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At Uniphore, we draw our strength from our diversity of talent. Our commitment to inclusion has made us a magnet for attracting the most skilled and brightest minds at every level of our organization. That includes women in key leadership roles. This month, as part of our Life at Uniphore series, we’re focusing on the achievements and contributions of women in the artificial intelligence industry. From championing AI innovation to leading the next generation in product development, the women at the forefront of our field aren’t just transforming the AI landscape; they’re encouraging others to join the lead. That’s what happens when we work together to #InspireInclusion.
Last fall, we welcomed one of our newest AI leaders, Neha Gupta, as Director of Artificial Intelligence. Before joining Uniphore, Neha served in leadership roles with tech titans, including LinkedIn, Uber and Adobe, leveraging her expertise in machine learning and data science to drive AI innovation across multiple industries. In a recent Teams call, she reflected on how exciting it was to be at the forefront of data science development during Uber’s formative years. “Uber was up and coming then, and it was undergoing hypergrowth scale similar to what OpenAI is now.”
That excitement has followed her throughout her journey. From her earliest experiences in engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology to her discovery of and subsequent love for machine learning, Neha has chased her curiosity fearlessly. After completing her master’s degree in computer science at the University of Maryland, she became interested in a then-niche field of study. “Machine Learning was not as popular in 2006-2008 as it is today,” she explained. “There were one or two professors who worked in Machine Learning at the University at the time, but [the field] was not as mainstream as it is now.”
Neha credits her willingness to explore new ideas—and new places—to the encouragement she received from her friends and family. “I had a really encouraging family who gave me a ‘you can do this’ vision, which really gave me the confidence to take on challenging tasks,” she said. A chance visit from a kindred spirit while she was in her first post-university job gave her the inspiration to take her journey abroad. “My roommate’s sister went to Stanford and was working for Google,” she shared. “She came to visit us [in Bangalore] and shared her stories and how she was inspired to go further her studies in the U.S., despite having no family abroad. That’s when I said, ‘Okay, that’s where I want to go’.”
With the support of her family, she moved to the United States, eventually making her home in the Bay Area. Here she joined the small but growing ranks of women technology leaders, quickly establishing herself as an authority in machine learning and artificial intelligence. After more than a decade of innovating for tech giants, she found herself ready for the excitement of a smaller team—but not too small. That’s when Uniphore caught her eye.
“I feel we are at a sweet spot of what any enterprise AI company should be. You can go big—you can collaborate with Nvidia, with Intel, with Qualcomm, with Fortune 500 banks and healthcare providers. You can work at a larger scale but still be as nimble and agile as a startup.”
Another major draw to Uniphore was its culture. Since its inception, the AI leader has built an organizational foundation centered on innovation, integrity and inclusion, with diverse representation across all levels of leadership. In fact, the company’s commitment to fair hiring and equal opportunity helped contribute to its earning the coveted Great Place To Work® Certification™ earlier this year. For a rising woman leader looking to make an impact, it was a perfect fit.
When asked what advice she would give to other women considering a career in AI leadership, Neha was candid: “Computer science and AI are not easy streams to study. They require lots of grit and tenacity. So, encouraging young kids, especially girls, early on to take on challenging tasks that put them out of their comfort zone is important.”
“The funnel starts from the beginning. The more women math graduates and computer science graduates there are, the more we’ll see them flourishing in the tech industry.”
Neha Gupta, Director of Artificial Intelligence, Uniphore
That begins with education, she says. By encouraging women to explore traditionally male-dominated fields, industries like technology can foster greater diversity—and opportunity—from the ground up.
Equally important is the presence of women role models, particularly within leadership positions. “Having women in leadership roles inspire women who are in junior roles,” she says. “That’s important when we talk about Board diversity and C-suite diversity.”
Innovator. Leader. Role model. Neha brings a wealth of talent and experience to the Uniphore team. Her natural leadership, curiosity and willingness to ask, “what if…”, are driving the future of enterprise AI as we know it. And we couldn’t be more excited to have her at the helm.