eChai: Women in AI SF Edition

Happened on June 12, Thursday, 2025
5:30am — 07:30am (GMT-07)
Zoom Office
22 slots booked.
Meet the Speaker:
Top-rated questions will be asked live by the host during the event.
  • From Code to Command: What does technical leadership look like in your current role? How do you balance strategy and technical depth?
  • Scaling Systems vs. Scaling Teams: What’s been one of the hardest real-world challenges in scaling AI or leading large tech teams
  • The Leadership Gap in AI: What’s missing in current AI leadership conversations—and how do we get more diverse voices at the table?
  • Inclusion Beyond Hiring: What does true inclusion look like in deeply technical orgs, and how do we build it?
  • The Quiet Work Behind Great Teams: What lessons have you learned in building trust and alignment across cross-functional environments?
  • Looking Ahead: What AI trend excites you most—and where do you see new leadership opportunities emerging?
Agenda:

eChai and Zoom Developers are bringing together some of the most inspiring women leading the charge in AI — for an evening of honest conversations, bold insights, and real community.


​We’re kicking things off with a powerhouse panel featuring senior leaders from Meta, NVIDIA, Zoom, and Walmart — women who are not only building at scale but shaping the very fabric of AI’s future. Expect real stories, hard-earned lessons, and the kind of clarity that only comes from being in the arena.


​Then, Zoom Developers will take the stage to showcase what they’re building in the AI space — a peek behind the curtain of what’s next in intelligent collaboration.


​No fluff. No posturing. Just meaningful dialogue, and time to connect with fellow builders and believers.


​Whether you’re exploring leadership in tech, building AI products, or simply curious about what’s unfolding — this room is for you.


​🧭 Evening Flow


6:00 – 6:30 PM


​☕  Welcome & Curated Networking


​Arrive early, grab a cup of chai, and meet someone new. We’ll help spark the right conversations.


6:30 – 7:15 PM


​🎤 Panel: Women Leading the AI Frontier


​Featuring:



  • Sathiya Panner, Engineering Lead, Zoom

  • Syamla Bandla, Sr. Director of Production Engineering, Meta

  • Rupali Deshpande, AI Learning Specialist, NVIDIA

  • Mamta Suri, Sr Engineering Leader & AI Evangelist, Walmart

​A candid conversation on what it takes to lead, build, and scale in the fast-evolving world of AI.


7:15 – 7:30 PM


​⚡ Zoom AI Demo


​A quick dive into what Zoom Developers is creating to power the next generation of AI collaboration.


7:30 – 8:00 PM


​🍕 Open Networking & Pizza


​Chai fades into pizza as the night opens up for connection, reflection, and follow-ups.





💡 Why You Should Join


​Because spaces like this are rare —


​where leaders share openly,


​where builders show early,


​and where community feels real.


​Come for the insights. Stay for the spark.



🔗 Powered by eChai Ventures


​This event is brought to you in collaboration with eChai Ventures — a global founder’s network supporting startup communities across 25+ cities. If you’re a founder, builder, or operator looking to plug into high-trust, low-ego ecosystems — you’re already in the right room.


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The eChai Effect - In Their Words

"I have evolved from role of Community Builder to Startup Consultant to Startup Ecosystem Enabler to Angel Investor and now launching a Venture Studio and eChai has been a catalyst in my overall journey as Startup Evangelist since 13 years."
Mehul Shah - Co-Founder at Counselvise & Ivy Growth
Mehul Shah
Co-Founder at Counselvise & Ivy Growth
"eChai has been a game changer in my journey. It connected me with real people, real support and real opportunities. From building HMMBiz to launching Mindalcove, eChai has played a key role at every step. Grateful to be part of a community that truly believes in growing together."
Hardik Manwani - CTO, Mind Alcove
Hardik Manwani
CTO, Mind Alcove
“You don’t plan to build a company via eChai. You just keep showing up … and one day, you realize you did.” I’ve known Jatin since 2012, when I was still deciding what kind of second innings I wanted to play as an entrepreneur. Over the years, through events, chai breaks, intros, and seemingly small conversations, eChai helped shape not just Upsquare but also refined the lens through which we see collaboration. At Upsquare, we’ve hired talent, met partners, discovered co-investors, and built lifelong friendships. One of our joint ventures exists today only because a casual eChai memory sparked a deeper trust. Now, as we build House of Starts — our venture builder — eChai continues to fuel our mission: co-creating a shared future. eChai isn’t just a startup network. It’s a trust network. And for business builders like me, that makes all the difference."
Utpal Vaishnav - Founder @ Upsquare & House of Starts • Angel Investor + LP
Utpal Vaishnav
Founder @ Upsquare & House of Starts • Angel Investor + LP

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