AI for Women Conference
AI for Women Conference | Durham, NC
A one-day AI conference for women business leaders ready to learn, implement, and lead with AI.
What if you weren't the only woman in the room to learn about AI?
Women are showing up to AI conferences and finding the same thing: rooms full of men, content built for engineers, and zero consideration for how women actually learn, lead, and make decisions. We're done with that.
Research backs this up. A Harvard Business School meta-analysis of 140,000+ people found women have 22% lower odds of using generative AI because we're asking harder questions first.
The qualities that get framed as "hesitation" or "resistance" are really healthy skepticism, risk awareness, and concern for the people and society using these tools.
SO because of this we're not behind on AI. We're naturally positioned to lead it. We just need to learn these tools in a way that feels authentic — through real conversation, peer-to-peer learning, and practical use cases, not hype and pressure.
That's why we built this. The AI for Women Conference is a one-day experience we designed for women business leaders — from the content to the speakers to the way the room is set up. We created a space rooted in psychological safety, where C-suite executives, operators, and business professionals from companies of all sizes can engage with AI on our own terms.
We're the Center for Practical AI and two women-owned and operating businesses, The Katalyst HQ and GrowthUP Partners. Every session features real women's AI adoption stories from enterprise and SMB leaders. No hype. No theory. No influencers on stage.
Just credible operators sharing what's actually working inside their organizations and tactical frameworks you can bring back to your team.
WHAT TO EXPECT
🔹 Morning — Keynote: The State of AI for Women + Expert Panels
🔹 Midday — Intentional Networking Lunch (included)
🔹 Afternoon — Tactical sessions on implementation frameworks, workflows, and business use cases
🔹 Evening — Networking reception with light hors d'oeuvres
You'll hear from executive speakers from IBM, Nvidia, CGI, UNC, Duke and more— real women leaders who are using AI in their organizations right now and will tell you what's actually working, what isn't, and what they'd do differently.
No vendor pitches. No male-dominated panels. Just women business leaders having the real conversation about AI.
WHAT OTHER WOMEN LIKE YOU HAD TO SAY ABOUT OUR LAST AI FOR WOMEN EVENT
We hosted 80+ women for our AI for Women panel in December 2025. Here's what they said:
"I walked away with concrete ideas I can apply immediately."
"Hearing about experimenting and the reminder that there are no real AI experts yet — so we shouldn't feel behind."
"It was engaging, easy to follow, and I genuinely learned something new."
100% of attendees said they'd come back. 92% rated speakers Excellent or Very Good. This is the full-day version of what our community has been asking for.
WHAT YOU'LL GAIN:
→ A clear, honest picture of where AI is right now — no hype, no fear-mongering
→ Real implementation stories from women leaders in marketing, operations, and client services
→ Practical frameworks and use cases you can bring back to your team Monday morning
→ A peer network of women navigating the same AI decisions you are
→ Confidence to lead AI conversations at your organization — even if you don't write code
THIS EVENT IS FOR YOU IF...
→ You're a women business leader, director, VP, or founder who knows AI matters but hasn't found the right way in
→ You've been to AI events that felt like they were built for someone else
→ You want to learn from women who've actually done this — not from people selling AI
→ You want a room where you can ask the "basic" questions without judgment
→ You care about the ethical, environmental, and social implications of AI — not just the productivity gains
→ You want to adopt AI in a way that feels authentic to how you already lead — collaborative, thoughtful, and people-first
FAQ: This is a safe space for women, non-binary, and any other women allies. All are welcome.
WHAT COMES NEXT
This conference is designed to be Day 1 of a bigger journey. Every session intentionally leads toward the AI Proficiency Certification — CPAI's flagship program that has already trained over 200 professionals in the private B2B space.
Now, for the first time, we're opening a women-only cohort to the public.
Gain Your AI Proficiency Certification Alongside Women Just Like You!
A 4-week hybrid program that begins the morning after the conference. Part self-guided, part live instruction — built for working female professionals who don't have time to waste but refuse to fall behind.
Timeline to CPAI Certified
June 3: In-Person, Continental breakfast + Lessons 1–3
June 10: Virtual (Live), Lesson 4
June 17: Virtual (Live), Lesson 5
June 24: Lunch provided, In-Person, Final Practicum
Graduates earn an AI Proficiency Certificate from CPAI — giving you the language, frameworks, and confidence to lead AI adoption at your organization, not just participate in it.
TICKETS
Conference Only — $75 Full access to keynotes, panels, tactical sessions, lunch, and the evening networking reception.
Conference + Certification — $995 Full certification enrollment plus your Day 1 conference admission is included free. (Limited to 40 seats for June 3rd cohort, but more cohorts to follow depending demand)
If you decide to enroll in the certification after registering for the conference, your $75 conference ticket gets credited toward the certification fee.
We're keeping this event and the cohorts intentionally small so every woman in the room gets real interaction with speakers and peers. Register early to secure your seat.
WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
If you are interested in potentially speaking, sponsoring, volunteering, or requesting a sponsorship, please fill out this form and we will contact you shortly. Yay!