We’re excited to present Cynthia Respert, CEO / Founder at AI BuildHER Academy  as this week’s AI Spotlight.  Let’s dive into our interview with Cynthia and see how she is using AI. 1. Share your AI origin story I thrive at the intersection of creativity and efficiency!My AI journey began with an affinity for systems and optimization, rooted in my background in Operations and Logistics. I routinely built tools to solve problems and streamline processes—first for myself, then for teams, nonprofits, corporations, and small businesses—always searching for a more efficient way to reach a goal. The emergence of open access to AI was a pivotal moment, revealing the potential to amplify these efforts exponentially—to achieve 10x, even 100x the results. AI offered an incredible opportunity to elevate the principles of efficiency and optimization to an entirely new level. Sprinkle in a few decades of mentoring youth, and you get a glimpse into the unconventional, creative ways I love bringing solutions to life. AI also became an accelerant for another passion: women in tech. On the journey of impacting over 2,000 SMBs globally—turning friction into streamlined processes and increased revenue—I had a front-row seat to the disparity in representation. This led to the founding of the AI BuildHER Academy : a mission to simplify AI for women and empower them to leverage it confidently and disrupt their industries. My work is deeply rooted in access, equity, and ownership. I’m excited to help shape a future where more women build what’s next. 2. What three AI tools have been most game changing for you?  Here are some key ones (of a longer list)  that I keep finding new use cases for! ChatGPT (My first love❤️):  coach, streamline workflows, assistants, now images!Perplexity: Research, statistics, sourcesNotebookLM: mind-blowing aggregation of information that I can LISTEN toLovable (vibe coding in general): clears the path for BuildHERs to BUILD and bring visions to life 3. If you were just starting your AI journey today where would you start?  If I were just starting my AI journey today, I’d begin with curiosity over complexity.Too often, we overthink the tools before we understand the why. So I’d start by identifying one real-life pain point or repetitive task in my work or life—and then explore how AI could help solve it. That’s how you build confidence and momentum. Next , I’d pick one tool, one time block, and one goal and repeat. I call it running “AI L.A.P.S.”—Learn And Produce Something. Instead of trying to master everything, I’d focus on one use case a week and build muscle memory over time. And finally, I’d surround myself with a community of doers, not just learners—people applying AI in practical ways. Learning in isolation can slow you down. Learning in community creates momentum. Start small. Stay curious. Solve real problems. 4. Share the spotlight: Name 3+ women leading in AI we should all follow.  Noelle Russell // https://www.linkedin.com/in/noelleai/ Dr . Joy Buolamwini // https://www.linkedin.com/in/buolamwini/ Allie K. Miller // https://www.linkedin.com/in/alliekmiller/ Liberty White // https://www.linkedin.com/in/nlibertywhite/ Jeneba Wint // https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenebawint/ Monique Salomon // https://www.linkedin.com/in/monique-salomon/ 5. As a woman in AI, what do you want our allies to know?  To our allies—first, thank you.I’d like to offer a new perspective on the term SaaS: Support as a Service. When it comes to empowering women in AI that looks like Support, Access, Amplification, and Sponsorship. The future is being built in real time. If women aren’t included at the innovation table, we risk designing systems that reinforce inequity and overlook entire communities. In AI and tech, diverse voices fuel innovation, enhance problem-solving, reduce bias, expand representation, and improve business outcomes. When women build and contribute, the solutions are more inclusive, more human, and more impactful. So to our allies—keep (or begin) showing up. Hire women. Fund women. Promote women. Collaborate with women. Let’s progress beyond the social “like”—make space, pass the mic, and invest in what we’re building. Want to be the next in AI Spotlight? It’s a great opportunity to share your voice with our community! Fill out the WxAI AI Spotlight Nomination Form  for your chance to step into the AI Spotlight and to share your voice with the Women And AI community.

What We Covered This #WxAISocialSaturday was led by the thoughtful and dynamic Tara M. Batemon , founder of Her and AI  and a Perplexity AI Business Fellow. Tara brought her signature warmth and encouragement to the table, inviting the WOMEN x AI community to reflect on the ways AI is transforming their industries, relationships, and creative processes. The prompts Tara posed to the community were beautifully open-ended: 📸 “What does your weekend look like?” 🔮 “How do you envision AI shaping your industry?” 📅 “Are there any upcoming AI events we should know about?” The result was an outpouring of inspiring stories, personal moments, and forward-thinking insights from women across sectors—from education to enterprise, public policy to creative AI. The conversation wasn’t just about the future of tech—it was about building it together. About the Host: Tara M. Batemon Tara is the founder of Her and AI , a platform designed to empower women to engage with AI confidently and creatively. With a background in education and a passion for hands-on learning (she’s also a dedicated crafter!), Tara blends technical literacy with artistic exploration. Currently a Business Fellow with Perplexity AI, Tara focuses on making complex tools more accessible—especially for nontraditional tech users. She encourages women to view every small experiment in AI as a valid and powerful step toward shaping the future. "I hope all women are encouraged to believe in the impact of their presence and voice,"  Tara shared. "Every positive step they take will come back to benefit themselves and the greater community." Community Voices: How AI Is Shaping Our Lives and Work Throughout the day, dozens of community members responded with everything from photos of pets and sunshine to deep, thoughtful commentary on the role of AI in their industries. Common threads included increased productivity, creative acceleration, and a shared hope for AI to support—not replace—human connection. "AI is already changing our future in so many ways! it's changing the way we work, the way we interact with one another, the way we consume our content, the way we create our content, the way and the speed of drug discovery in healthcare, personalized medicine, hopefully our education."  – Reut Lazo "AI is the engine of what I call incremental innovation. It handles the heavy lifting so humans can focus on creativity and strategy."  – Saumya Bhatnagar, CPO at involve.ai "I envision an AI that can help convince conflicting parties to reconcile—even without incentives. An AI capable of building trust, fostering dialogue, and ultimately ushering in ceasefires and sustainable, positive peace across the world."  – Naomi Mwelu Kilungu, Peace-AI researcher "I see AI being helping with many of product marketing use cases like competitior analysis, persona development, market and customer research, ideation, content creation, and may more and increasing productivity in the process and allowing product marketers to focus more on strategy and creativity."  – Jedidah K. Emerging Tools and Trends The Women x AI community is nothing if not generous with resources. This week’s discussion spotlighted tools that enhance collaboration, creativity, and learning: Gossip Goblin  – an AI networking tool helping attendees connect before and during events Prickly Pear Health  – using AI to personalize brain health strategies NotebookLM  – turning dense research into digestible summaries Perplexity AI  – powering everything from budget optimization to brief generation Bolt  – making AI product development accessible for non-technical people Napkin AI  – helping you create fast images like the one below Created with NapkinAI These tools represent a growing trend: democratizing AI  so that more voices—especially women’s—are part of shaping what’s next. Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss 🔥 May 29: Insights from AI Product Builders An in-person event co-hosted by Meg McWilliams and WOMEN x AI, where attendees will get to test Gossip Goblin  firsthand. Register on Lu.ma 🎓 June 9–13: National Black AI Literacy Week Organized by the Black AI Think Tank , this virtual event aims to close the AI literacy gap and expand access to opportunity. Details at BlackAILiteracy.com 🌍 June: Women + AI Futures in Cannes A global cohort experience hosted by She Learns AI , bringing together creatives, technologists, and researchers. Explore at WomenAndAIFutures.com/cannes Bonus shoutout: If you’re in NYC this June, check out panels hosted by AI 2030 and Community Nexus on AI’s role in the future of work and responsible development. Our Closing Reflections What makes #WxAISocialSaturday so powerful is its blend of warmth, expertise, and imagination. It’s not just a networking thread—it’s a reflection of a movement: women across the globe reclaiming their space in tech and supporting one another through every pivot, prototype, and podcast. Whether you're a first-time founder or a senior engineer, your perspective matters here. And it’s this shared voice that continues to shape the future of AI—one conversation at a time. 🌐 Join us for the next #WxAISocialSaturday! Share your thoughts, tools, events, and AI visions with a community that truly listens and lifts. Tag @Women x AI  and use #WxAISocialSaturday  to connect with women worldwide who are building the future of AI.

AI x Equity: Highlights from the Conversation Hosted by the brilliant Naomi Mwelu Kilungu G., this week’s #WxAISocialSaturday brought together women from across the globe to share how they’re using AI to democratize access, reimagine mental health care, and build community-rooted innovations. Naomi, a scholar and peace-tech leader, anchored the dialogue with questions that invited honesty, vision, and actionable ideas. About the Host Naomi Mwelu Kilungu G . is an expert in peacebuilding, AI governance, and subaltern localization across African contexts. Her work challenges dominant paradigms in military ethics and centers decolonization in tech design. As this week’s host, she amplified underrepresented voices and drew out creative visions for tech-for-good solutions. Community Highlights 🔥 AI for Social Change AI’s most powerful promise, according to many, lies in equity and access : “AI can make a big difference by giving people easier access to mental health support, anytime, in their own language.”— Tandeep Sangra “Democratizing education… millions of kids can’t afford a tutor. Having an AI tutor at their fingertips can transform lives.”— Jedidah Karanja “The biggest opportunity is giving more people a voice—through better access to education, healthcare, or representation in data.”— Jenny Kay Pollock 🛠 Most-Used AI Tools (and Pro Tips) Whether for daily productivity or big-picture creativity, AI tools are transforming work for Women x AI members: “Perplexity has replaced 75% of my browser use. I only open a browser when I know the exact site.”— AdaPia d'Errico “ChatGPT Hack: I recently shared a demo on my feed of how to manage your memory settings in the model to give you more control of your data - choose what info you want the model to store in memory or to train the model.”— Jedidah Karanja “Claude helped me brainstorm ideas when I was stuck—it’s like chatting with a calm, super smart friend.”— Fleur Prince “Notion AI. Quick hack: I use it to auto-summarize meeting notes into action items before I even leave the room.”— Kate Carter 🕊 Tech-for-Good Dream Projects The dream projects shared were as bold as they were deeply personal: "Equal access, equal opportunity, equalized, economic access and prosperity," — AdaPia d'Errico “A voice-based system that detects hormonal shifts and flags early risks for women—especially those often dismissed in healthcare.”— Imen Maaroufi Clark "Robust, reliable, scalable cure for diseases once categorized as terminal." — Cynthia Respert ✈ Africa on Our Minds Community members shared the African countries capturing their imaginations—and hearts: “Morocco 🇲🇦 — for its mix of culture, colors, food, and the beauty of cities like Marrakech and Chefchaouen”— Tandeep Sangra “Kenya. There are so many beautiful places to visit - some I have visited, some I haven’t. Can’t wait to explore some more.”— Jedidah Karanja “Mozambique for its vibrant music scene (they speak Portuguese, so kinda Brazil in Africa I think thats amazing!!) its stunning coastline and cultural richness..”— Imen Maaroufi Clark “Ghana! I've never been, but recent trips, AI developments, and investments have intrigued me to experience it in real life beyond news, posts, and articles.”— Cynthia Respert A Global Leaders Shaping AI From tuning AI to better understand perimenopause to building platforms that reimagine education and democracy, the voices of this #WxAISocialSaturday remind us that women aren’t just users of AI—they’re architects of a fairer digital future. Call to Action 📣 Want your voice featured next time?Join us for #WxAISocialSaturday  every weekend. Answer our weekly prompts, tag a fellow woman in tech, and grow with a vibrant, supportive community at the cutting edge of ethical AI. Follow Women x AI on LinkedIn  and bring your ideas to the next global conversation.

Meta Description: The AI INFRA SUMMIT was an inspiring gathering of women leaders in AI, featuring insightful talks on AI infrastructure and community building. Read the highlights and quotes from the event! Reflecting on an Unforgettable AI INFRA SUMMIT AI INFRA SUMMIT brought together some of the most innovative minds in artificial intelligence to discuss the future of AI infrastructure. The energy at the conference was absolutely electric as the speakers shared their insights on how AI systems are being designed, challenged, and reimagined. Spotlight on Women in AI Leadership The day began on a high note with the Women’s Breakfast by WEKA —a powerful start to the summit. The event set the tone for a day of community building and insightful conversations. A special thanks goes to Lauren Vaccarello , Jessica Audette, CSA, CSSM , and Sonam Kanungo  for hosting an empowering and memorable gathering. One of the standout moments was Tonya J. Long sharing her vision on creating AI systems that integrate intelligence with wisdom. Her talk resonated deeply, highlighting the importance of ethical and purposeful AI development. As Tonya put it: "We’re not just building intelligent systems; we’re blending intelligence with wisdom to create lasting impact." These women—and many others present at the summit—are not just leaders; they are true architects of the intelligent economy. Seeing their dedication and passion in action was truly inspiring. Acknowledgments and Community Support A massive thank you to Bill Barry  and the entire IgniteGTM  team for their invaluable support and partnership with WOMEN x AI (WxAI) . The collaboration made the event possible and truly special. We also want to recognize the remarkable WxAI community members who attended, including Chelsea Chen , Serena Yu , Sarah Benson-Konforty, MD , Holly Uber , Sirisha Kaipa, Forum Doshi , Savita Kini , Tammy Capistrant , Sarv Naderzad, Joyce Li, CFA , Neha Srivastava , and Jess Ross, PhD .  It was truly uplifting to see such a strong presence from the community. Looking Ahead: Join the Next Ignite Event! If you missed the summit or want to be part of the next chapter, registration for speakers at the upcoming Ignite event is now open! Don’t miss the chance to make your voice heard— apply here . Wrapping Up with Gratitude Connecting with so many incredible leaders and community members reminded us of the powerful network WxAI has built. Let’s continue to support each other, share insights, and build the future of AI together!

By Nithya G Subramaniam , Senior Product Designer, Investor and Design Architect Image created with MetaAI We’re entering a new design era—one where the best experiences are invisible . There are no buttons, dropdowns, or onboarding tours. Instead: Your space dims as your breath slows. Your browser preloads what you were about to search. Your phone knows not to ping—you’re already overwhelmed. This is the age of anticipatory UX : powered by AI, driven by context, and shaped by empathy. It’s a design paradigm that challenges everything we’ve known about user interaction. And as women designing for AI, this is our moment to lead. 🔄 From Architecture to Anticipation: My AI Powered Design Philosophy Before I designed digital systems, I designed buildings. Architecture teaches you to think about light, flow, thresholds, and human behavior—without relying on screens or prompts. The spaces you remember are often the ones that never asked for your attention but still guided your actions . When I transitioned into product design, I brought that same mindset: Building workflows where AI recommends actions before users need them . Shaping tools that reduce friction by anticipating behavior, not reacting to it. This isn't about doing more. It’s about designing products that do more for you , quietly and intuitively. 🧠 What Is Invisible UX? Invisible UX is user experience that requires minimal to no visible interaction, relying on context, behavior, or environmental signals to deliver value. Here’s how it compares: Interface Type Example Design Shift Manual Classic UI: forms, buttons, checklists User triggers every action Predictive Tools like Arc Search, Raycast System preempts based on context or behavior Ambient Smart homes, gaze-tracking art, voice-first devices Environment responds to emotion, motion, or bio-signals Invisible UX doesn’t mean "no UI"—it means UI that dissolves, integrates, and supports without demanding attention. 👩‍💻 Why Women Belong at the Forefront Invisible UX is driven by empathy, intuition, and anticipation—not brute-force efficiency. These are qualities many women have honed across industries, often invisibly. This shift is a mirror to the soft skills we were told not to lead with: Reading the room Anticipating unspoken needs Sensing emotional context Invisible design is deeply human . And women who’ve lived between the lines, across roles and responsibilities, are already designing this way —we just haven’t named it until now. 🛠 A New Designer’s Toolkit To thrive in the invisible interface era, designers must expand beyond UI kits and component libraries. Skill Why It Matters System Thinking You’re not designing screens—you’re designing feedback loops Signal Sensitivity Interfaces now respond to gaze, breath, biometrics—not clicks AI Ethics & Consent With less visibility, the burden of transparency  shifts to us Architectural Awareness Digital spaces need invisible structure and flow 🔍 Final Thought: Disappear with Purpose We often talk about disappearing interfaces as a technical win. But there’s a risk. When design disappears, so can accountability. Who decides what’s intuitive?Who sets the defaults?Who benefits from your frictionless experience? As AI dissolves the interface, we must ensure it doesn’t dissolve user agency. That’s why representation in this space matters— especially women’s voices . Invisible interfaces are not about less design. They’re about better , more human-centered design that empowers without overwhelming. 🛍 Let’s Build the Future If you’re building AI-powered experiences that vanish into flow, I’d love to connect. Let’s make sure the next wave of design doesn’t just disappear—it delights. Want more about int intersection of Design and AI? Check out out post on Design Resources for the AI Era .

We’re excited to present Maricela Cerrato, VP of Strategic Partnerships at The Colby Group as this week’s AI Spotlight.  Let’s dive into our interview with Maricela and see how she is using AI. 1. Share your AI origin story I started working for Kurt Snyder and The Colby Group four years ago, and it was a pivotal moment in my career. Coming from Honduras, this remote opportunity with a dynamic global team allowed me to grow and expand my skills. While AI wasn’t on my radar at the time, the lessons I learned there laid the foundation for embracing new technologies to work smarter, not harder. I began in small tasks, gradually challenging myself to learn more about marketing and lead generation. As I progressed, I realized that to keep up with increasing demands, I needed to work more efficiently, AI was the solution. When I first joined, the work was intense, and as AI evolved, I saw how it could streamline tasks, reducing pressure and saving time. What once took hours of brainstorming, editing, and refining is now automated, allowing me to focus on creativity and strategy. However, AI isn’t a replacement for human work; it’s an enhancement. While AI brings efficiency, it’s the human touch, creativity, empathy, and insight—that truly makes a difference. AI helps me work faster and smarter, but it’s the personal connection that elevates the work. Launching LeadGen Insider was a highlight of my journey. AI streamlined tasks like content creation and subscriber segmentation, making operations smoother and more scalable. But even with AI, the human touch remains essential to success. 2. What three AI tools have been most game changing for you?  ChatGPT, HeyGen, Seamless.AI , Captions, Gemni, Canva AI tools, Leonardo AI, Apollo AI Power-ups and more. 3. If you were just starting your AI journey today where would you start?  First, I’d dive into AI tools that help with content generation. Next, I’d explore AI for organization, then I’d look into AI for video and design. Finally, I’d make sure to explore the AI ethics and limitations. Check out Design Resources for the AI Era by WOMEN x AI. 4. Share the spotlight: Name 3+ women leading in AI we should all follow.  Mira Murati - Founder at ThinkingMachines Labs Daniela Amodei - President at Anthropic Lila Ibrahim - COO at Google DeepMind 5. As a woman in AI, what do you want our allies to know?  As a woman in AI, I want our allies to know that diversity leads to better, more thoughtful innovation. Women bring unique perspectives that shape how we solve problems, collaborate, and design user-centered solutions. Allies play a powerful role in this space. By actively supporting inclusive environments, challenging biases, and amplifying women’s voices, they help ensure that everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.It ’s not just about inclusion, it’s about creating smarter, more balanced technology that reflects the world we live in. With strong allies, we can build a future in AI where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and thrive. Want to be the next in AI Spotlight? It’s a great opportunity to share your voice with our community! Fill out the WxAI AI Spotlight Nomination Form  for your chance to step into the AI Spotlight and to share your voice with the Women And AI community.

This past #WxAISocialSaturday was a vibrant celebration of global journeys, entrepreneurial dreams, and technological innovation, hosted by the incredible Rochi Cairo Presepi . Our Women x AI community came together to share their latest travels, favorite AI tools, and where they would invest $1M to support female-founded companies. The energy was contagious, filled with uplifting stories, fresh insights, and community-driven passion for shaping the future of AI. About the Host: Rochi Cairo Presepi Rochi Cairo Presepi embodies international leadership in AI and data innovation. Originally from Argentina, she has lived and worked across Brazil, Italy, and the United States. As a Senior Program Manager at INNOVIT – the Italian Innovation and Culture Hub in San Francisco – Rochi leads high-impact data and analytics initiatives. She also champions women in technology through mentorship and community leadership roles, including her work with The GenAI Collective. Recently completing her MBA at SDA Bocconi, Rochi's diverse experiences uniquely position her to foster cross-cultural innovation in AI. Community Highlights: Where We’re Traveling, Investing, and Innovating ✈ Last Trips that Inspired Us From Napa’s sun-drenched vineyards to Seattle’s rainy streets, our Women x AI community has been on the move. We've road-tripped across Arizona, wandered London’s cobblestone alleys, soaked up Grand Canyon sunsets, and even squeezed in some brainpower at an Epilepsy Awareness Expo. Whether hiking red rocks or sipping wine under the California sun, one thing’s clear: adventure fuels innovation — and we’re just getting started. ✈️✨ 💰 Investing in Female-Founded AI Futures Given $1M to invest, our members had no shortage of powerful female-led ventures they'd back: Malinda Johnson  ( Conversa AI – reducing bias in hiring) Dipti Bhide  ( LittleLit.AI – AI education for kids) Imen Maaroufi Clark  ( Prickly Pear Health – promoting brain health) Meg McWilliams  ( Gossip Goblin – AI-powered social connection) Melissa Wallace  ( Fierce Foundry – investing in femtech) Neha Goel  ( Darzy.ai – AI and sustainability in fashion) Pritika Mehta ( Butternut AI – Generative AI website builder) Miri Rodriguez ( Empressa AI  – AI networking platform for women entrepreneurs) Olivia Higgs (Stealth AI Project – building next-gen AI solutions) Ana Maiques ( Neuroelectrics – non-invasive brain health therapies) Melanie Perkins ( Canva – democratizing design for everyone) Reshma Saujani ( Moms First – championing working mothers through tech and policy) Kate Bradley Chernis ( Lately.AI – AI-driven social media content creation) Caren Cioffi ( Agenda Hero – smart calendar automation for professionals) "We’re lucky to have so many talented founders building cutting-edge AI in our community." — Jenny Kay Pollock 🛠 Favorite AI Tools in Our Workday When it came to AI tools, some favorites stood out: Perplexity AI  – for quick, cited research Claude  – a popular AI assistant ChatGPT  – still a daily companion for many Hero AI  and prodOps.ai  – for operational efficiency 🤖 Adoption of AI Agents AI agents are gaining traction, albeit slowly: Some are already building personal agents for tasks like job hunting. Others, like Dana Fos, are testing early-stage MVPs like Cloud IX. Many expressed excitement about future integration with tools like Google's Gemini 2.5. "I'm a complete control freak — no AI agent output goes live without my edit!" — Summer Poletti Uplifting the Global Women x AI Movement From celebrating innovative founders to embracing AI tools that transform our work, the spirit of this weekend’s conversation was clear: women are not just participating in the future of AI – we are building it. Rochi’s leadership reminded us that crossing borders, industries, and cultures only makes our impact stronger. 🌟 Join us next weekend for #WxAISocialSaturday! Learn more about Social Saturday and how to participate: What is #WxAISocialSaturday? Community, Questions, and WOMEN x AI . Share your latest projects, celebrate your wins, and lift up other women innovators around the world. Let's keep the conversation – and the movement – growing!

Designing the Future: AI, Prompts, and Powerhouse Women in Tech This week’s #WxAISocialSaturday was hosted by Vyomika Parikh , a San Francisco–based AI Interface and Product Designer who’s leading the charge in chat and voice AI experiences at Habit Coach AI. Our community gathered to talk films that inspired our tech journeys, the women who light the path in AI, and the AI skills we’ve struggled with—but ultimately mastered. Vyomika kicked things off with three simple prompts: 🍿 What's a tech-related movie or show that left a mark? 💥 Who is a woman in AI you admire? 📝 What AI skill have you conquered after a steep learning curve? Meet the Host: Vyomika Parikh Vyomika blends visual storytelling with human-centered design, drawing from her background in agency work, product design, and even game creation—her concentration-boosting board game sold out on Amazon in under a month. Today, she builds tools that empower people to change behavior through conversational AI, making tech more usable, accessible, and emotionally intelligent. 📽️ AI in Pop Culture: More Than Just Entertainment From Ex Machina  to Sight: Extended , community members shared the shows that shaped their understanding of AI: “Coded Bias is a must-watch. Dr. Joy Buolamwini’s work is foundational in understanding algorithmic bias,”  said Holly Uber. “The Net was the first time I saw a woman lead in tech on screen,”  shared Tara M. Batemon. Dipti Bhide recommended WeCrashed  as a cautionary tale about startup culture— “So many lessons packed in, and the cast was incredible.” Each recommendation became a mirror, revealing how media shapes our collective curiosity—and caution—around AI. 👩🏽‍💻 Women We Admire: Celebrating AI Trailblazers This Social Saturday turned into a tribute to women leaders who are redefining AI: “Mai ElFouly and Natasha Burnette cast a deep, soulful light on the inner workings of AI,”  noted Tara. “Sara Davison is teaching women to build with AI agents and even offered scholarships—such impact!” “N. Liberty White and her work with She Learns AI is a game-changer,”  said Reut Lazo. Mira Murati, Dr. Joy Buolamwini, and Aprelle Duany were just a few more names raised by the community as guiding lights in a field that still needs more female representation. 🛠️ Prompt Engineering, Visual Generation & Custom GPTs: The Skill Gains Are Real What started as casual experiments—like prompting ChatGPT to write poems about pets—has evolved into a wave of confidence in AI tooling across the Women x AI community. This weekend, many members reflected on how they moved from AI novices to creators, builders, and problem-solvers through hands-on learning. 🔧 Prompt Engineering: From “I didn’t know what to type”  to “Now I teach clients how to prompt” , the leap in skill was clear. Community members like Tara M. Batemon  and Vyomika Parikh  shared how mastering prompts unlocked everything from better content to smarter workflows. “Prompt engineering was a challenge for me when I first started, but now... I’m a pro!”  – Tara M. Batemon “Be specific and use examples—that’s what took my prompts to the next level.”  – Vyomika Parikh 🎨 AI Image & Video Generation: Several participants noted major growth in generative visual tools. Holly Uber  discussed the challenges of AI video, noting tools like Runway  as promising but still complex. 🤖 Custom GPTs: For those diving deeper, custom GPT creation emerged as a new frontier. Summer Poletti  shared that she now creates and backs up custom GPTs across platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini—remarkable for someone with a sales background. “I used to be underwhelmed by GPTs. Now I make them for clients.” – Summer Poletti Everyone agreed: the pace of AI is fast—“What we learn today is redundant tomorrow,” stated Sirisha Kaipa. But in the swirl of constant change, the WxAI community is a steady source of support and insight. Across the board, one theme emerged: AI skills are learned through experimentation, community, and curiosity. And everyone—from non-coders to product leaders—is finding their groove. 💬 Learning in Community: What Social Saturday Is All About As the thread grew, so did our list of takeaways. Shoutouts were flying, friendships were forming, and everyone agreed: learning AI together makes the journey more powerful and less intimidating. Join Us Next Week If this sparked something in you, come be part of the conversation next Saturday. Share your story, drop your favorite AI meme, or just vibe with others passionate about building a more inclusive AI future. Curious how WOMEN x AI's Social Saturday works? Check out this post outlining how it #WxAISocialSaturday works and how you can participate. 🗓️ Don’t miss next weekend’s #WxAISocialSaturday!

AI isn’t just a tool—it’s your most underrated strategic partner. Too often, founders and leaders treat AI as a utility for automation or content generation, missing its true power: high-leverage collaboration across every layer of strategy. Whether you're scanning the market for a space to enter, brainstorming your next product breakthrough, or crafting an investor pitch, AI can challenge assumptions, uncover patterns, and push your thinking further, faster. This post breaks down how to use AI not just as support, but as a co-pilot in making smarter, bolder business moves. 🔍 1. Market & Competitive Intelligence “Summarize the competitive landscape for [industry/product] and identify white space opportunities.” “What trends should a company in [sector] monitor over the next 12–24 months?” 🧠 2. Brainstorming & Innovation “Generate 10 product or feature ideas that solve [specific user problem] in [industry].” “What are unconventional strategies used by startups in [space] to acquire users?” 📈 3. Strategic Planning “Help me build a 6-month strategic roadmap for launching [product/service] to [audience].” “Outline key success metrics for [objective], and how to measure them using AI.” 📊 4. Decision Support “List pros and cons of entering [market/region] as a [startup/enterprise].” “Compare potential growth strategies: organic growth vs partnerships vs M&A.” 📣 5. Messaging & Positioning “Create 3 positioning statements for [product/brand] targeting [audience].” “Write a pitch deck narrative that speaks to investors interested in [theme, e.g., women-led AI startups].” 🚀 6. Go-To-Market & Growth “Design a go-to-market plan for [product] with low budget and high impact.” “What AI tools or platforms can accelerate growth for a [type of startup]?” 🤖 7. AI Collaboration Itself “Act as my strategic advisor—what blind spots might I be missing in this plan?” “How can I set up an effective workflow to co-create with AI on content, analysis, and ideation?” The future belongs to those who don’t just use AI—but collaborate with it. From market intelligence to go-to-market execution, the real edge comes when you let AI in at the strategy table. As you build, grow, or pivot, start treating AI as your advisor, not just your assistant. The prompts above are your launchpad. Now, it’s time to explore how far this partnership can take you. Want more on collaborating with AI? Check out our post, " Women x AI Workshop Recap | AI as Your Creative Partner: Unlocking New Possibilities in Design. "

Image Created with Meta AI At the Alley 2 Valley Summit in Palo Alto, WOMEN x AI delivered an energizing workshop that brought AI-first thinking into the spotlight—highlighting how women can harness generative AI to build, scale, and design businesses with creativity and confidence. The session guided participants through practical ways to integrate AI into business ideation, brand development, and digital content—all with a focus on human-AI collaboration. The hands on workshop illuminated a future where women don’t just use AI—they shape it. Check out what we covered: About WOMEN x AI WOMEN x AI (WxAI) is a global movement dedicated to celebrating and empowering women in the evolving world of artificial intelligence. Through community-driven events, learning resources, and strategic programming, WxAI creates space for women to lead and innovate at the intersection of creativity and computation. WxAI's Outlook on AI & Human Collaboration By blending  human intuition with AI’s analytical power,  by merging inspiration with computation,  we unlock creative horizons  that neither could reach alone. AI-First Businesses: A New Model of for Building The core theme of the presentation was the rise of the AI-First Business—a model that invites founders to imagine AI not just as a tool, but as the first "go to" resource for everything. The session introduced strategies for both creative and strategic collaboration with AI, showing how business leaders can prototype ideas, test markets, and generate visual and written assets using today’s AI platforms. Participants explored: How to use prompts like: “Generate 10 product ideas that solve [specific user problem] in [industry].” “Act as my strategic advisor—what blind spots might I be missing?” Real examples from tools like Claude, SlidesAI, Gamma, and Butternut.ai to bring ideas like to life in minutes. Strategic Prompting for Women in Tech Throughout the session, the WOMEN x AI co-founder, Jenny Kay Pollock shared strategic prompts tailored for female founders, content creators, and leaders. Strategic Prompts Included: “Help me build a 6-month strategic roadmap for launching [product/service] to [audience].” “Create 3 positioning statements for [product/brand] targeting [audience].” “Design a go-to-market plan for [product] with low budget and high impact.” These AI-augmented thought exercises provided attendees with practical ways to tackle uncertainty, expand their vision, and scale their efforts—without burning out. Check out our full list of strategic prompts, " Not Just a Tool—AI Is Your Most Underrated Strategy Partner ." When to Go Deep: Using AI for Strategic Research While rapid ideation is a superpower of AI, deep research is where its full strategic potential shines—especially for founders and creators navigating complex markets. In the workshop it was demonstrated how AI can surface actionable insights in minutes, not months. Using AI tools trained for synthesis and summarization (like Perplexity or ChatGPT), attendees saw prompt examples that pulled data from dozens of sources, uncovering trends, gaps, and opportunities in record time. The example was a promoting asking how to improve SEO for the WOMEN x AI website. “AI Collaboration Research | Completed in 10 minutes · 22 sources · 172 searches. This kind of high-efficiency research is ideal when: Validating a business idea or product direction Understanding shifting user behavior across demographics Preparing for investor pitches or board meetings Exploring underserved niches where innovation is needed most Rather than replacing traditional research, these tools accelerate the first 80%, giving women in AI the head start they need to lead confidently and pivot quickly. The message was clear: strategic research isn’t just for analysts anymore—it’s for all of us. Meet PlantPal: From Prompt to Prototype To make the process tangible, attendees were introduced to PlantPal, a fictional AI-powered app built plant lovers to help them take care of their plants. Using a step-by-step prompt-a-long method, participants generated: A brand logo via AI design tools Brandcrowd Looka Canva Design.com Prompt Your Way to a Functional Website Butternut.ai  – AI website builder for startups and small businesses Bolt  – Another AI website builder for fast prototyping Wix  – Drag-and-drop website builder with AI capabilities GoDaddy Website Builder  – AI-enhanced site creation Generate a professional slide deck Slidesgo  – Generate professional slide decks from written content Gamma  – Create visually compelling presentations powered by AI Saw examples of visual storytelling assets, including a timelapse video prompt capturing the serene beauty of a Monstera leaf unfolding Sora - OpenAI's video prompting tool (paid tool) Runway - Creating video from a reference image (paid tool, with minimal free prompts) This hands-on approach demonstrated how AI can dramatically speed up early-stage ideation and storytelling, giving creators more space to focus on vision and values. For more on video prompting check out our guide Revolutionize Your Content Game: A Beginner’s Guide to AI Video Prompting . Empowering the Next Wave of Women in AI By blending human intuition with AI’s analytical power, WOMEN x AI champions a future where innovation is more inclusive, creative, and accelerated. If you're looking for a community of women and allies to learn AI with join our WxAI Membership (it's free!) . As the WOMEN x AI community continues to grow, so does our capacity to create meaningful, equitable change in tech—together. ✨ Want to build your own AI-first brand or learn how to use prompting for creative growth? Join us for the next #WxAISocialSaturday—where women around the world connect for an asynchronous discussion on LinkedIn. Full details on how to participate on our What is WxAI Social Saturday? post. Let’s build this future together.

We’re excited to present Dana Fos, CTO at Cloud IX as this week’s AI Spotlight.  Let’s dive into our interview with Dana and see how she is using AI. 1. Share your AI origin story I actually started back when everything was just machine learning, but called AI. It was during an on-call shift where I was starting at screen after screen of monitoring graphs, eyes getting blurred and never quite sure if that blip I saw was the beginning of an incident or just a giant data package.  I started playing with some ideas I picked up from a workshop on AI / ML (Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning) earlier that week at the Amazon campus. By 2am, I had finished my first simple script in python and had it monitoring those graphs for me. On-call shifts became dramatically less stressful after that and allowed us to get sleep. That script is still running in Nordstrom on that group of services, edited and upgraded a lot since then, but it's still running.   2. What three AI tools have been most game changing for you?  ChatGPT, which was my first experience as a user. ProdOps.ai , which helps me manage the product aspect of things for Cloud IX. GitHub, co-pilot, saves so much time in code review. 3. If you were just starting your AI journey today where would you start?  I would start as a user to get familiar with the eb and flow. The way the responses will bend to meet you where you are is something that takes a bit to get used to and really understand. It helps to forge the way you prompt.   4. Share the spotlight: Name 3+ women leading in AI we should all follow.  Fei-Fei Li, Co-Director of the Stanford Human-Centered AI Institute and a pioneer in computer vision. Timnit Gebru, Founder of the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) and a leading voice on ethical AI, bias, and fairness in machine learning. Cynthia Breazeal, Professor at MIT and pioneer in social robotics, known for her work on human-AI interaction and personal robotics. The voices helping to shape the ethics are extremely important right now while things are still so malleable. 5. As a woman in AI, what do you want our allies to know?  Being an ally is not a passive sport, it requires action in the form of calling out biases.  Advocating when women are not in the room and most of all, listening to understand rather than to respond.  Want to be the next in AI Spotlight? It’s a great opportunity to share your voice with our community! Fill out the WxAI AI Spotlight Nomination Form  for your chance to step into the AI Spotlight and to share your voice with the Women And AI community.  Want to be the next in AI Spotlight? It’s a great opportunity to share your voice with our community! Fill out the WxAI AI Spotlight Nomination Form  for your chance to step into the AI Spotlight and to share your voice with the Women And AI community.

Written by Arvita Tripati originally published on Arvita's Substack on Apr 23, 2025 Generated with Meta AI The leaks of prompt instructions for agentic AI tools like Devin, Cursor, and Windsurf weren’t just amusing easter eggs for prompt engineers. They were strategic documents in disguise, with user-facing product decisions encoded in interface constraints. But to interpret them properly, we need to move beyond the shallow reading of prompts as architecture. We need to read them the way a product leader reads a roadmap: not just for what’s written, but for what it tells us about the business model, customer segmentation, adoption curve, and market bets. This piece unpacks what’s genuinely novel or counterintuitive in these prompts, identifies where the next generation will focus, and shows how these decisions reflect deeper strategic choices, even for companies that aren’t building coding assistants. Let’s Ground Ourselves in What These Prompts Are Prompts like the ones leaked aren’t source code. They’re not APIs. They’re closer to UX scaffolding, some might call them “intent expression design.” Think of them like a restaurant menu. They tell the agent what to prioritize and how to behave with users. But they don’t reveal how the kitchen is organized, how the ingredients are sourced, or what economic model keeps the restaurant alive. So instead of treating them like backend specs, we’ll analyze them like roadmaps. Specifically: What user problems do they reflect? What tradeoffs do they make for adoption? What business and monetization models do they imply? What GTM strategies and organizational frictions do they quietly anticipate? What’s Actually Counterintuitive or Strategic in These AI Prompts Let’s separate the merely tidy from the truly revealing. Many choices that seem technical are in fact deeply product-driven. What the Next Generation of Prompts Will Add (and Why It Matters) Segmentation-aware Behavior Future prompts will explicitly distinguish between user types (novice vs expert, designer vs developer, PM vs engineer). This aligns with SaaS playbooks: don’t build one tool for everyone. Build adjustable scaffolding around distinct value metrics. Pricing and Prioritization Cues Expect prompts to embed cost-awareness by function class: e.g., "prefer local compute" or "avoid long web sessions unless user confirms." This is not just technical, it shapes freemium thresholds, overage models, and enterprise upgrade paths. Fine-Grained Trust Controls Prompts will segment actions into trusted vs untrusted contexts. Think of it like admin vs guest mode, or sandbox vs production. This is critical for compliance-sensitive orgs and differentiates high-trust vs casual usage. Adoption Playbooks Encoded as Behaviors Prompts will guide the agent to scaffold user habits. E.g., "if user has not used X feature after Y interactions, suggest tutorial." In other words, growth loops won’t just live in dashboards, they’ll be enacted by the agent. Revenue Model Alignment Agents may explicitly prioritize actions tied to monetization: “prioritize features under Pro tier,” “defer time-intensive tasks to paid tiers.” This is not dark patterning, it’s alignment. The same way sales reps prioritize enterprise leads, agents will learn to steer usage responsibly. If You're Not Building Coding Agents, Why Should You Care? Because the prompt is a stand-in for something every product leader deals with: Intent modeling Trust boundaries Onboarding and scaffolding Cost awareness Role-based access and experience tailoring All of these exist whether you’re building AI-first or not. The leaked prompts just expose the new grammar of those choices. Here’s how to map them to your own roadmap, even outside AI: The Strategic Questions Product Leaders Should Be Asking If you’re incorporating agentic functionality (or even just watching the space), start here: Which segment is this really for? How will their needs change over time? What behavior should the agent scaffold in week 1 vs week 5? Where does cost show up invisibly and how do we steer around it? What trust failure modes are dealbreakers for adoption? What jobs-to-be-done does this agent displace and how costly is that switch? How do we align incentives between agent behavior and business model? Final Take These prompts are not secrets. They’re mirrors. They reflect the quiet UX, pricing, and go-to-market decisions shaping the agentic era. If you squint, you can already see the product strategy behind them. Most AI commentary stops at "what's technically impressive" or "what's new in UX." Product leadership requires going further: Is it differentiated? Is it adoptable? Is it worth paying for? Don’t just read the prompt like a command. Read it like a contract between user, business, and system. That’s where the real roadmap begins. Curious to learn more about prompting? Check out our guide Revolutionize Your Content Game: A Beginner’s Guide to AI Video Prompting .