunity to combine that foundation with modern technology that takes work off our members' plates, amplifies what they're capable of and lets them spend more of their time on relationships, creativity and their customers." Gilliland joins the technology, marketing and information provider with more than 18 years of product and tech experience. He began working at Zillow in 2014 and moved up the ladder to director and senior director, before eventually landing the position of vice president of product. Before Zillow, Gilliland held roles at Blizzard Entertainment, Microsoft, ADP Dealer Services and Holland America Line. Gilliland will report to ASI CEO Ashish Mittal and join the company's executive team. "Promo is moving too fast for incremental thinking," said Mittal, who became ASI's CEO in April. "Matt knows how to take complex technology and turn it into products people want to use every day. His experience at Zillow is especially relevant to ASI because both businesses sit at the center of large, fast-moving, two-sided marketplaces. We're building the technology our members will need next - and Matt is exactly the kind of leader who can help us get there faster." ESP+ gives distributors access to more than 1.2 million promotional products from more than 3,000 suppliers, with search tools to quickly narrow results. Distributors can then turn product ideas into branded presentations, quotes and orders and manage client relationships within the same platform. In July, ASI introduced the AI-powered Inspire Design Studio, allowing distributors to create realistic lifestyle images, find company logos and generate original visual assets without jumping between multiple AI tools, design programs and websites. With the hiring of Gilliland, ASI's Ryan Hutchison will now focus solely on technology as chief technology officer, leading the infrastructure and technology behind ASI. The company says the new structure gives ASI dedicated leadership across both product and technology, helping the company move faster as it develops tools that make it easier for distributors to sell, create and run their businesses.

CTA's beneficial ownership reporting requirements for community association board members ended; over 80% of Americans living in community associations are highly satisfied; and more in Our Social Media Posts This Week, Aug. 31 - Sept. 5, 2026. Below is a review of the posts on Facebook and LinkedIn from the past week. You can check out the full posts by clicking on the links. NOTE: remember that we now post every other day. The posts on Monday 8/31/2026, here and here, noted: 'You're too old to know this': Zillow faces bias claim from White man. How easy that statement made it for an age discrimination claim. A lawsuit filed against Zillow on August 4 in federal court in Colorado alleges violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Brantley, a 43-year-old White man, worked in several sales-related roles at Zillow from 2018 to 2025 and contributed to a high-achieving team that gained various accolades. But in contrast with his performance, Brantley was allegedly denied promotion opportunities which were given to less-qualified candidates outside his protected class. He also alleges "age-based mockery". Brantley took medical leave in September 2025 after a panic attack allegedly prompted by receiving a sudden job-in-jeopardy notice. Right before Brantley returned to work, he filed an official complaint of retaliation, hostile work environment and discrimination. And then he was fired the next day. Let's take a closer look at the background and suit that (of course) followed. Brantley's complaint alleges a series of vivid, age-based acts of mockery. For example, his supervisor would play a song at the start of team meetings and ask team members to identify the song. When Brantley's turn came, his supervisor would allegedly state, "Ah, you're too old to know this." How often Brantley alleges this occurred is noted in the post. There were also incidents involving hairstyles and comments Brantley's supervisor would make - see the post. Brantley then posted an article about appearance-based harassment in Slack; how he characterized that in his complaint is described in the post. There was also an incident where the team wore shirts with Brantley on them, reading "and Brantley." What the shirt referred to, and when they were worn, is all in the post. Brantley's complaint alleges that this was part of the harassment related to his hairstyle and age. What his supervisor said when Brantley complained is in the post. The situation came to head when Brantley allegedly issued a complaint regarding potential retaliation occurring against one of his team members taking leave. What Brantley's supervisor allegedly told him to do is noted in the post. And similarly, shortly after the complaint was made, Brantley received an email from the supervisor citing performance concerns, with a follow-up email presenting a job-in-jeopardy notice. A few days later, Brantley went out on a 90-day medical leave (on the basis detailed in the post). Zillow issued a comment related to Brantley's suit - at least part of it is in the post. You should know that inclusion for older workers is a matter of legal compliance under the ADEA, but there is more. Workers over age 55 comprise about a quarter of the workforce according to a report noted in the post; the percentage of workers over age 65 has increased too since 2014 - see the post for the exact number. Despite comprising such a large portion of the workforce, 90% of workers over age 50 report experiencing age discrimination (the post has a link to the source). Employers also could be subject to big payments for violations. In one example, HCL America interviewed but refused to hire a candidate because he was "too old" for the position (see the link in the post for more details). This past April, a court ordered HCL to pay the former candidate $495,000 to settle the age and national origin discrimination lawsuit. TAKEAWAY: As the working population ages, employers must ensure they continue to be integrated into the business - and that no adverse action is taken against them by virtue of their age (or any other protected characteristic). The posts on Wednesday 9/2/2026, here and here, were an alert: US Dept. of Treasury and FinCEN issue Final Rule ending Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) beneficial ownership reporting requirements for community association board members. This has been a long time coming... On Aug. 11, the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a final rule (linked in the post) removing requirements for U.S. companies and U.S. persons, including community association board members, to report beneficial ownership information to FinCEN under the Corporate Transparency Act. The final rule will be effective once published in the Federal Register. And there's more - FinCEN also said that will delete previously reported information by U.S. persons, including community association board members, who had disclosed personal information (which under the Final Rule is now exempt from reporting requirements) from its beneficial ownership information database. (Whether that really happens, and where the deleted information goes or can still be found, remains to be seen.) The Final Rule is a follow-up to the interim final rule (linked in the post) issued by FinCEN last year. As one of the entities heavily invested in this, the Community Associations Institute (CAI) has advocated for community association board members to be exempt from the CTA's reporting requirements for the reasons noted in the post. As part of its multi-year effort, CAI engaged with federal policymakers and FinCEN and took the other actions listed in the post. And in September 2024, CAI filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury Department challenging the application of the CTA to community associations. The suit remains pending since the law is still on the books. The Final Rule is only a regulatory interpretation and exemptions under the CTA, but there is no repeal of the CTA until Congress acts. But that too is under way - the post details pending legislation, co-sponsorship status, and where it stands on the approval path. To continue that movement, CAI needs everyone to contact their representative and urge them to support the legislation to remove the CTA from federal law. You can get more information on how to do that with the ink in the post. TAKEAWAY: While the Final Rule is a good step for community association board members, it could be repealed at a later date, leaving the CTA as valid law to be enforced. Act to help CAI get the CTA repealed. The posts on Friday 9/4/2026, here and here, explained a survey finds more than 8 in 10 Americans living in community associations (condominium, HOA and real estate co-op) highly satisfied. The source for that statistic is the 2026 Homeowner Satisfaction Survey released by the Foundation for Community Association Research (which is linked in the post). The survey is the 11th edition of the Foundation's flagship longitudinal study tracking resident perspectives since 2005. Who was contacted for responses is noted in the post. The report is noteworthy given that community associations represent a significant and growing share of the American housing market. Approximately 78.1 million Americans live in more than 373,000 associations, accounting for more than 35% of the nation's housing stock. And more than 80% of homes sold in recent years are located in community associations, a number that is not expected to decrease. Key findings include: - 82% say their elected board members strive to serve the best interests of the community. - 77% report getting along well with their neighbors. - 75% say their community manager provides value and support. - 88% of residents say they always or usually vote in national elections. - and the other things detailed in the post. A statement from Dawn M. Bauman, CAE, chief executive officer of CAI, is in the post. A link to the complete report and interactive dashboard is in the post. TAKEAWAY: The survey findings point to a model of community governance that is working and resonating across the country in community associations. That is good news - and a sign of stability and market value - for current and future residents of those communities.

Suit alleges Zillow bias against 'white men' in promotions. Kenneth Brantley alleges Zillow discriminated against him by age, race and gender Today, September 02, 2026 A former Zillow employee has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the portal, accusing managers of age, race and gender discrimination and of retaliatory termination after he returned from his Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. The employee, 43-year-old Kenneth Brantley, said he worked for Zillow from 2018 to 2025, starting as a sales executive and moving up the ranks to team lead, business consultant team lead, and field enablement manager from 2020 to 2022, and then to national sales manager of acquisitions, later retitled to manager, acquisitions, agent software and advertising, in 2023. Brantley said the promotions came with raises, stock awards and positive performance reviews recognizing his team's productivity. The issues began in 2020, when Brantley started interviewing for higher-level managerial roles. Court documents said Brantley applied and was interviewed nine times for those roles between 2020 and 2023; however, other candidates were chosen. Brantley said a colleague told him that Small Medium Business Acquisitions Director Jonathan Ney was "actively blocking" his attempts to move to another role. The former employee also pointed to the company's Engagement and Belonging program as another reason for his struggle, noting that in a 2024 leadership meeting, Senior Director of Enterprise Sales Travis Roberts said he was focused on diversifying his team, which only had "white males." "[Roberts'] statement was made in or around the time period of promotion decisions from which Mr. Brantley was excluded," the complaint read, reflecting his assertion that he was more qualified than the promoted applicants, all of whom were ethnic minorities. Brantley said his relationship with Ney further soured in 2025, with Ney allegedly pressuring him to give a subordinate, who'd just returned from FMLA leave, lower-quality accounts so they'd quit. Brantley said he refused and reported Ney's alleged actions to Zillow's HR team. He said Ney also facilitated age-based discrimination within the team, with Ney playing songs before team meetings and allegedly telling Brantley he was "too old to know this." He also claimed Ney made jokes about his baldness, asking Brantley if he wished "he could do that" when colleagues changed their hairstyles. He also said several of his colleagues wore T-shirts with a caricature of his face and the words "and Kenn..." to a Zoom meeting. The phrase, Brantley said, was a reference to the fact that Ney excluded him from announcements about the team's achievements. Brantley said Ney increasingly criticized his performance, sending an email on June 5, 2025, that detailed several concerns. The next day, Ney filed a formal Job-in-Jeopardy warning, which Brantley said he'd never received before. Brantley claimed an unnamed senior manager told him that Ney had been told to "lower headcount without conducting a formal reduction-in-force, explaining the coordinated nature of the simultaneous write-ups." On June 7, Brantley had a severe panic attack, leading him to apply for and be granted a 90-day FMLA leave. He alleged Ney contacted him during the leave about work matters, leading Brantley to file a formal HR complaint against Ney on Sept. 8, the day before he was set to return to the office. The complaint detailed the alleged retaliation and discrimination Brantley saw and suffered, and claimed that Ney had created a hostile work environment. On the day he returned, Brantley said he had a phone meeting with Ney and HR representative Josh Angles. Brantley said he asked to exclude Ney from the call; however, HR refused. Brantley said the call "ended abruptly" while providing evidence of the alleged discrimination, and that later that day, he was fired. A Zillow spokesperson said the company is aware of Brantley's complaint, but declined to "discuss personnel details." "We take any allegation regarding our work environment very seriously," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "The claims alleged in the complaint are inconsistent with Zillow's culture and values. One of our highest priorities at Zillow is and always has been creating an environment where people do great work and treat each other with dignity and respect." Brantley is requesting back and front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, the latter of which is capped at $300,000 under Title VII. He also wants Zillow to reimburse what he's spent on out-of-pocket medical expenses for therapy, medications, and related mental health treatment and any other damages the court deems appropriate. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Read the full lawsuit below: