Episode 95: Sophia Velastegui: Former Microsoft Chief AI Officer - Lessons Learned From Google, Apple and Microsoft

In this episode, we catch up with Sophia Velastegui, former Microsoft Chief AI Officer and Fortune 100 Executive who worked with companies like Google and Apple. Sophia was named ‘The Most Powerful Female Engineer’ from 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 thru strong business fundamentals. Sofia 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. Takeaways 1.Transforming Microsoft involved both technical and cultural shifts towards AI. 2.The future of AI lies in multimodal innovations that integrate various data types. 3.The European tech ecosystem biggest challenges are regulatory fragmentation and investment size. 4.Gen Z women are becoming the most tech-savvy group of people. 5.Curiosity and intentionality are key to a long-term career success. 6.Leaders should foster a customer-centric culture by leading by example. EU-Startups Podcast is brought to you by Vanta. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Trusted by over 7,000 companies, Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for ISO 27001,SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and more. Learn more here: http://vanta.com/eustartups