SheAI: Where Women Learn, Lead, and Build with AI

What happens when an anthropologist who studied cultures across continents decides that technology should belong to everyone?

Maja Završnik’s journey took her from China to Amsterdam, Berlin, and Barcelona, not just to see the world, but to understand it through different eyes. She co-founded her first social enterprise at 22, helped startups become unicorns, and built profitable businesses from the ground up. But somewhere along the way, she noticed something troubling: women hold only 22% of AI jobs, use AI tools 25% less than men.

That’s why she, together with her co-founders Stephanie and Kris, co-created SheAI-a platform that’s equal parts education and community, where women learn AI through practical courses, free resources, and UN-recognized certificates. It’s where a solo entrepreneur automates 30% of her workload and feels like she suddenly has “an army of employees.” Where women find mentors, launch projects together, and realize they don’t have to figure it all out alone.

In this conversation, Maja shares the moments that shaped her path, why representation in AI matters more than ever, which tools she recommends, and how anyone can start using AI today without feeling overwhelmed.

Most importantly, she reminds us that when technology is built with intention and empathy, it becomes a bridge, connecting people, amplifying voices, and creating a future where everyone belongs.

Q. Maja, to begin with, we’d love to hear your story. What led you through different countries and careers, and how did you ultimately find your place in the world of technology and education?

A. I have always been fascinated by travel and cultures, so I went to study cultural studies for my bachelor’s degree. The first thing I did as an anthropologist was to move to China as I wanted to experience life through a different cultural lens set of values and ideas. I wanted to challenge my own limitations and broaden my horizons. I also went to live in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Berlin, Germany, Thessaloniki, Greece, and finally settled in Barcelona, Spain. Meanwhile, I completed a Master’s in Communication because I wanted my work to support my dream life – being able to travel and be my own boss. I also always had the desire to work for the UN, but after studying it at the University of Amsterdam, I noticed I fell in love with social entrepreneurship. For me, it was finally a way to do good without having to depend on other people’s money, as NGOs often do. This led me to build my first social enterprise at age 22 in Amsterdam, followed by co-founding an AI therapist app that would be available to anyone anywhere. And now SheAI which is on a mission to bridge the gender gap for accessible AI education.

Q. Today we’ll focus mostly on SheAI. How did the whole project and idea come to life?

A. The idea of SheAI developed quite organically. Stephanie, my co-founder, and I were working together on Innervoices, the AI therapy app, and have both gone down the AI rabbit hole of constantly learning about the latest developments within artificial intelligence. That’s when I met Kris as well. We were all working together from an all-female co-working space in Barcelona called Juno House, and had many women come to us with questions surrounding AI. What kind of AI tool can we recommend for this or how can they automate that? This evolved into us giving free consultancy and hosting practical workshops in the co-working which always had very positive feedback and brought in our very first testimonials.

Q. At some point, you made a clear decision: this will be a platform by women, for women. What made that choice decisive? Was there a particular challenge, statistic, or emotional moment that led you to focus so strongly on the female perspective in AI?

A. We saw Female Invest as one of the inspirations for this company. And so we did our research and we saw that women hold only 22% of all AI jobs. A staggering statistic that goes down to 15% when it comes to executive roles. We noticed that women use AI much less than men. And we felt like we could do something about it. The idea was born: an online educational platform with a strong community of women built for them specifically. We made sure that our videos are short-enabled so they can be consumed on-the-go. That day there are plenty of expert-led events from other strong females so they can see more representation. And to have a strong community where they feel like they can speak up, find mentors, partners, and launch their projects.

Q. While exploring AI adoption trends, you realized how deeply gender gaps are rooted. Women use AI 25% less than men, and only around 22% of AI roles are held by women. Did those numbers surprise you when you first came across them?

A. They absolutely did. They were a clear indication that the market is leaving behind 50% of the population. With every new technology, the leaders in this space will be shaping the future products and services. We wanted to make sure that those include women and other marginalized communities. It’s a win-win situation a, research shows that having more diverse voices at the decision-making table leads to less errors.

Q. In your opinion, what’s the first and most important thing that needs to change to help close this gap?

A. Women need a bigger platform; they need more space in tech in general. For decades, now centuries, we’ve been told that we can’t do it all or that we should stick to a particular field because of our qualities. But women should be allowed to live out their dreams too. The more women we have building products and offering services and solutions, not only do we raise this GDP of each country, but we make sure that people are actually treated equally. And that the products, solutions and even medical treatments serve everyone. To this day, women receive only 2% of all VC funding. We’re on a mission to change that.

Q. You, Stephy, and Kris launched SheAI together – coming from completely different backgrounds. Interdisciplinarity is one of the most essential elements when we talk about AI.

A. Stephanie’s background is in product development and AI. Mine is in digital marketing, business growth, and AI. While Kris’s background is in education and operations. This makes us for a really strong team. The one thing that does connect us is that we all come from collectivistic backgrounds and from Slovenia, which used to be part of Yugoslavia. Stephanie is from Venezuela, and Kris is from Russia, so we all share the view that every life matters and that it’s the power of community that can move mountains.

Q. What is the most beautiful outcome of the SheAI community that you’re especially proud of?

A. One of our proudest moments is securing the United Nations partnership which allows us to give our credible certificates to our community members. Regarding our community, it’s been beautiful to see women scale their businesses with our help. We’ve been able to make fabulous connections between women looking for partners or simply colleagues and friends, especially in male-dominated fields.

Q. Is there a real-life story that could serve as a powerful example for all of us – showing just how quickly and profoundly AI can positively transform someone’s professional life?

A. Yes, one of the community members that we helped has told us that she feels like she has an army of employees after we helped her introduce AI agents. She said that she’s automated more than 30% of her workload, which has been a game changer for a one-person company.

Q. Things are changing every single day, and we need to keep learning continuously. You invest a lot in practical courses and certifications, some of which are recognized by the United Nations. Why is it important to have that kind of recognition, and what does it actually mean for your learners in practice?

A. We recently launched 10 new courses and developed 4 learning paths:

• AI in Industries (AI applied in different use cases)
• AI in Business (and entrepreneurship – self-explanatory)
• AI in Society – how the AI is changing the global political and regulatory landscape.
• AI deep dive where people can really take the advanced path of becoming an AI engineer.Our courses are built with experts in their field so that they can learn from the best in the business. Having the United Nations stamp on our certificate means that they are a valuable piece of resource to add to your LinkedIn and CV, ensuring that you showcase your willingness to learn, adapt with the latest tools out there.

Q. We often don’t have the time or financial resources to do everything. That’s why you decided to provide free guides, AI tool lists, and webinars. What’s the easiest way for people to access those?

A. There’s a “library”tab in our main menu that features free resources, events, blogs, and more. Here’s on one of these links: https://www.sheai.co/free-resources

Q. For someone just entering the world of AI, what would be your very first piece of advice? Where should they start, and what’s most important in the beginning?

A. The first piece of advice would be to look into what are your repetitive tasks and what is something that you can actually automate. A lot of people get excited about the AI hype but end up producing the same content to their colleagues. AI should be an assistant, a brainstorming partner, an amplifier of your message but not a replacement for you and your creativity.

Q. There are hundreds of AI tools and platforms on the market today. Are there a few tools you especially recommend – and if so, why those in particular?

A. Definitely we are a big supporter of Claude by Anthropic. It’s an amazing copywriter and a fantastic tool for vibe coding. So, if you want to create an MVP of an app that you want to build or a simple solution for your business, Claude is amazing. And it also has a pretty good privacy policy in place. Another fantastic tool would be Notebook LM which allows you to create notebooks with several resources Which you can then turn into a podcast or a video for our mind-map for better understanding. Also, use it as a valuable resource and database for your company. Finally, Perplexity is the best research engine out there, it focuses on authoritative websites and reliable statistics. Its deep research capabilities are absolutely mind-blowing.

Q. SheAI is growing. What are your plans for this year or the next? And how can those who are interested get involved?

A. We launched 10 new courses on the 8th of September and are launching 30 more by the end of this year. We have introduced a monthly, quarterly, and yearly membership memberships, and still organize free events every week, supplying our community members with tons of value. All the courses also come with downloadable resources so that you can apply them immediately. You can apply the knowledge immediately to your profession or business. We’re also working on expanding our in-person communities, and they’re currently in conversations with women in San Francisco, US; Berlin, Germany; and Nairobi, Kenya.

Q. And finally, what’s your message to close with?

A. Curiosity is a beautiful thing. But doing things on your own is a lot harder than doing them in a supportive environment. Join SheAI and let’s build an inclusive future for us and the women that will come after us.