TechFutures

Transformation Now! or Career Death: ☠️Death of the Associate PM☠️ I recently led a workshop at TechFutures on AI transformation in product management, and we confronted an uncomfortable truth: the Associate Product Manager role as we've known it is ending. Product is changing and you must transform now. LinkedIn just made this official by killing their APM program and launching the Associate Product Builder (APB) program instead. This isn't just a rebrand and upskilling, it's a fundamental reimagining of how we build products. ❓Why the shift? ❓ AI has demolished the traditional boundaries between product, engineering, and design. PMs are now building design prototypes. Designers are shipping front-end code. Engineers have more time for customer conversations. The strict role definitions that defined our careers for decades are dissolving. What once required 2-3 years of apprenticeship, user research synthesis, competitive analysis, roadmap prioritization, technical documentation, can now be accelerated through AI tools. But this doesn't mean fewer opportunities. It means a more powerful entry point. 💡 The new reality: Everyone must be product builder but not all are great communicators💡 The future PM must be AI-fluent from day one, but technical fluency alone isn't enough. Here's what separates average from great: Average PMs obsess over effort. Great PMs obsess over narrative. If you can't tell a compelling story or build a brand around your product, you're doing yourself a disservice. Communication and storytelling are your unfair advantages in an AI-augmented world. Key takeaways from Tech Futures: ➗ Treat data as a product 🏗️ Build purposeful processes, not just features ⚖️ Prioritize platform engineering by design 🧠 Focus on strategic thinking and stakeholder navigation over purely operational tasks LinkedIn 's APB program even requires a 60-second demo of something you've actually built. They're looking for builders, not just thinkers. The Associate PM role isn't disappearing. Product is evolving into something more powerful. Those who embrace AI as their co-creators and companions become true product builders will thrive. I will looking to the sponsors and leaders from Cisco, EY, Airbnb, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Dell Technologies, Morgan Stanley, Roblox, DoubleVerify, Mastercard, Nike, Walmart Connect, Adobe, Boeing, Fidelity Investments, The Walt Disney Company, The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) and so many more on the way they build and evolve on their product operating models What's one assumption about AI transformation you've had to unlearn recently? #TechFutures #AITransformation #ProductManagement #ProductLeadership #AgenticAI

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend TechFutures alongside a fantastic team of Avalarians.   The sessions offered deep insight into how organizations can leverage AI responsibly, while emphasizing that human-centric skills, such as storytelling and stakeholder management, are more critical than ever. One powerful takeaway: humans and AI together achieve the most accurate and effective results—better than either alone.   AI is a powerful means to unlock new creative capacity, and the real opportunity lies in using that capacity to enhance people skills—building stronger relationships, developing leaders, and telling more meaningful stories.   The future of work is not AI vs. humans—it’s humans empowered by AI.   #AI #Leadership #Innovation #FutureOfWork #TechFutures #Avalara

Last week, I had the exciting opportunity to represent Uber at TechFutures in New York, a three-day conference that brought together thousands of leaders and creators from across tech and beyond, all focused on how innovation can deliver real-world impact at scale! The event covered everything from AI and automation to healthcare and social impact; it was a great mix of forward-looking conversations about how technology can transform the way we live, work, and connect. I was honored to join the speaker lineup and, in a 15-minute TED-style session, share how we can build technology with more intention to close systemic gaps in care and drive impact where it’s needed most. In a moment when much of the conversation in tech centers on the promise of AI and automation, it felt especially meaningful to explore the other side of innovation that makes those advances even stronger: empathy, purpose, and design that put people first. My session looked at healthcare as a test case for building more equitable systems, and how Uber and Uber Health are applying technology to make access simpler and smarter at scale. It reinforced a belief that the next wave of innovation will be defined not just by what we automate, but by what we humanize. The energy in the room was so incredible!! There were a lot of thoughtful questions and a shared belief that technology can move people in more ways than one. I’m grateful for the chance to represent this wonderful team, tell our story, and be reminded that empathy isn’t just good design, it’s good business. #Uber #UberHealth #TechFutures #HealthcareInnovation #LifeAtUber

Last week, members of our SiriusXM team attended the LWT TechFutures Summit in New York City, where they connected with inspiring leaders across tech, business, and culture, explored emerging trends, and celebrated innovation and inclusion. 🌟 As a proud sponsor of the event, we’re honored to support spaces that elevate diverse voices and spark ideas shaping the future of technology. #LifeAtSiriusXM #LWTSummit #TechFutures

Last week, I had the honor of speaking at the LWT TechFutures in NY! Right after a false fire alarm in the morning, I was there bringing clarity to chaos :) My session, “Mastering NotebookLM: From Chaos to Clarity,” focused on building a repeatable system for digesting documents. The goal: turn complexity into clarity and the feedback from attendees was incredible. 💡 My speaking style is simple: I use storytelling (with a little impromptu humor!) to connect complex ideas to real-world impact. It was energizing to see this resonate with the audience and to walk away with meaningful new connections. I walked away with new relationships with fellow speaker Deeheem Ansari Arushee Garg Dimple Bhatia. The best part is always the feedback shared by Lisa Griffith Crescent Diamond Camilla Djamalov Kristen Kavanaugh Jacqueline Hwang Liu Mengyue To the amazing organizers Women Who Code, LWT, TechFutures and Julia Juarez Miller Salesforce - thank you for creating such a seamless and impactful event. --- If your organization is looking for a speaker who can tell a compelling story using data, technology, and AI to inspire action, let's connect. I specialize in making the complicated simple and actionable. As part of Women in AI USA, I can also help you find best-in-class expertise and speakers for your upcoming tech and AI events. #TechFutures #WomenWhoCodeSummit #LWTSUMMIT #AI #PublicSpeaking #WomenInTech #NYC #LesbiansWhoTech #GenAI #Speaker #WomenWhoCode #WomenInAI

Last week was TechFutures 2025 conference, and I had the honor of co-hosting a keynote workshop on AI in Financial Services with the brilliant Christine Tu. The conference may have a new name, but its mission remains bold and clear: build tech that includes everyone. And this year, one theme echoed louder than ever - allyship isn’t optional; it’s foundational. In our session, we explored how AI is changing the finance industry - but also how culture, leadership, and inclusion must evolve alongside the technology. Because we’re not just building code. We’re building futures. In a room full of innovators, dreamers, allies, and change-makers, I saw a thousand legacies being shaped - not through grand announcements, but through small acts of visibility, mentorship, and courage. 🌟 We don’t get to write our own legacy. 🌟 But we do get to show up with intention. 🌟 And that’s how movements are made. #TechFutures #LWT #AI #Allyship #Inclusion #Legacy #Leadership

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend TechFutures 2025 Conference held at New York’s iconic South Street Seaport. The three-day event covered various topics from rebirthing a brand in the digital age to connecting with consumers in today’s market to professional tips on how to effectively network. Yet, the one major theme that was consistent across all sessions was how AI is changing, impacting, and driving our workflows and culture today. Compelling topics that caught my interest were a panel with Anthropic and UnitedHealthcare on how AI is evolving the workplace and how companies can strategically implement AI tools throughout an organization. Another was how AI is transforming the sports industry where executives from X Games and Owl AI discussed the balance between human intuition and machine intelligence. One fascinating highlight is how X Games is utilizing AI to predict competition winners before the actual sporting event. Last, the Tech Crawl networking event was a great platform to meet and engage with talent acquisition representatives from major brands such as Peloton Interactive, Capital One, Pinterest, Mastercard, Google, and more. As a marketing and experiential professional, I always analyze and evaluate the events I attend taking internal notes on what was executed well and what can be done to improve the guest experience. Here are my constructive suggestions for the TechFutures team on what can implemented for next year’s gathering: 1. Clearer and more concise event communications: The confirmations and reminder emails were a bit lengthy and too wordy making the user feel overwhelmed and not compelled to finish reading. There also needs to be distinct verbiage on what an attendee’s ticket grants access to. I heard from a diverse group of guests that they were not sure what their pass provides. The smaller IPIC sessions had great content, but it was not really made clear that those were not included in a general pass. 2. Downloading the Bizzabo app: It was confusing on why the Bizzabo app had to be downloaded to access certain content features. One example was on the Pier 17 Rooftop LED Screen saying to use the app to confirm your space for the Uber Networking Party. I went to the Uber event listing and a space could not be reserved. 3. More food and beverage throughout the space: One consistent comment I heard from attendees was that there was not enough food and beverage offerings. There should have been beverage and snack stations throughout for guests especially on the fourth floor and rooftop. In its entirety, the activation was well attended and positively received. There are always ways to enhance and improve future programs where feedback and post-event discussions are imperative. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this year and I look forward to attending again!