Anita Schjøll Abildgaard
The majority of my time is spent as the CEO and Co-founder of Iris.ai, where we are building some really smart Artificial Intelligence tools for really smart people – researchers and scientists – and everything we do is For Science. I’m also Faculty at SingularityU Nordic, where I get to talk all things AI across the world. I am a member of the board of the Katapult Group and looking to take on another board position. I usually have a small handful other projects going on as well, from hosting ARTE documentaries to writing.
I thrive on stage, especially talking about things I’m passionate about, which includes Iris.ai, Artificial Intelligence in general, Scientific publishing, running a startup, disrupting entire industries and all things future of technology – especially so the ethics part. However, I like to think I can talk *and* get shit done. I have been part of building some amazing things over the past decade.
I have been grateful to receive some recognition for my work over the last few years, like being on Forbes’ list over the Top Women in Tech in 2018 and the Inspiring Fifty Nordics list in 2017 and 2019 – and Iris.ai made it to Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative companies in Artificial Intelligence in 2017, right behind Google – and before Pinterest.
The past 10 years my career has spanned 9 industries including developing an e-learning tool in Silicon Valley, performing theatre for babies, reducing energy consumption in the process industry through heat exchanger network optimization, getting 30 (mainly middle-age male) engineers to dance to ABBA in front of their co-workers, facilitating solar light business creation in Kenya, being in the centre of several startups crashing and burning, organizing entrepreneurial conferences and trying to disrupt the recruitment industry. I also dropped by 6 universities on the way. And built a race car.
I sport a pink mohawk and am a bit of a unicorn. Don’t expect me to fit into your box.