American Society for AI (ASFAI) is a non-profit organization as the premier organization for Artificial Intelligence.
Our mission is to create a better world with AI.
We turn this vision into reality by bringing together top minds in a private, curated, and collaborative setting that provides leaders access to other influential leaders; and the knowledge to equip them to advance their own missions.
Chairman, American Society for AI
Paritosh Ambekar is a Senior Director at C3.AI and leads their healthcare business focused on hospitals, health insurance and pharma industries.
Before C3.AI, he spent 17+ years as an executive in the healthcare and life sciences industry, particularly in the field of oncology, cardiology, medical robotics, orthopedics, medical AR/VR, and minimally invasive surgeries.
Trained as a rocket scientist, Paritosh earned his PhD in Engineering from Stanford University and Masters in Management from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Vice Chairman, American Society for AI
Aaron Poynton is a businessman, entrepreneur, and consultant. He’s the CEO of Omnipoynt Solutions, a 4IR-technology strategy and business development consulting firm in the aerospace & defense, national security, and health & safety markets.
Aaron is also Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of A3 Global, focused on the future of mobility in the circular economy. He holds four advanced degrees and studied business, law, and political science at Duke, Harvard, and London School of Economics.
President, American Society for AI
Rei Llazani is the Co-founder and CEO of 50Pros, a brokerage platform connecting Fortune 500 companies with professional-services agencies and firms.
He is also a world-recognized private art broker as the President of MadeMay, known for high-end sculpture commissions.
Rei leads AI-related and national policy initiatives.
Global Ambassador, American Society for AI
Terry Virts is a former NASA astronaut and Commander of the International Space Station. He is an executive coach and has worked on several TV and film projects, and has authored several books. Terry is a guest lecturer at Harvard Business School and the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Terry Virts is the Global Ambassador of the American Society for Artificial Intelligence is responsible for fostering international partnerships, working with partner countries and organizations to promote the Society's mission, and representing the Society in global discussions on AI innovation and policy.
Paul Daugherty is the Fmr. Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Accenture.
He helped lay the groundwork for Accenture’s $3 billion investment in its Data & AI practice to help clients rapidly and responsibly advance and use AI, including Generative AI, to achieve greater growth, efficiency and resilience. Paul joined Accenture in 1986. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering from the University of Michigan.
Miguel Paredes is a Venture Partner at Silicon Foundry and an AI Fund Fellow at AI Fund, backed by NEA, Sequoia, and Greylock. He has a PhD in Applied AI from MIT, where he did two Masters and did his PhD research in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL), working on causality and prediction models.
Miguel advises startup founders on the potential of AI and Data in their companies.
Lena Smart is the Chief Information Security Officer at MongoDB, the leading database platform provider, and leads the global security strategy and operations.
She has 30+ years of experience in technology and cyber security, spanning various industries and sectors, including finance, energy, and government; and was recognized as CIO of the Year by Public Utilities Fortnightly.
Will Hatcher is an AI music producer, creative futurist, storyteller, and comedian. His productions have amassed tens of millions of views across social media. He is the creator of the viral hit "BBL Drizzy" and has worked with Drake and Will Smith. He sits on the Advisory Board at SXSW, best known for its conferences and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. He is an inductee of the Time's Magazine 2024 "100 Most Influential People in AI".
Sanjay Ranka is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Computer Information Science and Engineering at University of Florida. He is the former CTO of Paramark.
His work has received over 15,000 citations. Sanjya's research is the development of efficient computational methods and data analysis techniques to model scientific phenomena, and practical applications of focus are improvements to the quality of healthcare and the reduction of traffic accidents.
Fellow, IEEE, AAAS and AAIA
Michael Carey is a partner at F. Chau & Associates, focusing on patenting AI inventions. He has also developed systems to streamline patent preparation using AI.
Michael served in the USAF, achieving the rank of Major. He served multiple combat deployments as a C-130 pilot, and also served as a Judge advocate.
BS in Mathematics from BYU, an MS in Physics from NC State, and a JD from Harvard.
Manuj Aggarwal is the Chief Innovation Officer at TetraNoodle. With a remarkable track record of driving transformative change, Manuj has touched over 10 million lives and generated over $500M for clients. He has worked with the United Nations alongside distinguished figures like the Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize winners, while President Obama and Bill Gates have recognized his work.
James Todaro is a managing partner for Greymatter Capital, an investment fund focused on digital currencies and artificial intelligence. He’s successfully invested in bitcoin, ethereum and other cryptocurrencies since 2014.
Prior to transitioning into fintech, Dr. Todaro earned his medical degree from Columbia University in New York followed by completion of ophthalmology residency.
Elizabeth (Liz) Ngonzi is the CEO at the International Social Impact Institute. Liz leads initiatives that revolutionize how organizations leverage AI for social good. An award-winning Adjunct Assistant Professor at NYU's Center for Global Affairs, she pioneers courses on AI and digital storytelling.
Liz serves on the Cornell University Council, the President's Council of Cornell Women, and the Board of Directors of The Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, where she leads AI initiatives to enhance educational accessibility and stakeholder engagement globally. She has degrees from Syracuse and Cornell.
Matthew Guggemos is the Co-founder and CTO at iTherapy. A drummer, speech-language pathologist, and autism specialist, he combines his expertise in music, communication, and technology to create impactful tools for education and healthcare. Matthew has developed AI-driven chatbots for Autism Digest, EASI-AS, and iTherapy, enhancing user engagement and accessibility. He also played a critical role in engineering the Evaluative Artificial Speech Intelligence Autism Screener (EASI-AS), contributing to its tech stack, coding frameworks, and prompt engineering.
Matthew collaborates with Microsoft, SNAP, Epic Games, and LEGO and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Mensa Foundation.
Saxon Knight is a cybersecurity and risk mitigation expert with extensive experience in AI, Technology, Finance, and Consulting. Saxon has served as the Director of Risk Intelligence for Meta, the Director of Threat Prevention & Defense for LinkedIn, and Vice President for the Risk & Financial Advisory Practice at Deloitte.
She is a speaker and board member, and is the Founder of House of Saxons, an organization dedicated to empowering trafficking survivors through education in essential and marketable business and life skills.
Ed Addison is Chairman of Cloud Pharmaceuticals. He is a tech advisor to Quantum Venture Management, an evergreen venture fund. With 30+ years of experience, Ed is on board of a number of companies deploying novel technologies in life sciences; including Valor Diagnostics, Drug Logic, Parallel Profile, PolarisQB, and Quantum Cures Foundation.
He is an adjunct professor and an established entrepreneur of disruptive ventures.
Ed has three degrees in engineering (with a focus in bioinformatics and AI), an MBA, and a law degree.