AI Pioneer · Entrepreneur · Investor · Human-Centric Technology Leader
Dr. Rana el Kaliouby is an Egyptian-American AI scientist, entrepreneur, investor and thought leader focused on humanizing technology and advancing human-centric artificial intelligence.
She is the Co-Founder and General Partner of Blue Tulip Ventures, an early-stage investment firm focused on AI companies building technology designed to benefit people and the planet. She previously co-founded Affectiva, an MIT spin-out that pioneered Emotion AI, and served as its CEO until the company was acquired by Smart Eye in 2021.
Rana's work sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, human behavior and technology. At Affectiva, she helped develop AI capable of interpreting human emotions and behavioral signals, with applications spanning automotive, media analytics, healthcare, education, robotics and other fields.
Today, she continues to invest in AI-first companies while advocating for technology that is human-centered, ethical and responsible. Her areas of interest include artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, human insight AI, AI ethics and governance, health technology and the future of work.
Rana is also an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School, a TED speaker and the author of the bestselling memoir Girl Decoded: A Scientist's Quest to Reclaim Our Humanity by Bringing Emotional Intelligence to Technology. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and completed postdoctoral research at MIT.
Her keynotes explore how organizations can harness AI while keeping human needs, ethics and trust at the center of technological progress.