ENTREPRENEURS OF PURPOSE by Edie Fraser and Sharon Reynolds AI FOR GOOD: Women, purpose, and the power to change the world Here is the story the headlines are not telling you. While pundits debate whether artificial intelligence will cost jobs, concentrate power, focus on disputes or erode privacy, something extraordinary is unfolding. Women entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and innovators are harnessing AI not to replace people, but to heal them, protect them, and build a more equitable world. The most exciting developments in AI are not about machines — they are about purpose, whether health, food, or education. They are about helping people live better lives, building companies with meaning, and scaling philanthropy to meet society’s greatest challenges. The Enterprising Women Foundation’s Entrepreneurs of Purpose (EOP) technology and legacy committees, is proud to shine a light on these stories. Thousands of women are using AI for good, and it is time the world heard them. The companies putting billions behind “AI for Good” The narrative that AI companies care only about market share and data centers deserves a direct challenge. Three of the world’s most powerful technology companies have made landmark commitments to use AI as a force for social impact — and those investments are producing real, measurable results. Some examples: Microsoft: The company launched a $115 million AI for Good initiative targeting accessibility, humanitarian action, sustainability, climate, and health, providing grants, Azure credits, technical expertise, and research partnerships to mission-driven organizations worldwide.[1] Within that initiative, a dedicated $25 million AI for Accessibility program [2] funds startups, nonprofits, researchers, and universities serving individuals living with vision, hearing, mobility, communication, and cognitive disabilities. Microsoft has set the gold standard for what corporate responsibility in the AI era can look like. Google: Google.org announced a $75 million AI Opportunity Fund to help more than one million Americans gain AI skills, with focused support for rural communities, small businesses, students, teachers, nonprofits, and public-sector workers.[3] Google also funds AI solutions targeting climate change, public health, disaster prediction, and education, including a $30 million challenge to improve public services through AI. The company’s mission is clear: democratize AI so its benefits are not reserved for the privileged few. Meta: In January 2026, Meta launched AI Glasses Impact Grants — awarding 15 Accelerator Grants of $25,000, 10 of $50,000, and 5 Catalyst Grants of $200,000 each — to support nonprofits and missiondriven organizations deploying wearable AI for social good.[4] The most visible example is Meta’s collaboration with Be My Eyes, which transformed Ray-Ban smart glasses into a life-changing accessibility tool for blind and low-vision users. The glasses describe surroundings, identify objects, read signs, and connect users to sighted volunteers hands-free.[5] Meta also partnered with the Blinded Veterans Association and VA Blind Rehabilitation Centers to put these tools in the hands of veterans who lost their sight in service to this country — helping them read, navigate, and reclaim independence. Meta additionally operates a formal AI for Good program providing AI models, technical support, and expertise to nonprofits, researchers, and humanitarian organizations working to improve health services, advance scientific research, and serve vulnerable populations. Five women who built AI tools that change lives Behind every powerful tool is a person with a vision. These five extraordinary women did not simply adopt AI — they built it, shaped it, and aimed it at the world’s most urgent problems. ■ Dr. Regina Barzilay — MIT professor and breast-cancer survivor, developed MIRAI, an AI model trained on more than 2 million mammograms across 48 hospitals in 22 countries that predicts breast-cancer risk up to five years in advance, enabling earlier, more personalized screening.[6] ■ Dr. Joy Buolamwini — MIT-trained computer scientist and founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, whose landmark Gender Shades study exposed racial and gender bias in facial-recognition systems at Microsoft, IBM, and Amazon, prompting industry-wide reform and congressional testimony.[7] ■ Dr. Priya Donti — MIT professor and co-founder of Climate Change AI, who built machine-learning tools that help power grids safely and efficiently integrate solar and wind energy, accelerating the clean energy transition. ■ Dr. Sasha Luccioni — AI and Climate Lead at Hugging Face, creator of the AI Energy Score, a rating system that measures the environmental efficiency of AI models and holds the industry accountable for its carbon footprint. ■ Amanda Ducach — Founder and CEO of Ema, an AI-powered women’s health platform helping women track symptoms, understand health concerns, and access evidence-based support — addressing longstanding gaps in women’s healthcare. Women entrepreneurs scaling purpose through AI Women entrepreneurs are not simply adopting AI. They are applying it to solve real problems for real people — and building billion-dollar enterprises in the process. Joanna Strober founded Midi Health to deliver AI-powered healthcare to women 58 enterprising Women
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