Presentation Summary
We are not just using AI — we are raising it. And how we raise our digital systems today will shape our institutions, our students, and our societies tomorrow.
In this provocative and hopeful keynote, Gry Stene — international speaker, neurospicy tech whisperer, and advocate for inclusion in innovation — explores how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping the future of work, learning, and leadership in higher education. But rather than asking what AI can do for us, Gry asks: what kind of future are we co-creating — and who is being left out?
Blending powerful storytelling, lived experience, and deep expertise in inclusive tech, Gry invites educators, IT leaders, and librarians to see themselves as good parents to the AI we’re raising — nurturing it with ethics, equity, and empathy.
You’ll explore:
- How to integrate AI in ways that enhance, not erode, belonging and connection
- Feminine strengths and diverse thinking as superpowers in digital leadership
- Real-world stories of inclusion gaps — and how we can bridge them
- Tangible ways to design tech and teams that don’t leave anyone behind
If we want tech for good, we must build cultures where everyone feels welcome, valued, and inspired. This is our opportunity — and our responsibility.
Meet the Speaker
Gry Stene
CEO, It Girls Rock / Steam Engine Global,
Gry Stene is not just a voice in technology — she is a visionary force driving transformative change across the tech landscape. With over 35 years of experience as a pioneer, leader and advocate, Gry — affectionately known as the Tech Whisperer — has been at the forefront of digital innovation, ethical AI, and inclusive culture development.
Starting her career with a BSc (Hons) in Computation from the University of Manchester, Gry quickly distinguished herself by reshaping the tech environments of both global conglomerates and agile startups. Her journey has been driven by a deep belief in the power of inclusive and diverse teams to solve complex global problems and create meaningful change.
Gry is the founder of IT Girls Rock, a global coaching and community platform for women and underrepresented people in tech, and co-creator of STEAM Engine Global, a social enterprise bridging the gap between education and the future of work. Her TEDx talk, Powering Our Future with AI and STEAM (2018), spotlighted the intersection of ethics, creativity and technology.
In 2025, Gry will release her first book - Full Throttle & Torque - An Alien Roadtrip — a deeply personal and thought-provoking exploration of identity, inclusion, and what it really takes to belong and thrive in a world shaped by tech. Drawing on her lived experience as a migrant, a woman in a male-dominated industry, and a proudly neurospicy leader, she brings both vulnerability and visionary thinking to every stage, boardroom, and coaching session.
From her formative years in Botswana to her career across all continents, Gry has remained committed to challenging the status quo, creating equitable systems, and celebrating the “same same but different” qualities that make us human. An ardent feminist since childhood, she has spent a lifetime championing people whose voices have historically been excluded — and calling others in to do the same.
Gry’s talks are more than keynotes — they’re a call to action: to innovate responsibly, to lead with empathy, and to co-create inclusive futures where everyone feels welcome, valued and inspired.
