A Year of AI: Women x Innovation
- Jenny Kay Pollock
- Dec 19, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 26, 2025
What We Learned from 12 Months of Collaborating with AI
Last week, the WOMEN x AI community gathered at the Snowflake Silicon Valley AI Hub for A Year of AI: Women x Innovation — a reflection on what actually changed in AI in 2025, and what leadership will require in 2026.
It was a Thursday night right before the holidays and the room was packed. That alone said a lot. But what stayed with us most was not the tools. It was the tone of the conversation. Grounded. Curious. Human.
2025 Was the Year AI Settled In
We opened the night with a simple truth. 2025 was not the year AI arrived. It was the year AI settled in. Into our work. Into our classrooms. Into our boardrooms. Into our everyday decisions.
This was the year curiosity turned into capability. When multimodal AI became normal. When building sped up. When AI governance stopped being theoretical.
By the end of the year, the question was no longer “Should we use AI?”It became “How do we use AI well?” And more importantly, “Who gets to lead that conversation?”
Handing the Mic to Women in AI
At WOMEN x AI, our belief is you build the future you want by deciding who gets the mic.
In 2025, we handed 234 microphones to women, creating space not just to learn AI, but to lead with it. Across workshops, panels, walks, and community sessions, our members showed up as founders, operators, investors, technologists, and board leaders.
By the end of the year, that community grew to over 700 global members, with nearly
3,000 attendees joining our events.
This night felt like a culmination of that work.
The Tools That Changed Our Workflow
The panel, moderated by Lori Adams Brown, focused on The Tools That Changed Our Workflow. But what made it powerful was not a list of products.
It was discernment.
Founders and operators shared:
How they evaluated what was worth keeping versus what was hype
What actually changed the way they worked, not just how fast
The moments when AI surprised them, failed them, and taught them something
Again and again, the conversation returned to the same theme: A human centered approach matters.
Speed without trust breaks systems. Scale without context creates risk. Tools do not replace leadership.
AI Governance Moves From Theory to Practice
One of the most resonant moments of the night was the AI Board Governance Compass mini-segment.
In 2025, governance stopped being a future concern. It became operational.
Boards are now expected to understand AI risk, usage, and accountability. Not in abstract terms, but in real decisions about data, privacy, IP, and responsibility.
Our AI Board Governance Compass was built to meet that moment. To give boards a practical framework for prioritizing AI topics, asking better questions, and guiding decisions with clarity.
The response in the room made it clear. Leaders are hungry for tools that help them govern AI, not fear it.
Seeing AI Built by Our Community
Founder demos brought the conversation to life. We saw products in action. Tools built by members of this community to solve real problems, with humans at the center.
It was a reminder that innovation does not happen in isolation. It happens when builders are supported, seen, and trusted.
We saw Arianna Mauri founding CX Lead at Blok demo their software solution for smarter product decisions, powered by simulation.
Next was Ana Ramirez, Founder of Xalé . She showed us how her software creates dynamic profiles for job seekers and employers.
Photo Credits from Left to Right: Elena Pronina, Marisol Espinoza
Check Out the Event Slides
Looking Ahead to 2026
We closed the night with Rachel Wong and Tany Rios Castro leading a session on setting 2026 AI Resolution.
Photo Credit: Marisol Espinoza
Not a vague goal. A real intention. A tool to learn. A governance practice to adopt. A mindset to shift.
Our takeaway from the night was clear: 2026 is not about catching up to AI. It is about leading with AI. The edge will belong to those who do it with a human centered approach.
Gratitude
This night would not have been possible without:
Snowflake and the Silicon Valley AI Hub for hosting and creating space for community
LatinaGeeks for being such wonderful partners and for co-creating community with us
Lori Adams-Brown, our panel moderator, for grounding the conversation in leadership and culture
Our panelists and founders for sharing real insights
And the WOMEN x AI community, for showing up with curiosity, generosity, and intention
As we head into 2026, we are more convinced than ever that the future of AI will not be led by those who move the fastest. It will be led by those who move thoughtfully, with a human centered approach.
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