Time:
Room:
Women in AI: Building for Social Good
Minnesota has a powerful community of women building real AI solutions for social good. This panel brings together technical women across data, engineering, product, and applied AI to share what they are actively building to drive impact in our community.
Rather than focusing on hype or theory, this session centers on real builds: what problems we chose, the tools we used, what worked, what broke, and what we learned along the way. Panelists will discuss how open-source tools, cloud platforms, and responsible AI practices can be leveraged to create meaningful change right here in our local communities.
This is a practical conversation about building AI with purpose, lowering barriers to entry, and creating pathways for more women to participate meaningfully in the AI ecosystem.
Key Takeaways
• Real examples of AI systems being built for social good in Minnesota
• How open source and accessible tooling accelerate community impact
• Practical lessons learned from building and deploying AI responsibly
• How to get involved, contribute, or start your own socially-driven AI project
Jena Zangs
Chief Data & AI Officer
University of St. Thomas
Jena Zangs is a Chief Data & AI Officer who specializes in moving organizations beyond AI hype into production-ready, governed, and scalable systems. She leads enterprise AI strategy, modern data platforms, and applied innovation spanning infrastructure, analytics, and machine learning, with a focus on trust.
Her work has been recognized with an AWS Education Champion Award and a Top 50 Data & Analytics Team honor. A Lovable Global Buildathon Winner, Jena brings a builder’s mindset to every engagement, bridging executive strategy with hands-on implementation
Esse Komlanvi
Founder
Nuse & AI for Financial Inclusion Advocate
Esse Komlanvi is an AI and business analytics professional building technology that expands opportunity in underserved communities. She is the founder of Nuse, a voice-first AI platform designed to help women entrepreneurs in emerging economies manage their businesses, access financial education, and unlock funding. With a background in IT consulting, data analytics, and digital transformation, Esse focuses on making artificial intelligence practical, inclusive, and human-centered. Her work sits at the intersection of AI, financial inclusion, and women’s economic empowerment. She is passionate about ensuring that AI is not only innovative, but also equitable and accessible to those who are often left out of traditional tech systems.
Shannon Seaver
Founder & CEO, Executive Director
TailorEDU & createMPLS
Shannon Seaver is founder and CEO of TailorEDU, an AI-powered Ed-Tech SAAS company that has developed a learning management system addressing equity gaps for 10.4 million English Language Learners and 7.5 million students with IEPs. A Tekne Award-winning National Board Certified Teacher with 18+ years of classroom experience and a Master's in Mathematics, Shannon is also the Executive Director of createMPLS, a Minnesota nonprofit focused on computer science education. She is working in partnership with the University of Minnesota for AI teacher certification.