New York’s AI scene is thriving – no surprise there.

With women increasingly dominating the AI landscape in New York, the tech industry is experiencing a dynamic shift. Not only does this trend foster greater gender diversity, but it also brings forth numerous benefits, just to highlight a few:

– Diverse Perspectives: With more women at the helm of AI companies, there’s a broader range of perspectives and experiences influencing decision-making processes. This diversity often leads to more innovative solutions and products.

– Inclusive Work Culture: The rise of female leaders in AI fosters a more inclusive work culture where all voices are heard and valued. This inclusive environment enhances employee morale, productivity, and retention rates.

– Economic Growth: Empowering women in AI drives economic growth by tapping into a previously underutilised talent pool. As more women enter the industry and excel in leadership roles, it contributes to the overall expansion and success of the tech sector.

It’s not just about gender parity; it’s about leveraging the full potential of our society’s talent pool.

The significance of this transformation cannot be overstated, so let’s dive right into it and take a look at 5 inspiring founders:

Sarah Nagy

Co-founder/CEO @ Seek AI

Sarah heads a startup with a bold belief that natural language processing will fundamentally alter the way individuals engage with data.

Prior to launching Seek, she led quantitative efforts at Predata and Edison, both of which were acquired by unicorns (FiscalNote and YipitData, respectively). Originally specialising in astrophysics at UCLA, Sarah transitioned to a career as a quant on Wall Street. She pursued further academic achievements, completing a Master’s degree in Finance at Princeton. With a wealth of experience, Sarah honed her skills as a quant for several years at ITG, focusing on constructing trading execution algorithms. Subsequently, she held positions at Predata and Edison, before assuming leadership of the consumer data team at Citadel’s Ashler Capital.

Nami Baral

Founder & CEO @ Niural

Niural is a cutting-edge AI-driven global payments and compliance platform. Niural empowers businesses to effortlessly manage their entire workforce in one centralised platform. From comprehensive US payroll to contractor management and Employer of Record (EOR) services spanning over 150 countries, Niural offers an all-in-one solution tailored to business needs.

Prior to Niural, Nami made her mark in the tech industry by founding the original AI SuperAgent in consumer fintech. This venture culminated in a successful exit to Acorns in 2021. At AI SuperAgent, Nami spearheaded the development of custom Language Learning Models (LLMs) to train a chatbot that assisted Americans in debt reduction and creditworthiness enhancement, well before the advent of ChatGPT. Her pioneering work garnered support from prestigious investors including Kleiner Perkins, Lakehouse VC, and notable founders and executives from companies such as Warby Parker, Acorns, and Flatiron Health.

Before venturing into entrepreneurship, Nami honed her skills during a six-year tenure at Twitter, where she served as Head of Product Partnerships, contributing significantly to the company’s growth and innovation.

Laura Kornhauser

CEO and co-founder @ Stratyfy

Laura’s company is recognised as a leading innovator in the finance industry. Stratyfy specialises in assisting banks and insurers in making informed risk-based decisions. Through its innovative products, Stratyfy enables companies to merge their institutional knowledge with robust data tools. Notably, Stratyfy has pioneered a method to identify and alleviate bias within its customers’ decision systems, a feat that previous advanced approaches have struggled to accomplish effectively.

In addition to her role at Stratyfy, Laura contributes her expertise to the Community of FinTech experts, offering unique perspectives and insights on the latest developments in FinTech through Empire Startups. Prior to her current position, Laura worked over 12 years at JP Morgan, where she held various roles, including three years as Vice President and over two years as Executive Director. She is 2x NYC FinTech Women Inspiring FinTech Females Awardee and  BAI Global Innovation Rising Star Award Winner.

Mary Kopczynski

CEO & Founder @ RegAlytics

Mary is a three-time founder and regulatory expert and is the CEO of a leading groundbreaking initiative in regulation and technology. Leveraging advanced AI, RegAlytics curates millions of alerts from global governing bodies, empowering technology firms to enhance business responsiveness.

Mary is also the founder of Women in RegTech New York, fostering networking and innovation among women in the RegTech sector. Additionally, she is a founding member of the International RegTech Association (IRTA).

Previously, Mary co-founded 8of9, a New York-based regulatory crisis management firm, which successfully implemented post-financial crisis regulatory changes. After selling 8of9’s operations to Prospect 33 in 2021, Mary and her team redirected their focus to RegAlytics. Mary’s achievements include being named the 2023 RegTech Professional of the Year by A-Team and receiving the FinTech Inspiring Founder Award from Women in FinTech.

Sivan Tehil

CEO @ Onyxia Cyber

Sivan is a seasoned Cybersecurity expert and Entrepreneur, boasting over 15 years of extensive experience in the industry. During a distinguished ten-year career within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Sivan held various crucial roles, including Intelligence Officer, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the Research and Analysis Division, and Head of the Information Security Department of the Intelligence Corps.

Before establishing Onyxia, Sivan served as the Director of Solution Architecture at Perimeter 81. Additionally, she held the position of Program Director and cybersecurity professor for the Cybersecurity Masters program at Katz School of Science and Health, Yeshiva University. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Sivan was honoured as one of the “10 Most Eminent Women in Security” by CIOlook Magazine in 2021. She further solidified her reputation by receiving the ISACA Outstanding Academic Advisor Award in 2022 and being named an “Inspiring Female Founder” by NYC FinTech Women in 2023. Notably, she was also recognised as a top “Women in Business” by the Globee Awards in the same year.

Sivan actively engages in promoting women in Cybersecurity, evidenced by her founding of Cyber Ladies NYC and the development of a unique cybersecurity program for Manhattan High School girls. She conducts technical and educational workshops in Cybersecurity, serves as a keynote speaker at conferences worldwide, and contributes her expertise to information and cybersecurity magazines.