We’ve all read the news—generative AI, or genAI, is rapidly reshaping our nation’s economic landscape. But what does the new wave of technological innovation really mean for women in their many roles as workers, managers, entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders?
To find out, watch the video of the fourth Women in the Economy Dialogue series. Aspen FSP’s Senior Fellow Heather McCulloch explored the promise and peril of generative AI for women in the economy with tech experts Caroline Hyde, host of Bloomberg TV daily technology show; Shubhi Rao, founder and CEO of the female-forward technology company Uplevyl; and Dwana Franklin-Davis, CEO of Reboot Representation, a national nonprofit that is strengthening career pathways for Black, Latina, and Native American women in tech.
The Women in the Economy Dialogues is a bimonthly webinar series hosted by the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program that features in-depth discussions with journalists, authors, and other thought leaders about how to build an economy that works for women. Women in the Economy uses an inclusive definition of “women” to include all individuals who self-identify as female.
Speakers
Dwana Franklin-Davis, CEO, Reboot Representation
Dwana joined Reboot Representation in 2019 after working in engineering and leadership positions in retail and fintech industries. Dwana led the Coalition to accomplish their 2018 goal of doubling the number of BLNA women earning computing degrees two years ahead of schedule. Based in New York City, Dwana holds a BS in Management from Purdue University and a MS in Information Management from Washington University in St. Louis. Dwana serves on the James McKelvey School of Engineering National Council at Washington University and on the Board of Trustees for Western Governors University.
Caroline Hyde, Host, Bloomberg TV/Daily Technology Show
Caroline Hyde hosts Bloomberg Television’s flagship daily technology show from New York. She has also served as anchor of “The Close” and the network’s chief European correspondent.
Hyde joined Bloomberg in 2008 to cover the European debt markets for Bloomberg News as a corporate finance reporter, focusing on company loans and bonds as well as sovereign debt.
Prior to joining Bloomberg, Hyde worked in public relations for London’s Moorgate Group. She holds an MA (Oxon) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University.
Shubhi Rao, CEO and Founder, Uplevyl
Shubhi is a distinguished leader recognized for her significant impact at the nexus of large-scale finance and advanced technology. She has played a pivotal role in building critical financial infrastructure, including payment factories that facilitate the movement of billions and trillions of dollars annually for multinational corporations such as Tyco and Google. Her tenure at Alphabet/Google saw her instrumental in developing major internal and external fintech platforms. Earlier in her career, she structured the pioneering $5 billion wholesale securitization of commercial paper for Ford Credit US.
Her career trajectory is marked by significant corporate milestones, particularly concerning diversity in executive leadership. Shubhi was the first woman of color appointed to an Officer role at Alphabet. She also holds the distinction of being the first woman and first person of color to serve as Treasurer at both Tesco PLC and Alphabet/Google, overseeing the treasury functions for these major global enterprises.
Beyond her executive roles, Shubhi contributes her expertise through key governance and advisory positions. She has served on the Board of Directors for Open Lending, a NASDAQ-listed company, since 2020, providing oversight and strategic guidance. Her insights into economic matters are valued on the honorary economic advisory council for the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco. Additionally, she has applied her experience to the non-profit sector, serving on the Board of the Center for Global Development and as a former Board Member of the International Center for Research on Women.
As technology continues to reshape industries, Shubhi is also recognized as a leading woman expert and technologist in the field of Artificial Intelligence, bringing her extensive background in complex financial systems to the forefront of AI’s application in business. Shubhi resides in Austin with her husband and their adorable Yorkie, Rani.
Heather McCulloch, Senior Fellow, Aspen Institute Financial Security Program
Heather McCulloch is a senior fellow at the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program and a national thought leader on gender economic equity. She founded and leads Women in the Economy (WE), a national initiative focused on engaging and convening thought leaders from across sectors to build an economy that works for women* and she is supporting the Aspen FSP Future of Wealth portfolio.
Heather has more than two decades of experience working as an advocate and thought leader focused on closing the gender and racial wealth gaps and building an equitable economy. Prior to joining Aspen, she founded and led Closing the Women’s Wealth Gap (CWWG), a multiracial/ethnic, cross-sector network of leaders working together to advance gender economic equity in the U.S. She is the principal and founder of Asset Building Strategies, a national consulting firm focused on building the financial security of low-wealth families and communities; and she was a founding staff member of the national nonprofit PolicyLink.
Her insights have been covered in major news publications, including CNN Business, Fast Company, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, NPR Marketplace, Slate, and USA Today. She earned an MSc in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and a BA in Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley.
