Dr. Julia Stamm: Building a Future Where Technology Serves Us All

When Julia Stamm steps into a room—whether it’s a boardroom, conference hall, or online gathering—she brings more than expertise. She brings vision.

“I’m not a technologist,” she admits early in the conversation. “I’m driven by how to use technology to support the future of people and planet.” That north star has guided her from a background in sociology and international relations into the fast-evolving world of AI—not to build the next big product, but to ask deeper questions: Who is shaping our digital future? Who’s being left out? And what could a more inclusive, human-centered AI movement look like?

Julia’s career didn’t begin with algorithms and code. It began with bringing people together—across sectors, disciplines, and worldviews—to tackle what she calls “grand societal challenges.” Whether she was funding interdisciplinary research or creating policy frameworks, Julia found herself gravitating toward the invisible threads that connect us.

“You can’t just put an engineer in a room with a sociologist and expect magic,” she says. “You need space for conversation, for shared understanding."

Today, she’s channeling that connective energy into her latest initiative: SheShapes AI (sheshapes.ai). The organization shines a light on women around the world using AI for social good—from climate and education to peacebuilding and democracy.

“Less than 1% of global AI investment goes to impact-driven projects,” Julia explains. “That’s unacceptable. We need to show what’s possible when AI is used with care, empathy, and responsibility.”

With the community still in its early stages, wsfr.ai is launching its first awards program, highlighting five areas where AI can make meaningful change: Democracy, Peace, Media, Learning, and Climate Action. Each area reflects not only a global need but a deeply personal one. As a mother, Julia worries about her kids navigating misinformation online.

As a global citizen, she sees how climate-fueled displacement links directly to conflict and inequality. “Everything is interconnected,” she says. “We need to get better at seeing that.”

Still, the work isn’t easy. Julia left a stable, prestigious role to become an entrepreneur—a leap that required more than vision. It demanded tenacity. “The world wasn’t exactly waiting for me to do this,” she says with a smile. “But I believe so deeply in this work. And when I have hard days, I lean on the people around me. My family, my friends, they bring me back to the ‘why.’”

That “why” is what fuels her message to others. Especially to women in tech who might be quietly doing transformational work, unsure if their stories matter.

“It’s good to be humble,” Julia says, “but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk about what you’re doing. If we don’t tell these stories, they stay invisible. And we need role models—real, everyday role models."

Julia’s story is a reminder that responsible AI isn’t just a technical issue. It’s a human one. It’s about designing futures that include everyone. And sometimes, the most powerful innovation starts with a simple conversation—one that asks not just what we can build, but what we should.