Despite record investment in artificial intelligence, the gender gap in AI remains staggering. Women make up less than 22% of AI and ML professionals globally (World Economic Forum, 2024) and hold under 15% of technical leadership roles in the field. Only 3% of angel investors in regions like the Pacific Northwest are women, so the earliest capital shaping AI’s future is overwhelmingly male. This session for leaders and managers explores why this workforce imbalance matters and how it’s holding back innovation both across the tech ecosystem and within individual organizations. First, Lana...
Lana Zumbrunn
Founder
LevelUp Economy
Lana Zumbrunn is a technical leader, AI solutions builder, and fullstack dev with over ten years leading global projects, ranging from AI workflow optimization to AI adoption, and GTM strategies to data analysis. Lana is co-founder of LevelUp Economy and has worked with over 200 founders and organizations worldwide. She has led and delivered technical programs across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the United States. Lana is also the Founder of Rooftop Global, a learning community empowering women in emerging tech and investing. She has spoken at conferences including SXSW, the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, Section School, and is passionate about making emerging technology accessible to diverse talent. Lana is currently training for her tenth full marathon and loves traveling with her family.