About WiDS GM
About Us
WiDS @ GM is an independent event that is organized by General Motors as part of the annual WiDS Worldwide conference, the WiDS Datathon, and an estimated 200 WiDS Regional Events worldwide. Everyone is invited to attend all WiDS conference and WiDS Datathon Workshop events which feature outstanding women doing outstanding work.
WiDS started as a one-day technical conference at Stanford in 2015 aimed to inspire and educate data scientists. Today, WiDS has grown to become a global movement that includes many worldwide initiatives.
Register now for our no-cost virtual conference here.
Mark your calendars to join us on May 13, 2026, at the 7th annual GM sponsored WiDS conference, to learn from data scientist professionals in various fields who will share the latest research and applications of data science in a broad set of domains. Attendees will learn how leading-edge companies are leveraging data science for success.
Date and Time
May 13, 2026
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM EDT
Featured Speakers
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Keynote Speaker
Cynthia Frelund, NFL
On-Air Predictive Analytics Expert
Topic: The NFL Playbook for AI: Making Clear Decisions in a Noisy Data World
Tech Talk
Barnali Bhattacharjee, Layer 6 TD Bank
Senior Manager Gen AI Delivery
Topic: The Enterprise GenAI Factory: Turning Innovation into Scalable Value
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Tech Talk
Cindi Howson, Thoughtspot
Chief Data & AI Strategy Officer
Topic: AI Literacy in the Boardroom: What Data and AI Leaders Must Know
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Tech Talk
Dr. Cecilia Dones,
3 Standard Deviations
Founder & Chief Data Officer
Topic: Beyond Model Accuracy: Designing Evaluation Systems for Production AI
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Tech Talk
Claudia V. Goldman, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Professor
Topic: Defining Digital Trust: The AI Agent Connection
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Tech Talk
Aura Greenberg, Corning Inc
Division VP Data & Analytics
Topic: From Complexity to Coherence: Building Shared Context for Humans and AI to Scale Safety
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Tech Talk
Ghazal Gulati, Atlan
Chief of Staff
Topic: From Data to Decisions: Best Practices for Working with Business Users in the Age of AI
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Tech Talk
Joanne Issac, CVS Health
Director of Data Engineering & Analytics
Topic: Great Analysis, Poor Impact: The Cost of Ignoring Business
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Tech Talk
Srishti Iyer, General Motors
Director of AV SW
Topic: From Simulation to Street: Data-Driven Validation of Autonomous Driving AI
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WiDS@GM 2026 Panel: Thriving in the AI Era
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Tech Talk
Shelby Patzer, General Motors
Scientist
Topic: Finding Failing EV Batteries Before Sale: Telematics-Driven Divergence and Droop Analytics
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Tech Talk
Sumana Rao, Stra OS
Founder & CEO
Topic: From Agent Sprawl to Organizational Intelligence: Why Scaling AI Requires a Governance Nervous System
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Tech Talk
Jenna Farhan, General Motors
Technical Fellow
Topic: AI Empowering Women: Real-World Tools and Opportunities
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Thank you to our 2026 WiDS @GM Committee & Volunteers
Agenda
10:00-10:05 AM (ET)
Opening Remarks - Sheri Marshall
10:05-10:30 AM (ET)
Keynote
Cynthia Frelund
10:30-10:50 AM (ET)
Tech Talk
Cindi Howson
10:50-11:00 AM (ET) Break
11:00-11:20 AM (ET)
Tech Talk
Claudia Goldman
11:20-11:50 AM (ET)
WiDS@GM 2026 Panel: Thriving in the AI Era
Moderated by: Hannah Perlstein
Carishma Arun Shetty
Johanna Youn
Kalpana Yanamadala
Marissa Petty
11:50-12:10 PM (ET)
Tech Talk
Barnali Bhattacharjee
12:10-12:40 PM (ET) Lunch Break
12:40-1:00 PM (ET)
Tech Talk
Joanne Issac
1:00-1:20 PM (ET)
Tech Talk
Srishti Iyer
1:20- 1:40 PM (ET)
Tech Talk
Ghazal Gulati
1:40 - 2:00 PM (ET)
Tech Talk
Aura Greenberg
2:00 - 2:10 PM (ET) Break
2:10 - 2:30 PM (ET)
Tech Talk
Dr. Cecilia Dones
2:30 -2:50 PM (ET)
Tech Talk
Sumana Rao
2:50 - 3:10 PM (ET)
Tech Talk
Shelby Patzer
3:10 - 3:30 PM (ET)
Tech Talk
Jenna Farhan