I am on a mission to humanize technology before it dehumanizes us.

I am an AI scientist, turned entrepreneur / CEO and now AI investor and thought leader. I believe AI should be in service of humanity, helping us be healthier, happier, more productive and connected, enhancing what it means to be human in the age of AI.

I invest in diverse teams who are building ethical and human-centric AI. I am passionate about AI that is at the intersection of health & wellness, productivity (the virtual human economy), sustainable living (food, climate & energy) and ethics. I call this “wholesome AI”. When something is wholesome, it is good for our health and well-being. It is good for the environment and our planet. It is trustworthy and ethical. And it is beautiful in its diversity and inclusivity. “The best way to predict the future is to create it” - I am on a mission to create this world of wholesome AI.

I’ve had a bit of an unusual journey (see my book "Girl Decoded", Penguin Random House, 2020). I grew up in Egypt / the Middle East, did my PhD in machine learning and computer vision at Cambridge University then my postdoc at MIT. In 2009, I co-founded Affectiva out of MIT Media Lab and raised $50M+ in venture funding. We pioneered the technology category of artificial emotional intelligence (Emotion AI). In 2021, Affectiva was acquired by Smart Eye.

I am now an investor in early-stage AI startups. In 2021, I co-founded AI Operators Fund, a pre-seed AI fund, and invested in 40 startups across the AI stack. I’m also an angel investor and a venture / AI partner at several funds.

As one of few women in AI, I am an advocate for diversity in AI. In 2023, companies founded solely by women garnered just 2% of VC funding. In the US only 11% of VCs are women. We need more women in AI founders and investors. I am also passionate about the ethical development and deployment of AI.

I am a Trustee at the Boston Museum of Science, at Milton Academy as well as the American University in Cairo. I am a 2023 Eisenhower Fellow and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. I am also a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) where I launched and am currently Chapter Chair of YPO Boston and serve on the YPO Northeast Regional Board. I co-chaired YPO’s first-ever AI Summit and am co-chair of the Fortune Brainstorm AI conferences. A TED speaker and co-host of a PBS NOVA series on AI, I have been recognized on Fortune’s 40 Under 40, Forbes' Top 50 Women in Tech and recently in Boston Globe’s Top 50 Tech Power Players.