Cadence launches Fem.AI Alliance to foster gender equity

Cadence Design Systems, a leader in electronic systems design, has launched the Fem.AI Alliance, an initiative focused on promoting gender equity in the AI and tech industries. The coalition includes founding members such as the Equinix Foundation, NetApp, NVIDIA, and Workday, all committed to enhancing women’s participation and leadership in AI.

Spearheaded by the Cadence Giving Foundation, the alliance has pledged an initial $20 million to help overcome key challenges that discourage women from pursuing careers in STEM.

Anirudh Devgan, President and CEO of Cadence, said, “Women’s talent and perspectives are crucial to shaping the future of AI. Ensuring that women are well represented and valued in the workforce is a business imperative.”

“With our newly formed Fem.AI Alliance, we will work with like-minded companies to increase the number of women in STEM, which will fuel the creation of innovative, inclusive and responsible AI solutions,” said Devgan.

The inaugural Fem.AI Summit, hosted by the Cadence Giving Foundation on October 1, a day also recently recognized as International Women in AI Day, brought together leaders from the tech industry, as well as universities, venture capital and social impact.

The summit highlighted the challenges women face in AI and inspired leaders to play a role in effecting change. Experts discussed the many reasons to expand the talent pipeline and the need for diverse perspectives in the creation and testing of AI solutions.

Alexis Bjorlin, Vice President of DGX Cloud at NVIDIA, said, “AI has the power to transform society positively, but we must actively work together to improve representation. The Fem.AI Alliance presents an opportunity to help shape an inclusive AI future by empowering women to pioneer in this nascent field.”

Kathy Pham, Vice President of AI at Workday, said, “AI’s true potential relies on its ability to represent the range of human experiences, making Fem.AI’s mission so critical. In line with our commitment to elevating humans and supercharging work through the power of AI, Workday is proud to join this alliance to help support and cultivate women AI leaders driving innovation.”