Saying the winners of VentureBeat’s fifth Annual Ladies in AI awards

VentureBeat introduced the winners of the fifth annual Ladies in AI Awards at present at VB Rework. 

The awards acknowledge and honor the ladies leaders and changemakers within the area of AI. The nominees had been submitted by the general public and winners chosen by a VentureBeat committee. Winners had been chosen primarily based on their dedication to the trade, their work to extend inclusivity within the area and their constructive affect locally. 

The winners had been offered with the awards by VentureBeat’s Sharon Goldman, senior AI author, and Gina Joseph, chief technique officer.

Joseph emphasised the significance of the awards and the Ladies in AI breakfast. “That is why we do it. I imply, you heard it instantly from the ladies leaders. They’re making an affect, they’re making a distinction and want to assist help one another and as organizations, as leaders, as influencers we have to put a highlight on girls in tech, girls leaders, girls in AI.”

AI Entrepreneur: Bringing AI out of the lab and into the actual world

This award honors a girl who has began corporations which are displaying nice promise in AI. Consideration was given to issues like enterprise traction, the know-how resolution, and affect within the AI area.

Our winner is Might Wang, CTO of IoT safety at Palo Alto Networks. Wang has been pioneering work in AI-based safety. She is main the trouble to leverage AI to revolutionize cybersecurity as an entire. Wang has co-founded Zingbox, an IoT cybersecurity firm, the primary AI-based cybersecurity resolution for IoT.

Throughout her acceptance speech at VentureBeat Rework at present, she recalled assembly with a feminine investor whereas attempting to get enterprise capital funding for Zingbox. “She stated to me, ‘I’ve been investing in cybersecurity for greater than 10 years. You’re the primary feminine funder sitting on this boardroom,’” Wang recalled. “Final yr, women-funded corporations solely raised 1.9% of all VC funds. We have now a protracted approach to go for each AI and feminine engineers. Let’s work collectively and help one another.”

AI Analysis: Fueling the subsequent wave of transformative AI

This award honors a girl who has made a big affect in an space of analysis in AI, serving to speed up progress both inside her group, as a part of tutorial analysis, or impacting AI usually.

Our winner is Karen Myers, lab director on the synthetic intelligence middle at SRI Worldwide. Myers acquired the highest honor for SRI technical employees and was named an SRI Fellow in 2016; she turned director of the AI middle the next yr. She is the writer of greater than 100 publications and 7 issued patents. Her analysis has impacted each the business and authorities sectors, with transitions in areas spanning pure language processing, workflow automation, robotics and clever help.

Throughout her acceptance speech at present, she recalled her early years working in AI and being the one lady in most rooms she was in. She urged everybody in attendance and watching nearly to encourage the younger women of their lives to review pc science. She stated solely 25% of pc engineering levels had been earned by girls. “We have to get extra girls within the area as a result of it’s good for everyone if now we have extra range within the area, so go residence and do your half.

“So thanks a lot for shining the sunshine on all the nice issues that ladies in AI are doing, and I’d simply ask everyone, please encourage your daughters, your nieces, your neighbors to get into pc science. We nonetheless have an issue within the area that proper now solely 25% of the pc engineering levels are for ladies. And we have to repair this downside.”

AI Mentorship: Increase the subsequent era of girls in AI

This award honors a girl chief who has helped mentor different girls within the area of AI, offering steerage and help and/or encouraging extra girls to enter the sphere.

Our winner is Chenxi Wang, founder and normal associate at Rain Capital, a cybersecurity-focused enterprise capital agency that’s 100% woman-managed. Wang lately based the Forte Group, a women-in-tech advocacy group. Her profession started as a school member at Carnegie Mellon College. She has a Ph.D. in pc science from the College of Virginia.

Throughout her acceptance speech at VB Rework, Wang recalled how she was informed at quite a few factors throughout her tutorial and company profession that she couldn’t obtain her desires and targets. “Then I began my very own enterprise fund, and sure, it’s doable,” she stated.

Duty & Ethics of AI: Thoughtfully constructing AI that results in a greater and extra equitable world

This award honors a girl who demonstrates exemplary management and progress within the rising sizzling subject of accountable AI.

Our winner, Diya Wynn, is senior apply supervisor for accountable AI at AWS. She has a ardour for growing present and rising leaders; selling STEM to the underrepresented; and driving range, fairness and inclusion (DEI). Wynn mentors younger college students and visitor lectures at universities internationally.

Throughout her acceptance speech at VB Rework, Wynn stated it was an honor to be acknowledged for her work. She hopes that “women [in general] and Black women will see me for example of one thing that’s doable for them.” Wynn stated it was an honor to know that the work she initiated helps prospects construct responsibly and operationalize responsibly, “advancing the science round accountable AI and the investments we’re making and constructing into the subsequent era. These are the suitable issues for us to do to construct a greater future. A future the place constructing responsibly and inclusively is simply the best way that everyone knows.”

Rising Star: Honoring girls within the early levels of their profession who show that ‘one thing particular’

This award honors a girl within the early stage of her AI profession who has demonstrated exemplary management traits.

Our winner is Mahsa Ghafarianzadeh, engineering supervisor of habits prediction at Zoox. Ghafarianzadeh was born and raised in Iran, and got here to the U.S. to pursue her ardour for robotics. She has a Ph.D. in pc science. Ghafarianzadeh began at Zoox as a analysis intern working in deep studying and pc imaginative and prescient. She went on to turn into a analysis engineer after which engineering supervisor on the software program prediction group. Ghafarianzadeh is on 28 patents globally from eight patent households.

Throughout her acceptance speech Ghafarianzadeh thanked her mentors and her mom for supporting and guiding her. She additionally devoted her award to the ladies in Iran “who’ve been preventing for his or her freedom up to now yr.”

We’d prefer to congratulate the entire girls who had been nominated to obtain a Ladies in AI Award. Because of everybody for his or her nominations and for contributing to the rising consciousness of girls who’re making a big distinction in AI.

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