Women in AI Ethics

What Women in AI Ethics does

Women in AI Ethics (WAIE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2018 by Mia Shah-Dand and fiscally sponsored by Social Good Fund, a California public charity. Headquartered in Oakland with event operations in Brooklyn and New Canaan, the organization runs a portfolio of recognition programs, educational events, and community initiatives aimed at elevating underrepresented women and non-binary professionals working at the intersection of AI and ethics. Its flagship asset is the annual '100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics' list, published every year since 2018 and complemented by Hall of Fame inductees (including Timnit Gebru, Joy Buolamwini, and Kate Crawford) and a Rising Stars program introduced in 2021.

The organization does not develop technology products. Its core outputs are content (a blog with the '#IamthefutureofAI' interview series and research reports), events (Annual Summits, Responsible AI Ecosystem Summit, AI Ethics Book Festival, monthly AI Expert Webinars, and AI Ethics Reading Circles), and programs (the WAIE Mentoring Program and the AI for Communities initiative delivered through public library partnerships). In 2025, WAIE launched WAIE+, a community-funded public interest AI venture operating at waieplus.com with an inaugural cohort of Fellows and Advisors, extending the recognition and event portfolio into fellowship and advisory services.

Revenue is generated through three documented streams: tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations, ticket sales for summits and events, and operational funding from Lighthouse3, the responsible AI consultancy founded by Mia Shah-Dand. The organization is volunteer-driven with a stated headcount of 1-10 and no disclosed paid staff. Venue partners include Brooklyn Public Library and Grace Farms, and Microsoft has co-hosted convenings on AI workforce reskilling. The founder announced a leadership transition in April 2024.

Name

Women in AI Ethics

Legal name

Women in AI Ethics

Website

https://womeninaiethics.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women in AI Ethics is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2018 that runs the annual '100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics' recognition list, mentoring programs, and educational events to elevate underrepresented women and non-binary professionals in AI ethics globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Ethics Advocacy and Community Organization

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHDAAAMAE

Regulatory Readiness & Audit Automation (e.g., EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001)

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning/AI Ethics & Compliance Solutions

SECONDARYBPAEAHAJ

Responsible AI, AI Governance & Compliance Services

Business & Public Services/IT & Digital Services (Managed Services, Systems Integration)/Data, Analytics & AI Services

SECONDARYHDAAAMAH

Human Oversight, Review & Content Moderation Tooling

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning/AI Ethics & Compliance Solutions

SECONDARYHDAAAKAL

Audit, Explainability & Accountability Tooling (traceability, reporting)

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning/AI Security, Privacy & Model Governance

SECONDARYEDAFAFAC

AI Tutoring Systems (Conversational Tutors, Homework Helpers)

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/Education Analytics, Adaptive Learning & AI Tutoring Platforms

Keywords

• AI ethics advocacy
• Community education programs
• Diversity recognition lists
• Nonprofit research initiatives
• Responsible AI events

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations, providing donation receipts for charitable contributions.
2. Event Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from ticket sales for summits, conferences, and educational events.
3. Lighthouse3 Funding: The organization receives funding and operational support from Lighthouse3, a consultancy focusing on responsible AI and data governance, founded by Mia Shah-Dand.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Women in AI Ethics publishes an annual curated "100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics™" recognition list and complementary programs (Hall of Fame, Rising Stars), and convenes educational events including summits, an AI Ethics Book Festival, and reading circles. It runs a mentoring program and community literacy initiative (AI for Communities), and in 2025 launched WAIE+, a community-funded public interest AI venture with fellowships, advisors, and resources. Offerings are delivered primarily through free digital content and ticketed or sponsor-supported events.

Product overview

Women in AI Ethics is a global non-profit organization founded in 2018 that elevates underrepresented ethical voices in AI. The organization operates primarily as a content and events platform, offering a portfolio of recognition programs (the flagship '100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics List', Hall of Fame, and Rising Stars), educational events (Annual Summits, Responsible AI Ecosystem Summit, AI Ethics Book Festival, Reading Circles), mentorship programs, community initiatives (AI for Communities), and research resources. In 2025, the organization launched WAIE+ as a new community-funded public interest AI venture to expand its mission. The offerings work together to create a comprehensive ecosystem supporting, recognizing, and connecting women and non-binary people working at the intersection of AI and ethics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WAIE+: A community-funded public interest AI venture launched in 2025 with a mission to build a safe and secure AI future for all.

Products and services

• 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics List Annual curated recognition list of 100 women and non-binary individuals making exceptional contributions to AI ethics and diversity, published yearly since 2018 and serving as the flagship program of the organization.
• WAIE+ A community-funded public interest AI venture launched in 2025 to build a safe and secure AI future for all, offering resources, a WAIE+ Fellows cohort, WAIE+ Advisors, and events.
• Hall of Fame Recognition program honoring exceptional contributors to AI ethics and diversity who have made significant, lasting impacts in the field, featuring luminaries such as Timnit Gebru, Joy Buolamwini, and Kate Crawford.
• Rising Stars in AI Ethics Annual recognition program highlighting promising new and upcoming diverse talent in AI ethics, published annually since 2021.
• WAIE Mentoring Program Structured mentorship program connecting experienced AI ethics professionals with mentees to build capacity and support career development in the field.
• AI Ethics Book Festival Annual event celebrating books on AI ethics written by women and non-binary people, featuring author discussions and readings.
• AI Ethics Reading Circles Virtual reading sessions where participants discuss books and papers on AI ethics topics in a collaborative group format.
• Responsible AI Ecosystem Summit Annual summit bringing together multi-disciplinary experts from around the world to discuss responsible AI, featuring the annual list announcement.
• AI for Communities Initiative providing AI literacy resources to communities through public libraries, helping people understand AI amid misinformation and hype.
• Research & Reports Published research reports and studies on AI ethics topics, diversity in AI, and responsible AI development.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• WAIE+ CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025WAIE+ is a community-funded public interest AI venture launched in 2025 with a mission to build a safe and secure AI future. It operates as an extension of Women in AI Ethics, offering new resources, fellowship programs, and advisory services to expand the organization's impact.
• Lighthouse3coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLighthouse3, a consultancy focusing on responsible AI and data governance founded by Mia Shah-Dand, provides funding, operational support, and strategic direction to Women in AI Ethics. The CEO of Lighthouse3, Mia Shah-Dand, is also the founder of Women in AI Ethics, creating a close strategic alignment between the organizations.
• Social Good FundcoreOthersWomen in AI Ethics is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Good Fund, a California nonprofit corporation and registered 501(c)(3) organization. This fiscal sponsorship enables the organization to receive tax-deductible donations, corporate matching gifts, and apply for grants awarded to recognized 501(c)(3) organizations.
• Brooklyn Public LibrarymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrooklyn Public Library serves as a key venue partner hosting AI literacy events, workshops, and community programming including the 'Beyond the AI Hype' literary event and fireside chats with policymakers. The library partnership supports the AI for Communities initiative bringing credible AI information to underserved populations.
• Grace FarmsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrace Farms hosts collaborative events on AI ethics and responsible AI development, including the 'Building AI for the Greater Good' event featuring discussions on fostering positive outcomes and advancing equity through AI.
• MicrosoftmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft partnered with WAIE on a pre-UNGA breakfast convening focused on reskilling and emerging AI roles, bringing together diverse stakeholders to discuss the critical topic of workforce development in AI.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AI Now Institute: Research institute studying the social implications of AI, producing influential policy reports. Overlaps with WAIE on AI ethics policy advocacy, but operates as a more established, research-and-policy institution with paid researchers.
• Partnership on AI: Multi-stakeholder nonprofit convened by major tech companies to study and formulate best practices on AI. A broader incumbent in the responsible AI space with corporate funding and global policy engagement, intersecting with WAIE on responsible AI advocacy.
• Mozilla Foundation: Foundation pursuing a healthy internet, including significant responsible AI and trustworthy AI initiatives. A larger, well-funded incumbent in the AI ethics/advocacy space with a similar public-interest framing.
• Data & Society: Research institute focused on social implications of data-centric technologies. Comparable on AI ethics research and public-interest framing, with stronger research output and a longer institutional track record.
• AnitaB.org: Nonprofit advancing women in technology with programs in computing education, workforce, and leadership. Adjacent peer on women-in-tech mission; broader scope (tech, not AI-ethics specific) and larger organizational footprint than WAIE.

Direct peers

• Black in AI: Community organization that increases the presence and inclusion of Black researchers in AI. Highly comparable as a community-driven AI diversity nonprofit with annual recognition (research awards) and academic conference presence, paralleling WAIE's recognition lists and summits.
• Women in Machine Learning: Academic workshop and community organization supporting women in machine learning. Comparable in mission (women in AI/ML), workshop-and-recognition format, and academic-community anchoring, though more research-conference oriented.
• Algorithmic Justice League: Nonprofit founded by Joy Buolamwini that combines research, art, and advocacy to challenge bias in AI. Direct peer on AI ethics advocacy, public awareness, and intersectional critique; overlaps with WAIE in community, policy, and education.
• AI4ALL: Nonprofit focused on increasing diversity and inclusion in AI through education and talent pipelines. Closely comparable to WAIE in mission (diversity in AI), community-building, and education-first delivery, though with a stronger K-12-to-career pipeline orientation.

Emerging players

• All Raise: Nonprofit increasing diversity and equity in the tech and venture ecosystem. Comparable in mission (underrepresented voices in tech) and community-driven model, though focused on venture/startup leadership rather than AI ethics specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Women in AI Ethics