Artificial intelligence is transforming every industry, and yet women remain underrepresented in the roles shaping its future.
As AI becomes more powerful and pervasive, diverse leadership is essential to building technology that is fair, trustworthy and relevant to everyone.
Below is a list of women leading that shift. They’re driving responsible innovation, expanding who gets to shape technology and redefining what meaningful progress in AI looks like.
From research labs to startups, policy rooms to community networks, they are building the future of AI in Australia. Here are this year’s women to watch.
Women’s Agenda provides independent journalism published by the 100% women owned and run Agenda Media. Subscribe to our daily newsletter, here.
Nikki Meller
Nikki is a female tech founder, AI strategist, and advocate for women in technology, leading Australia’s AI and data capability movement at the intersection of technology, human intelligence, and organisational transformation. As Founder & CEO of CREDuED and cofounder of Women in AI Australia, she designs nationally recognised AI and data literacy programs and pioneering RegTech solutions that reimagine education, governance, and compliance to elevate human potential in the age of intelligent machines.
Dr Juliana Peloche
Dr Juliana Peloche is a leader in AI literacy and educational innovation with a PhD in Artificial Intelligence in Education and over two decades’ global teaching experience. She champions equitable AI education by empowering educators and students to navigate the ethical, cultural, and practical dimensions of AI, fosters inclusive dialogue between technologists and underrepresented communities, and is a Co-founder of Women in AI Australia, where she contributes to building an inclusive and equitable AI future for girls and women across the country.
Amanda Rose
Amanda Rose is an AI industry advocate, entrepreneur, and media commentator who drives women’s leadership and participation in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. A founder of organisations supporting women in business, she brings strategic leadership and advocacy to executive and SME communities, amplifies women’s voices in AI through mentorship and media engagement, and serves as a Director at Women in AI Australia.
Dr Melissa McCradden
Dr Melissa McCradden is a globally recognised expert in AI ethics and health technology, serving as Deputy Director at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Director at the Women’s and Children’s Health Network, with adjunct roles at the SickKids Research Institute in Canada. Her research focuses on developing evidence-based ethical frameworks for clinical evaluation and equitable integration of AI in healthcare, and she has been named among the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics and a Top 40 Under 40 finalist for her leadership and impact.
Kara Bombell
Kara Bombell is the founder of EthicAi, where she champions human-centred AI ethics and strategic organisational transformation, helping businesses embed responsible AI, automation, and workforce strategy into their operations. With over 15 years’ experience in senior leadership roles across digital and creative industries, she blends deep operational expertise with a commitment to equitable, purpose-driven technology that amplifies human potential.
Stela Solar
Stela Solar is Managing Director of Data & AI for Accenture ANZ, leading strategic AI transformation, generative AI adoption, and innovation across the region after a distinguished career driving emerging technology adoption and business transformation. She previously served as the inaugural Director of Australia’s National AI Centre and Co-Chair of the Commonwealth AI Consortium, and is known for guiding organisations toward responsible, impactful AI while also serving on the Data & AI Advisory Council at Beyond Blue.
Nadia Lee
Nadia Hy Lee is an AI ethicist, speaker, and educator who advocates for responsible AI and digital ethics, and is best known as the founder and CEO of the tech startup ThatsMyFace, which focuses on ethical AI solutions to detect and mitigate malicious content such as deepfakes. Her work bridges research and entrepreneurship, highlighting human-centred AI governance and leading conversations on ethics, safety, and inclusion in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Dr Sue Keay
Dr Sue Keay is the Director of the UNSW AI Institute and a highly respected expert in robotics, AI, and automation, known for founding the Robotics Australia Group and bridging cutting-edge research with real-world applications. A fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, she has helped shape Australia’s robotics and AI landscape through national roadmaps and leadership across academia, industry and advisory boards.
Sarah Moran
Sarah Moran is the CEO and co-founder of Girl Geek Academy, a movement dedicated to bringing one million women and girls into technology careers and delivering programs that build AI and digital skills from early schooling through professional life. She has also co-founded PatientNotes, an AI-powered clinical documentation platform transforming healthcare workflows, and regularly speaks on AI, gender equality and tech innovation while advocating for systemic change in STEM education and leadership.
Amanda Siqueira
Amanda Siqueira is the co-founder and CEO of VAPAR, an Australian tech company that uses AI and machine learning to automate the analysis of pipe infrastructure condition from CCTV footage, transforming how utilities manage wastewater and stormwater networks. Drawing on her background in civil engineering and hands-on experience with manual inspection workflows, she drives VAPAR’s strategy, operations and international growth to deliver data-driven asset management solutions at scale.
Michelle Aguilar
Michelle Aguilar is the CTO and co-founder of VAPAR, an Australian AI-driven technology company that uses machine learning to automate condition assessment of sewer and stormwater infrastructure, improving efficiency and decision-making for utilities. With a background in mechatronics and intelligent systems engineering, she leads VAPAR’s technical strategy and product development, driving innovation in AI applications for real-world asset management challenges.
Elakkiya Ramarajan
Elakkiya Ramarajan is Lead Data Scientist at VAPAR, where she applies advanced machine learning and computer vision to automate and enhance infrastructure analytics, helping transform decision-making and operational efficiency in asset management. A recognised data leader and winner of Data Leader of the Year at the 2023 Women in Digital Awards, she combines technical excellence with practical innovation to advance AI adoption in engineering and tech workflows.
Dr Ariella Heffernan-Marks
Dr Ariella Heffernan-Marks is a medical doctor, PhD candidate and the founder & CEO of Ovum, an AI-powered health platform designed to close the gender health gap by delivering personalised, women-centric healthcare insights and driving new longitudinal datasets for research. She combines clinical experience with tech innovation to lead one of Australia’s most promising femtech ventures, advancing AI applications that empower women to better understand and advocate for their health outcomes.
Sandra Peter
Dr Sandra Peter is Associate Professor and Director of Sydney Executive Plus at the University of Sydney Business School, where she leads executive education and research at the intersection of leadership, business strategy and emerging technologies including AI. Her work focuses on how organisations can productively engage with the future by adopting responsible AI and strategic foresight, and she is a sought-after speaker and commentator on the impact of technology on business and society.
Miriam Scott
Miriam Scott is an Education Consultant with the Association of Independent Schools NSW, specialising in generative AI and digital education with over 20 years’ experience teaching business and technology. She works with educators, students and school leaders to embed responsible, practical AI and digital tools into learning environments, helping communities navigate the evolving tech landscape with confidence and ethical insight.
Dr Riya Aggarwal
Dr Riya Aggarwal is a Machine Learning Engineer at Voconiq, where she leverages AI and data science to optimize organizational data and drive impactful solutions for end-users. A Ph.D. graduate from the University of Newcastle and finalist for the 2022 Women in Digital Data Leader of the Year award, she previously led AI projects at Deloitte and Veris, combining technical expertise with dynamic communication and a passion for inspiring others in STEM.
Muneera Bano
Dr Muneera Bano is a Principal / Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO’s Data61 and Co‑Lead of the Diversity and Inclusion in AI program, where she develops responsible, human‑centred AI and champions equity, inclusion and representation within the tech sector. An award‑winning scholar recognised as Most Influential Asian‑Australian Under 40 and a Superstar of STEM, she holds a PhD in Software Engineering and has been internationally honoured for her leadership and advocacy to break down barriers for underrepresented groups in STEM and AI.
Sarah Kaur
Sarah Kaur is Principal Design Strategist at Portable, where she leads human‑centred AI strategy and design to help organisations implement responsible, ethical AI solutions that align with real human needs across government and industry. A 2024 Women in AI APAC Award winner for Creative Industries, she has driven major initiatives such as Australia’s AI Impact Navigator framework and human‑centred AI products in public sector contexts that bridge innovation, governance and societal impact.
Akanksha Malik
Akanksha Malik is a Managing Principal at IRIS by Argon & Co and a Microsoft AI MVP, where she advises organisations on data, AI and analytics while helping leaders make more informed decisions with data‑driven solutions. She also champions diversity and inclusion in tech as founder of Paths Uncovered and Network Director of Women Who Code Melbourne, empowering non‑traditional talent pathways into technology and leading community engagement across AI and data events.
Professor Angie Abdilla
Professor Angie Abdilla is a palawa woman, creative technologist and designer whose research and practice centre Indigenous knowledge systems to inform the design of technology, automation, and Artificial Intelligence as cultural practice. She is Founder and Director of Old Ways, New, co-founder of the Indigenous Protocols and Artificial Intelligence working group (IP//AI), and a professor at the Australian National University’s School of Cybernetics, where she advances Country Centered Design and inclusive approaches to AI and technology development.
Dr Flora Salim
Professor Flora Salim is a leading AI and ubiquitous computing researcher at UNSW Sydney, serving as Deputy Director (Engagement) of the UNSW AI Institute. She develops foundation models and AI solutions for time-series and multimodal sensor data with applications in smart cities, sustainable infrastructure, and complex dynamic systems, and has been recognised with awards including the Women in AI ANZ Award, Humboldt Fellowship, and IBM Smarter Planet Industry Innovation Award.
Saba Samei
Saba Samiei is the founder and CEO of MACSO Technologies and Comfort.AI, where she leads the development of AI sensory fusion platforms that give machines human‑like sensing ability to detect early warning signals in environments such as animal health and safety monitoring. A visionary in deep‑tech AI with a strong ethical foundation, she has been recognised across the Asia‑Pacific for her leadership in AI innovation and responsible deployment of intelligent systems.
Trish Botha
Trish Botha is a proud Aboriginal business leader and Managing Director of Australian Indigenous AI Solutions (AIAS), blending the wisdom of the world’s oldest living cultures with cutting-edge technology to deliver ethical, culturally grounded AI that creates opportunity and closes digital divides. With over a decade of experience leading tech consulting, change management, and community-driven innovation across government, health, education, and industry, she champions Indigenous-led AI strategy, capability building, and pathways for the next generation of Indigenous technologists.
Women’s Agenda is independent journalism published by the 100% women owned and run Agenda Media. Subscribe to our daily newsletter, here.