We are geographically distributed and intellectually interdisciplinary! We are grateful for our team’s diverse experiences and expertise across AI, software engineering, UX research, ethnography, law & policy, and labor organizing.
Shaomei Wu
Founder & CEO
Shaomei was a staff research scientist and engineer at Facebook AI and Instagram, leading large cross-org teams on “tech for good” initiatives and products, including Accessibility, AI for Inclusion, and Instagram Equity. She received her PhD at Cornell University studying viralness and collective behaviors in large social networks.
As a person of color, an immigrant, a woman in tech, as well as a person who stutters, Shaomei has experienced intersectionality and marginalizations first-hand, and is committed to leverage her technical expertise and lived experiences to create a new paradigm of technologies that is truly equitable and empowering for all.
Karin Patzke
Secretary and board member
Karin is an independent scholar interested in understanding how people claim spaces to reconcile personal desires and needs with the constraints of formal and informal governance structure. Drawing on her broad experiences in the arts, non-profits, and academia, Karin oversees the operations and structural development of AImpower.
Ben Lickly
Treasurer
Ben brings a background in technology, organizing, and academia, and is currently both a practicing software engineer and union steward. Previously, Ben received his Ph.D in EECS from UC Berkeley.
Niranjan Sivakumar
Board member
Drawing on his extensive experience advising a number of high growth technology companies as well as teaching and researching at a number of academic institutions in the US, EU and UK, Niranjan brings a background investigating the intersection of law, society and technology to AImpower.
Lindsay Reynolds
Board member
Lindsay is a User Experience Researcher in the tech industry. She received her Ph.D. in Communication from Cornell University and was a postdoctoral researcher before joining the industry. Her research expertise and interests include: accessibility, collaborative online gaming, and feedback for physical and mental health.
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