In this episode, we catch up with Sophia Velastegui, former Chief AI Officer at Microsoft and a Fortune 100 Executive who has worked with companies like Google and Apple.

Sophia was named “The Most Powerful Female Engineer” by Business Insider. Additionally, her roles as Co-chair at the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council and as a board director at BlackLine, Inc. (NASDAQ: BL) highlight her engagement in shaping transformative initiatives through strong business fundamentals.

Sophia talks about her journey through major tech companies, her passion for AI, and the cultural transformation at Microsoft. She shares her insights on the challenges of AI development, the future of AI with multimodal innovations, and the differences in the European tech ecosystem compared to the US. Sophia also touches on the importance of women in tech, balancing career and family life, the value of curiosity in leadership, and much more.

Video version of episode 94:

Audio version of episode 94:

Key takeaways: 

• Transforming Microsoft involved both technical and cultural shifts towards AI.
• The future of AI lies in multimodal innovations that integrate various data types.
• The European tech ecosystem’s biggest challenges are regulatory fragmentation and investment size.
• Gen Z women are becoming the most tech-savvy group of people.
• Curiosity and intentionality are key to long-term career success.
• Leaders should foster a customer-centric culture by leading by example.

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