287: The Next Leadership Gap: Women, AI Readiness, and Emerging Technology with Kendra MacDonald

If women don't experiment with AI now, we risk hard-coding today's leadership gaps into tomorrow's technology. In this episode I'm joined by Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada's Ocean Supercluster, to explore the intersection of women in leadership, AI readiness, representation, and emerging technology. This conversation goes beyond theory. It tackles the real risks and opportunities facing women leaders as AI, climate tech, and other emerging technologies reshape how leadership works — and who gets to shape the future. In this episode, we discuss: ◾ Why representation in leadership matters more than ever in emerging tech ◾ How AI adoption in the workplace can either reduce or reinforce gender bias ◾ Why women's hesitation to experiment with AI is a leadership issue — not a technical one ◾ What it takes to lead confidently in male-dominated industries like tech and ocean  innovation ◾ How leadership pipelines for women are shaped early — at work, at home, and through education ◾ The role of experimentation, confidence, and visibility in closing the leadership gap Kendra shares her own journey — from stepping away from STEM early in life to leading large-scale innovation and commercialisation — and offers practical insight into how women leaders can engage with AI and emerging tech without needing to be technical experts. If you care about: ✔ women in tech leadership ✔ AI readiness for leaders ✔ gender diversity in leadership ✔ bias in AI algorithms ✔ emerging and sustainable technology this episode is for you. If you're ready for your next  level explore how to strengthen your leadership clarity, visibility, and career trajectory by booking a discovery call via the link in the description.   **Useful links** Connect with today's guest and sponsor, Kendra MacDonald: ◾  W: kendramacdonald.com ◾ Substack: https://substack.com/@saltwatersignals  This episode was sponsored by our guest, Kendra MacDonald. Thank you Kendra for helping to bring Leading Women in Tech to this community!