AI Community Builder of the Year

Austen is the founder of Gauntlet AI, a free, intensive training program that prepares production software engineers to build with AI, flying accepted students to Austin and covering their costs throughout the 10-week fellowship.

Austen has built a loyal, growing community of hundreds of graduates who give back through initiatives like Code for Community, launched the free Night School program for enterprise engineers, and partners with hiring companies to place graduates into $200K+ roles, all while opening his Austin office to the wider community through events like Fired Festival and collaborations with the Chamber of Commerce.

Yvette is the CEO of Fusion Collective, an ISO 42001 Certified Lead Auditor, and the creator of ETHICALENS™ and GUARDIAN Protocol™, having audited hundreds of AI systems to protect more than 2 million people from algorithmic discrimination while helping Fortune 500 companies avoid costly compliance violations.

With 30+ years of enterprise systems experience as a Former AWS Senior Portfolio Delivery Leader and PwC Digital Architecture Partner, she now serves as a Congressional AI advisor and sought-after keynote speaker reaching 500,000+ people through TEDx, AfroTech, and Black Tech Fest, delivering board-ready AI governance that turns ethical AI into a competitive advantage.

Andreas is an internationally recognized top 10 Agentic AI leader and 2x best-selling author, having spent over two decades in global leadership, including as Vice President at SAP, helping Fortune 500 companies cut through AI hype to deliver measurable business outcomes.

As Founder of Intelligence Briefing, he helps leaders apply AI responsibly and profitably through keynotes and workshops on agentic teams, AI-driven business models, and agentic commerce. He has been named a LinkedIn Top Voice, Thinkers360's Top 10 AI Thought Leader, and SwissCognitive's Top 50 Global AI Ambassador, with work featured in CIO.com, Forbes, and CNBC.

Dr. Arsh Arora brings a decade of cybersecurity research and investigation experience, holding a Ph.D. in Cyber Security focused on ransomware detection and prevention, with a skill set spanning malware analysis, incident response, bitcoin investigations, and financial crime mitigation, including work alongside the FBI on domestic and international investigations leading to successful arrests.

As AI adoption has accelerated, Dr. Arora has built AI fluency into the security community, speaking, moderating, or keynoting at more than 20 events including Ai4 and BSides conferences, founding the AI SOC ThinkTank LinkedIn community, and publishing a white paper on machine-speed incident response, while leading an internal AI learning initiative at McKesson to help analysts integrate AI agents into their daily workflows.

Kimberly is Head of Community & Growth and Executive Leadership Board Member at Retail Women in Tech (RWIT), where she grew the community 27-fold in one year and built programs spanning mentorship, campus partnerships, and AI literacy that have reached thousands of members across three continents.

She also co-founded and serves as COO of Fitsū, a physics-based fit intelligence company for apparel and AI commerce, and is a co-inventor on its filed patent. A recognized RETHINK Retail Top AI Leader and Top Retail Expert, she translates technical complexity into commercial clarity across classrooms, podcasts, and industry stages.

Daniel connects practical AI experience with the people making decisions about its use, spanning pro bono practitioner education, peer communities, and the classroom. A Georgia Tech graduate who overcame two failed attempts before earning a 3.8 major GPA, and a former infantry sharpshooter, he brings a background of adapting through setbacks into his work helping others navigate AI adoption with clarity rather than hype.

In 2026, he spoke at four AEC and AI-focused conferences, began teaching AI in Business at Georgia Institute of Technology, and is a Founding Member of AI Circle, an international peer community for AI practitioners. He also mentors across business, academic, and technical circles, including developing an interdisciplinary AI program with the Tony Kepano Joint Center for Real Estate, while founding his own company tackling a multi-trillion-dollar procurement problem.