Events

Women in Data & AI (WiDA) at Waterloo 

Episode 1 — Canadian Women Shaping AI | Noreen Syed, IBM Consulting Canada 

Kicking off Canadian Women Shaping AI with Noureen Syed, Partner at IBM Consulting Canada and proud UWaterloo alum. We dive into her journey from engineering at UWaterloo to leading AI transformations across Canada - and how empathy, curiosity, and strategy define impactful leadership in tech.

In this episode of Canadian Women Shaping AI, we sit down with Alina Rivilis — CEO & Co-Founder of AI Future Leaders and Director of Data Science & AI at Home Trust Company — to explore how data, ethics, and innovation come together to shape the future of AI.

With over 25 years of experience in Enterprise Technology, AI strategy, and Data Science Leadership, Alina has built a career at the intersection of innovation and integrity. Through AI Future Leaders, she is helping schools, organizations, and individuals adopt AI responsibly while fostering critical thinking and creativity.

In our conversation, we discuss what it means to build trust in data-driven systems, how ethical education can fuel innovation, and why preparing people — not just technology — is at the heart of a sustainable AI future.

Get to know the MDSAI program and how to apply. From background requirements and required application documents to important deadlines and easy steps to submit your application.