In the age of AI, it’s timely to recognise women who have conributed to championing the technology. In Australia and New Zealand, the Women in AI (WAI) Awards 2021 aims to support and reward excellence to women in AI.

Monash University’s Monash Data Futures Institute and Salesforce are supporting this awards, which covers 11 categories to recognise Australian and New Zealand female entrepreneurs in the AI field, who have founded or co-founded a company, and who have a working product.

Both are among the sponsors that are contributing to the A$20,000 prize pool for the winner and runners up of the Grand Award: – Australia-New Zealand WAI Entrepreneur of the Year.

Honouring top female entrepreneurs in AI

“These awards enable us to honour the top female entrepreneurs in AI, inspire other women to pursue AI-related careers and increase female representation and participation in AI,” said Professor Joanna Batstone, Director of Monash Data Futures Institute at Monash University .

“As businesses continue to adopt new technologies like AI, we will continue to see new levels of productivity throughout the way we do business. That’s why I’m proud that Salesforce is sponsoring the WAI Awards, to help support women in developing and learning new skills in AI to prepare them to be technology leaders of the future,” said Di Terry, Vice President of Solution Engineering at Salesforce.

The awards will be presented on February 23, 2021 at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. It will be hosted by award winning STEM Journalist and NITV Science & Technology Editor Rae Johnston with WAI Awards Advisory Group Patron the Hon Julie Bishop presenting the Grand Award.