At the 2024 Women Tech Council Innovation Summit, tech leaders, students, and policymakers gathered to explore AI’s future, share bold ideas, and celebrate innovation through inspiring stories and practical insights.
Recently at the Zions Bancorporation Technology Campus in Midvale, Utah, the Women Tech Council hosted its annual Innovation Summit, gathering a dynamic mix of entrepreneurs, technologists, students, and policymakers. The theme, The Age of AI, underscored the need for intentional leadership, strategic integration of artificial intelligence, and a willingness to embrace experimentation.
Cydni Tetro, Founder and CEO of Women Tech Council, opened the summit by urging attendees to recognize the unprecedented pace of change. “We are in a revolution happening right before our eyes,” she said, emphasizing that "we have to change the way we think and the way that we learn... because it’s not only inevitable, it’s happening at light speed.”
Natalie Gochnour, Director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, followed with an optimistic but cautious economic outlook. “In 2024, Utah had the fastest-growing economy in the nation,” she said. While proud of the state’s performance, Gochnour warned that “we're at risk right now. The current administration is doing risky things with the hope of long-term benefit. These are new times — but there's no place I’d rather be than in the state of Utah.”
One of the most compelling stories came from Dana Ware, Chief Creative Officer at Around, who shared her experience designing an AR experience for the LA Rams and Disneyland. The launch initially failed, she admitted, but “every big project has a moment where it breaks — and that's not failure, that's feedback.” Her team rebuilt the platform, and by the next game, “thousands of people were able to get in... they saw a digital castle rise from the stadium and interacted with fireworks. It was pure joy.” She concluded, “When your project breaks — which it probably will — get excited, because that's when the real design challenge begins.”
Youth leadership was also spotlighted Isabelle Wolchek, a SheTech student board member and two-time SheTech Media - TechBuzz Intern, who described her journey from attending a SheTech Explorer Day to growing her school’s STEM participation from one girl to 73. “I even landed a research internship at Utah State University and will be attending Yale University,” she said. “SheTech helped me build my network and try things beyond what a normal high school student would be able to do.”
Several speakers emphasized AI’s impact on productivity. Jon Bradshaw, CEO of Codebase and President of AI Utah, described how “projects are now completed in weeks instead of months,” with AI tools generating code from specs in seconds. “It’s like the world has changed,” he said.
Echoing this, Ryan Elliot, a tech CEO, compared today’s AI fear to the Y2K panic. “Back then it was planes falling from the sky. Today, people say AI will replace developers,” he said, but added, “I think it’s going to generate opportunity and let us click into frontiers we don’t even know exist yet.”
Margaret Busse, Executive Director of the Utah Department of Commerce, outlined the state’s approach to AI regulation: “balanced, light-touch, and focused on innovation.” She explained that companies using automated systems must simply disclose it to consumers and invited participation in state “learning labs” that shape policy.
In the final sessions, leaders shared how they are embedding AI in their organizations. Rachel Hofstetter, CMO of SEIS, said her company uses automation to achieve outcomes that are “faster, better, stronger, and smarter.”
Caleb Hicks, CEO of SchoolAI, called their tools “like Iron Man suits” that empower educators, while Kat Judd, Chief People Officer at Lucid, emphasized the importance of “upskilling every employee to be AI-first” through hands-on forums and best practice sharing. Chandana Haque, Executive Director at Altitude Lab, said their biotech accelerator is using AI “from due diligence to daily operations,” encouraging startups to treat data as a core strategic asset.
As the summit closed, attendees were invited to nominate before the end of the month inspiring women in Utah's tech community for the upcoming Women Tech Awards — a reminder that as technology evolves, it’s the people leading with purpose who shape its direction.
Serena Dearden is recent graduate from NUAMES in Ogden, Utah, which includes an associate’s degree from Weber State University. She is a second year SheTech student board member. She intends to pursue a STEM career.
Rumaana Patel is a recent graduate from Cedar Valley High School in Eagle Mountain, Utah. She is passionate about technology and dreams of one day launching her own business. She is working toward a career in software engineering, taking advanced programming courses to strengthen her skills.
Photo credit: Laura Kinser