The Women in AI Awards 2024 were brought about to celebrate and recognise the incredible achievements of the Women in AI volunteers across 6 categories namely:
Best Ambassador 2024
Best Volunteer 2024
Best Lead 2024
Best Team 2024
Best Project/Programme 2024
Best Event 2024
As Women in AI, we would like to extend our sincere congratulations to each and every one of the winners within the different categories. Their work stands out as a reflection of dedication and impact within the Women in AI community.
The projects and applications submitted demonstrate the significant work being done to advance women in AI, highlighting both individual and collective efforts toward a more inclusive future. We would like to thank all those who participated, for their efforts and for their continued contributions to making a difference.
Congratulations to all the winners!
The Best Project/Programme Award 2024
Women in AI Southern Africa is celebrated with the Best Project Award for their Robotics Workshop, organised in partnership with the Department of Social Development and United Siyafunda. This transformative project was held during Youth Month and engaged 115 participants aged 18–35, who were primarily from underprivileged communities. The Workshop provided them with hands-on experience in robotics, coding, and STEM skills. Through this initiative, they were not only equipped with the essentials crucial for the Fourth Industrial Revolution but were also inspired to view technology as a pathway to economic opportunity. This project is a powerful catalyst for change, fostering creativity, problem-solving, and empowering the next generation of STEM leaders.
The Women in AI Best Event 2024
Congratulations to Women in AI Canada for winning Best Event for their 2nd Annual Career Fair organised in June 2024, which had a significant impact on empowering women in AI and tech. With over 2,000 registrations and 780+ attendees, the event brought together 14 leading organizations and 45 recruiters, which in turn created invaluable networking opportunities. Participants connected directly with employers, gaining insights into the evolving job market and showcasing their skills to industry leaders. The fair fostered meaningful conversations, supported professional growth, and helped bridge the gap between talent and opportunity in a rapidly advancing field, furthering Women in AI's mission to empower women in technology.
The Women in AI Best Team Award
The Women in AI Canada Chapter is being recognised as the Best Team Award for its remarkable growth and impact since its launch in 2020. Starting with just 6 core volunteers, the team has expanded to 50+ volunteers across 8 cities and 7 programmes. Over the last four years, they’ve organised 105 events, including 33 in 2024, reaching 10,000+ attendees and featuring 212 speakers. Their innovative approach—listening to the community, testing and scaling programmes, and growing sponsorships—has led to significant achievements, including a 22% membership growth, 33% social media growth, and raising over $65,000 in funds. Their efforts have been transformative in advancing WAI’s mission in Canada.
Congratulations to all the members of the Canadian team: Frincy Clement, Yukun Zhang, Nammi Sriharan, Cathy Ong Ly, Gabrielle Vachon, Seynabou Ndiaye, Yulia Slipenchuk, Gbemisola B Banjoko, Lahari Pakalapati, Priti Yadav, Parisa Asgharzadeh, Anupam Singh, Kuljit Bhogal, Mariam Jabara, Nancy Eke-Agu, Shaimaa Abbas, Ruchika Israni, Wenjie, Kim Thoa Nguyen, Riddhi Dasani, Parisa Azimaee, Chelsea Squires, Sepideh Bahadoripour, Shireen K, Monali Gaikwad, Kelley Papadakis, Elham Haji-Yousef, Aigerim Meiman, Emma Stanely, Shreya Mukhopadhyay, Moriya Dechtiar, AnanyaRaval, Amruta Gumma, Riya Eliza, Kimberly Eltanal, Diana Rogachova, Leslie Evelin Salgado Arzuaga, Renju Sudhakaran, Prakriti Ailavadi, Elham Kheradmand, Rujuta Awate, Niyanta, Raissa Souza de Andrade, Drishti Mannan, Yetunde Fagbolagun, Mengliu Zhao, Atefeh Aramian, Ghazal Mirab, Shwetha Vedavinayagam, Behnaz Salek, Komalpreet Kaur, Sara Mansouri, Fariba Hashemi, Dhara Bhatia, Motunrayo Ojumu, Lovelyn Nnaji, Amaka Nwosu, Negar Goli, Thisha Sudhakaran, Ruishu Fan, Vaishali Vajpayee.
The Women in AI Best Volunteers Award
Best Volunteer Europe 2024
Anna Aksenova's exceptional leadership in organising and managing Finland’s mentorship programme, has seen 50 participants being supported. Anna oversaw all aspects, including promotion, enrollment, participant selection, partnerships, and event planning. Under her leadership, the programme's retention rate doubled compared to the previous year, and new mentorship guidelines and informal hangout events were introduced, which became a programme highlight. Anna's strategic improvements and dedication have also significantly enhanced the mentorship experience, leaving a lasting impact on participants and the programme's success.
Best Volunteer North America 2024
Since joining Women in AI in September 2022, Parisa Azimaee has made a significant impact in Calgary, by helping establish the organisation and leading two successful career fairs. She secured funding through professional connections, brought in esteemed panelists, and moderated impactful discussions, empowering women in tech and AI. As Community Engagement Manager, Parisa has built strong relationships with industry leaders which has strengthened WAI’s credibility and support for future initiatives. Her efforts have increased WAI’s visibility, connected aspiring women to job opportunities, and created a supportive community, leaving a lasting legacy in the AI ecosystem in Calgary and beyond.
The Women in AI Best Lead Award
Congratulations to Mithra Ravichandran for winning the Best Lead Award for 2024. Her leadership in the 2024 WaiPractice programme, supported by Nabanita Roy and Luciana Azubuike. As the programme lead, Mithra designed and organised an 8-week hands-on Gen-AI learning experience, selecting the theme, setting timelines, promoting the programme, and matching mentors with mentees. She facilitated progress through regular check-ins and coordinated a final showcase event. Mithra’s leadership empowered participants, particularly women with no STEM background, to build AI skills and confidence. The programme has made a lasting impact, providing mentees with the tools and knowledge to pursue AI careers.
The Women in AI Best Ambassadors Award
We recognised a Best Ambassador for each continent:
Best Ambassador for Africa
Naledi Tlhakudi’s stewardship had led to South Africa’s chapter delivering nine impactful events, reaching over 1,000 participants and creating lasting change in diverse communities. These events include the Youth Month Robotics Workshop which equipped 115 youth with AI and robotics skills; an AI Cybersafety workshop with UNICEF WITS; and representation at AI Expo Africa, Africa's largest AI trade show. Naledi’s dedication to building partnerships with organizations like MANCOSA, UCT, and ACFE has amplified WAI’s reach, fostering a vibrant, inclusive AI ecosystem in Africa.
Best Ambassador for Asia
Su Myat Noe who led Mynanmar in delivering 2024’s most impactful programs, empowering over 680 women across diverse initiatives. These initiatives include the SPEAK HER Project, enhancing public speaking skills for 150 participants, and the Generative AI Workshops, providing hands-on training to over 200 attendees. Su also launched the Machine Learning Paper Reading Club, fostering critical AI insights among 80 professionals bi-weekly, and led the Unblocking Career Barriers program, empowering 250 women. Her vision and dedication have grown Myanmar’s AI community, breaking barriers and inspiring women across Asia.
Best Ambassador for Europe
Eija-Leena Koponen who won for leading the Finland chapter in hosting 18 impactful events this year, reaching 500 participants across 16 partner organizations, including Nokia, AWS Nordics, and Thoughtworks. Eija-Leena has driven key initiatives, such as Finland’s AI mentorship program with 25 mentor-mentee pairs, empowering women with practical skills and networking opportunities. She also spearheaded Finland’s first AI Awareness Week in schools, engaging 10 speakers and inspiring future generations. Her dedication has grown Finland’s community significantly, adding 1,271 new LinkedIn followers this year alone.
Best Ambassador for North America
Frincy Clement whose remarkable leadership was pivotal in driving Women in AI’s mission across Canada. Under her guidance, the chapter hosted 23 impactful programs and events in 2024, reaching thousands of participants, including career fairs with nearly 2,000 registrations and mentorship initiatives supporting 160 mentees with 44 mentors. Frincy’s efforts spearheaded the growth of WAI across regions, launching chapters, facilitating research groups, and delivering technical workshops. Her dedication to empowering women through education, mentorship, and networking has fostered an inclusive AI community and solidified Canada as a hub for Women in AI's success.
Celebrating the behind the scenes contributions
In addition to these awards, Women in AI leadership decided to reward specific individual for their incredible contributions behind the scenes.
Excellence in Financial Operations 2024
Acting as a member of the Women in AI Global Finance team, and in addition to her contributions to the Women in AI Canada, Yulia Slipenchuk (Women in AI Canada) has been instrumental in the timely processing of invoices and expenses which has led to smoother financial operations. Overall, her work has contributed to the organisation’s ongoing success and efficiency.
Best Creative Vision 2024
Congratulations to Ela Zakrzewska, Ica Van Eeden, and T. De los Reyes for winning Best Creative Vision Award 2024. Their work behind the scenes has been crucial in supporting Women in AI’s mission. Ica's strategic leadership has helped create a roadmap for a new WAI website, working closely with leadership and ambassadors to ensure it aligns with WAI’s goals. Ela and T. brought their creativity to develop customisable templates for all the Women in AI chapters, helping maintain consistent branding and effective event promotion. Their combined efforts in design, content strategy, and planning have laid the groundwork for Women in AI’s continued growth and success.
Though T. and Ica may not be part of the organisation anymore, they leave a trail of goodwill and wonder through the inspiration they brought during their tenure at WAI. Their combined efforts in design, content strategy, and planning have laid the groundwork for Women in AI’s continued growth and success.
Trailblazer for Women in AI Leadership Award 2024
Congratulations to Lisel Engelbrecht for winning the Trailblazer for Women in AI Leadership Award 2024. As the unsung hero behind everything at Women in AI, Lisel manages member registrations, handles data, and oversees all the tools used, ensuring everything runs smoothly. Without her essential work behind the scenes, the organisation couldn’t function, and its mission wouldn’t thrive.
Thank you to everyone who participated, and to our judges for their invaluable support: Divya Alavarthi, Lia Anggraini, Valentina Cheng, Olalla Garcia Perez, Lilian Ho, Angela Kim, Gunta Krumina, Mo McElaney, Shanna Molina, Divya Singh Bhardwaj, Kira Sjöberg, Maire Sogabe and Oluwabukola Sulyman.
Together, we are making a significant impact and advancing diversity in AI.
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