Empowering women with
AI skills, career access,
and opportunities
to lead the future
of technology.

ElevateHER
AI FALL Summit

Oct. 16^th 2026

4 PM - 9 PM

Join us at ElevateHER Fall Summit 2026 to explore how AI Innovation is reinventing Education – in person event!

Join ElevateHer for a curated showcase bringing together innovative small businesses, women founders, entrepreneurs, education leaders, workforce organizations, and technology leaders.

Meet our speakers and request a short 1:1 conversation at the summit

For more details

470 991 6774

info@elevatehernetwork.org

Scan to Register

Agenda

04:00 – 04:30 PM
Registration & Networking

4:30 – 4:45 PM
Welcome & Opening Remarks :: Emcee: Vandana G. Bharadwaz

4:45 – 5:30 PM
Leadership Panel: Corporate to Education: Career Pathways for Leaders
Moderator: Neha Negandhi. Panelists: Dr. Cayanna Good, Dr. Shatrela Washington-Hubbard, Dr. Beverly Wright, Dr. Sweta Sneha

5:45 – 6:00 PM
ElevateHER Introduction :: Preeti Tanwar, Founder & CEO

6:00 – 6:15 PM
Fireside Chat: Cybersecurity & Governance :: Brian Benn, in conversation with Victoria Galloway

6:15 – 7:15 PM
AI Show & Tell :: Preeti Tanwar (AI for Student Success), Paige Bradbury (Executive AI Measurement Scorecard), Elizabeth Kealoha (AI for Filmmaking), Linia White (AI in Art & Visual Storytelling). Advisor: Brian Benn

7:15 – 7:30 PM
Community Spotlight :: Dr. Rajiv Garg

7:40 – 8:10 PM
Braindate Conversations (4 tables)
Sari to Story: AI for Sustainability • Meet the Mentors: AI | Cybersecurity • SMB Spotlight: Education Meets Innovation • Go-to-Market Strategy & Fundraising

8:10–9:00 PM
Dinner & Networking

Braindate Conversations

GREEN TABLE

Sari to Story: AI for Sustainability

Where: Main Stage

Who it's for: Professionals, students and anyone who cares about sustainable fashion.

Sari to Story is ElevateHER AI's new initiative that turns pre-loved saris into handmade bags crafted by women in India. Each donated sari also becomes a real-world AI project for recent graduates, refugee women and women re-entering the workforce, who use AI for design, storytelling, sales and marketing. Join sustainability leader Stephanie Fraser to brainstorm how to grow the initiative and engage students. Have a sari you no longer wear? Bring it along on October 16.

Moderator: Stephanie Fraser

Read Preeti's post about Sari to Story →

Request a 1:1 →

RED TABLE

Meet the Mentors: AI | Cybersecurity

Where: Breakout room

Who it's for: Students and early-career professionals.

Get practical career advice for breaking into AI and cybersecurity: which skills to build, which certifications matter and how to land your first role. Includes a hands-on look at everyday AI tools.

Moderator: Andrew Gurbaxani

Speakers: Victoria Galloway , Kajal Jain (AI tools)

Request a 1:1 →

YELLOW TABLE

SMB Spotlight: Education Meets Innovation

Where: Breakout room (30 min)

Who it's for: Small businesses, sponsors and ElevateHER members.

Small businesses, sponsors and members meet higher education leaders to explore partnerships, pilots and how AI solutions can serve colleges and their students.

Moderator: Becky Berry

Higher Ed Leaders:

Dr. Shatrela Washington-Hubbard (Brenau University)
Dr. Sweta Sneha (Dalton State College)
Brian Benn (Clark Atlanta University)
Dr. Saeid Motevali (Georgia State University)

Request a 1:1 →

BLUE TABLE

Go-to-Market Strategy & Fundraising

Where: Table

Who it's for: Founders, small-business owners and angel investors.

Learn how to take an AI product to market, win enterprise customers and prepare to raise funding, with perspectives from the startup accelerator and academic worlds.

Moderator: Sherry Heyl

Speakers: Maddie Harper (Engage), Dr. Rajiv Garg (Emory University)

Request a 1:1 →

Meet Our Speakers & Panelists

Welcome

Vandana G. Bharadwaz

Vice President, Amazon Lifecycle Marketing, Synchrony

Emcee

Vandana G. Bharadwaz is Vice President of Amazon Lifecycle Marketing at Synchrony. She will host
the ElevateHER AI Fall Summit as emcee.

Leadership Panel: Corporate to Education: Career Pathways for Leaders

Neha Negandhi

CEO, Storyteller Tables | Executive Storytelling Coach & TEDx Speaker

Panel Moderator

Neha Negandhi is a TEDx speaker, storytelling strategist and marketing leader who helps professionals and brands build memorable narratives. As CEO of Storyteller Tables, she brings together marketing, strategic communications and public speaking to help leaders communicate with clarity, confidence and authenticity.

Dr. Cayanna Good

Deputy Commissioner, Innovation & Impact, Technical College System of Georgia

Panelist; Braindate Host: Education Meets Innovation

Dr. Cayanna Good is Deputy Commissioner for Innovation and Impact at the Technical College System of Georgia, where she leads systemwide strategic planning and organizational improvement. She previously led TCSG’s Office of Adult Education and held leadership roles at the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement and the Georgia Department of Education. She also chairs the State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia. Dr. Good holds degrees from Fisk University, Georgia State University and Mercer University.

Dr. Shatrela Washington-Hubbard

Swinton A. Griffith III Dean, Jacobs College of Business & Media, Brenau University

Panelist

Dr. Shatrela Washington-Hubbard is the Swinton A. Griffith III Dean of the Jacobs College of Business & Media at Brenau University. A leader, educator and advocate for entrepreneurship and women’s career development, she champions innovative approaches to business education and workforce development, with a focus on inclusive education and empowering women and underserved communities.

Dr. Beverly Wright

Executive in Residence, Georgia State University | VP, Strategy – Data & AI, Intuitive.ai

Panelist

Dr. Beverly Wright is an Executive in Residence at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business and VP of Strategy, Data & AI at Intuitive.ai. She has more than 30 years of experience in analytics, data science, machine learning and AI across corporate, academic and consulting settings, with a focus on AI strategy and responsible AI governance. She hosts the TAG Data Talk podcast and holds a PhD in Marketing Science from Georgia State.

Dr. Sweta Sneha

Dean, Wright School of Business, Dalton State College

Panelist

Dr. Sweta Sneha is Dean of the Wright School of Business at Dalton State College. Before that, she was a professor of information systems at Kennesaw State University, where she founded and led the Healthcare Management and Informatics master’s program, the first of its kind in Georgia. Her work focuses on health IT workforce development and digital transformation, and her honors include the NCWIT RISE-IT Award and Woman of the Year in STEAM Education.

ElevateHER Introduction

Preeti Tanwar

Founder & CEO, HiEd Success and ElevateHER

ElevateHER Introduction; Show & Tell Presenter: AI for Student Success; Braindate Host: Saree to Story: AI for Sustainability

Preeti Tanwar is a social entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of HiEd Success and ElevateHER, an ecosystem for women to lead in AI. With more than 23 years of experience across AI, technology and higher education, she focuses on driving AI adoption, building AI-ready talent and promoting responsible AI.

Fireside Chat: Cybersecurity & Governance

Brian Benn

Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Clark Atlanta University

Fireside Chat Speaker; AI Show & Tell Judge; Braindate Host: Education Meets Innovation (1:1 conversations)

Brian Benn is Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Clark Atlanta University. He began his career as a software engineer at NASA and went on to roles at Accenture and Cisco before serving as CIO of Atlanta Housing. He was named GeorgiaCIO’s 2023 CIO of the Year and TechBridge’s 2022 CIO of the Year, and is passionate about bridging the digital divide. He holds a degree in computer science and mathematics from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and an MBA from Belhaven University.

Victoria Galloway, MICS, PMP

Cybersecurity & Digital Transformation Leader | Founder, Innowaze Ventures

Fireside Chat Moderator; Braindate Host: Meet the Mentor: Career Readiness in AI & Cybersecurity

Victoria Galloway is an award-winning cybersecurity and digital transformation leader whose work spans identity security, AI governance, enterprise transformation and emerging technology. She has led complex cybersecurity initiatives in Fortune 100 environments and is especially interested in how
organizations govern AI agents, non-human identities and digital trust. She is the founder of Innowaze Ventures, Ballot U and the Lifted Hands Initiative. Victoria holds a Master of Information and Cybersecurity from UC Berkeley and has been recognized as a Georgia Southern University 40 Under 40 honoree, BEYA Modern-Day Technology Leader and WOC Technology Rising Star.

AI Show & Tell

Paige Bradbury

CEO & Principal Learning Architect, The Bradbury Group

Show & Tell Presenter: Executive AI Measurement Scorecard

Paige Bradbury is CEO and Principal Learning Architect at The Bradbury Group, which specializes in AI literacy training and performance measurement. She has 20 years of international training and coaching experience, and her background as a broadcast journalist and CNN Radio correspondent shapes her people-first approach to change management and AI adoption.

Elizabeth Kealoha

Co-Founder & COO, Altera Media

Show & Tell Presenter: AI for Filmmaking

Elizabeth Kealoha is Co-Founder and COO of Altera Media, an Atlanta-based creative innovation community where filmmakers, technologists and companies explore emerging tools, including generative AI, to shape the future of storytelling. Altera runs workshops, labs and an annual AI filmmaking festival. Elizabeth brings a background in film and entertainment to her work.

Linia White

Multidisciplinary Artist; Founder, Paper Luxe Studios

AI Show & Tell: AI in Art & Visual Storytelling

Linia White is a multidisciplinary artist, creative director and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in art, design and visual storytelling. As founder of Paper Luxe Studios and Triumph Multimedia Group, she blends traditional artistry with artificial intelligence and emerging technology to push creative boundaries. Her work moves art beyond the canvas into immersive experiences, helping brands and organizations bring ideas to life and connect with the audiences they serve.

Community Spotlight

Dr. Rajiv Garg

Associate Professor, Information Systems & Operations Management, Goizueta Business School, Emory University

Community Spotlight Speaker; Braindate Host: Education Meets Innovation (1:1 conversations)

Dr. Rajiv Garg is an Associate Professor of Information Systems and Operations Management at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, where he chairs the Goizueta AI Taskforce and advises Emory’s Center for AI in Learning. His research looks at how AI and digital technologies shape decision-making, learning and work. He is a member of the U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium and holds a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University.

Braindate Conversations

Stephanie Fraser

Senior Director, Product Sourcing & Sustainability

Braindate Host: Saree to Story: AI for Sustainability

Stephanie Fraser is a product sourcing and sustainability leader with more than 15 years of experience sourcing apparel and textiles across Asia and Europe for brands including J.Crew, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Carter’s. She works with design and product teams to make sure manufacturing partners meet high standards for quality and sustainability.

Andrew Gurbaxani

Program Director, Cybersecurity, Gwinnett Technical College | CISSP, PMP, PMI-ACP

Braindate Host: Saree to Story: AI for Sustainability

Andrew Gurbaxani is Program Director for Cybersecurity at Gwinnett Technical College, where he leads faculty, curriculum and accreditation for a program at a college designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the NSA and CISA. Before teaching, he spent many years as an IT and security executive in healthcare and financial services, including serving as CIO and acting CISO at Vensure Employer Services. He holds CISSP, PMP and PMI-ACP certifications.

Kajal Jain

Regional Host, Atlanta, Women Applying AI; Chief Technology & Security Officer, Capstone Performance Solutions

Braindate Speaker: Meet the Mentors (AI tools)

Kajal Jain is a product and technology executive who builds enterprise software and AI products, much of it for healthcare and other regulated industries. She is Regional Host for the Atlanta hub of Women Applying AI and Chief Technology and Security Officer at Capstone Performance Solutions, where she leads AI governance, AI literacy and cybersecurity programs. She also advises the agentic AI platform MoolAI and guest lectures at Georgia Tech and Emory.

Becky Berry

Executive Coach for Women; Co-Founder, Atlanta Women in AI

Braindate Moderator: SMB Spotlight – Education Meets Innovation

Becky Berry is a progressive feminist executive coach for highly driven women, including tech founders. She helps women elevate their leadership presence and refine the words they use to describe themselves and what they believe in. Becky is also co-founder of Atlanta Women in AI, which has spent two years building and amplifying women’s voices in artificial intelligence, with a focus on AI’s ethical and practical uses. She is also a book editor who works with women authors.

Dr. Saeid Motevali

Clinical Assistant Professor & Director, M.S. in Analytics, Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University

Braindate: SMB Spotlight (Higher Ed Leader)

Dr. Saeid Motevali is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Master of Science in Analytics program at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. A data scientist by training, he earned his Ph.D. in computer science from Georgia State and has applied data science in industry, including energy-usage prediction models at Emerson.

Sherry Heyl

Founder, Amplified Concepts | Author

Braindate Host: Enterprise Sales & Go-to-Market Strategies

Sherry Heyl is the founder of Amplified Concepts, a change leadership consultancy that helps leaders navigate AI integration, business transformation and workforce change. For more than 20 years she has worked where emerging technology, organizational change and human behavior meet, helping organizations understand how new capabilities change the way people work.

Maddie Harper

Senior Manager, Programs, Engage

Braindate Host: Enterprise Sales & Go-to-Market Strategies

Maddie Harper is Senior Manager of Programs at Engage, the Atlanta innovation platform that connects startups with leading corporations, where she leads operations and program design. She earned her business degree from Georgia Tech and previously spent three years at Stackfolio, a machine learning–powered loan marketplace.

Why Attend the ElevateHER AI Summit

Attending ElevateHER is not about inspiration alone—it’s about access, skills, and real-world momentum.

Gain practical insights on how AI is being applied today across healthcare, business operations, product, and emerging technologies.

Learn directly from industry leaders who are building, deploying, and governing AI—not just talking about it.

Build a future-ready skillset through upskilling conversations tailored for students, professionals, and career-switchers.

Expand your professional network through curated speed networking with executives, founders, recruiters, and peers.

Discover career pathways in AI from internships and early-career roles to leadership, product, and entrepreneurial tracks.

Connect with companies and startups actively leveraging AI and seeking talent, collaborators, and partners.

Contribute to a growing AI ecosystem in Atlanta focused on inclusion, innovation, and responsible adoption.

Get visibility and voice whether as a learner, practitioner, leader, or sponsor shaping the future of AI.

Get Involved

ElevateHER is where ambition meets access—and where women don’t just prepare for the AI future, they help build it.

Past Events

ElevateHER AI Summit

An ecosystem for women to lead in AI

Friday, May 29^th, 2026

Key Movements

Speakers & Panelists

Patricia Arundel

Neeti Dewan

Shyna Mistry Punjani

Neha Negandhi

Ankur Bansal

Gabriel Millien

Priya Sarathy

Vikram Das

Savneet Singh

Anne-Elisabeth Courrier

Preeti Tanwar

Tracy Lee

Heather Gibbons

Halima Muhammad

Sharmeen Rehman

Dr. Tope Mitchell

BOLLYWOOD
Bingo Night

Fundraiser supporting
ElevateHer AI Summit

SATURDAY, APRIL 18 | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Key Movements

Chief Guest

NIKHIL DESHPANDE

Nikhil Deshpande is Georgia’s Chief Digital and AI Officer, leading statewide digital transformation and responsible AI initiatives. He has made Georgia a national leader in accessible, user-centered technology, serving millions. Recognized among top public-sector innovators, he holds advanced degrees in Human-Computer Interaction and Information Design.

ElevateHER Launch

Friday, March 20^th, 2026

Keynote Speaker

Gabriel Millien

Technology and AI Strategy Advisor

Topic: AI Strategy Execution, Responsible AI Leadership & Governance

Gabriel Millien is a Technology & AI Strategy Advisor who helps leaders turn AI ambition into measurable results. With 15+ years of experience guiding Fortune 500 organizations including Nestlé, Pfizer, and Sanofi, he has led transformations delivering over $100M in impact. Gabriel works at the intersection of strategy, operations, and AI governance—ensuring organizations apply intelligent systems responsibly while preserving human judgment, accountability, and trust.

Panelist

Preeti Tanwar

Dr. Beverly Wright

Su Rayburn

Natalie Hogg

Priya Sarathy

Tope Mitchell

Vighnesh Lall

Pete Verma

Harman Lindsey

Rajendra Prasad Poloju

Neha Negandhi

Romayne Cachart

Barbara Jones-Brown

Krish Kannan

Future Events

Coming soon — stay tuned for the official dates.

AI SUMMIT for HER

Who Should Attend the ElevateHER AI Summit

Entrepreneurs & AI Startups

Small business owners interested in learning how to leverage AI to scale, automate, and compete practically. Companies leveraging AI to digitize processes, interested in sponsoring, showcasing solutions, or collaborating.

Students

Seeking internships, capstone projects, or real-world exposure to AI-driven problem solving. Women pursuing early-career opportunities in AI, data analytics, product engineering, or emerging tech roles.

Women Leaders & Managers

Responsible for implementing AI in their organizations and preparing teams for the AI-powered workplace.

Professionals (10+ Yrs)

Domain experts interested in volunteering as subject-matter contributors and gaining hands-on AI exposure to become CPOs.
Women professionals exploring a career pivot into AI and looking to upskill for future-ready roles.

Industry Leaders

Practitioners implementing AI who are open to contributing expertise to mentor and shape emerging talent.

Your Voice Matters

Leaders

"I feel AI confusion and ambiguity... whom should I hire? What's the step? What should I be concerned about? Do I have to start from scratch and can I leverage my experience and still be at the cutting edge?"

Students

"Which job shall I do? Which companies are implementing AI? Which companies can give experiential learning in AI? What can I learn today even if I am in data science?"

Entrepreneurs / Solopreneurs

"I am struggling and want to leverage AI but don't know where to start practically."

Mid-Career Professionals

"I fear lagging behind... I want to learn some basics without giving up my current role and I don't have the bandwidth to do a full degree."

What is in your mind?

Unlock specialized career opportunities for women to reach C-Suite levels with ElevateHER.

Our Services

Skill Development
Networking Events
Career Placement

Tax-exempt

ElevateHER is a nonprofit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our EIN is 393030661. Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Contact Us

Email- info@elevatehernetwork.org
Call: 470 991 6774

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