navigating menopause and midlife health issues that have historically been underserved by medical research. Midi now serves more than 230,000 patients and in February 2026 crossed the $1 billion valuation mark, becoming the first menopause startup to achieve unicorn status.[8] Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni built Phia, an AI shopping platform that has rapidly grown to 1.5 million users and over 9,600 retail brand partners. The app helps consumers compare prices, identify secondhand alternatives, and make more sustainable purchasing decisions — with secondhand buying reducing carbon emissions by up to 80 percent. In January 2026, Phia closed a $35.5 million Series A round.[9] Fei-Fei Li, one of the world’s leading AI scientists and founder of World Labs, has championed human-centered AI that augments human capability rather than displace it. Mira Murati is building AI systems focused on safety, transparency, and responsible governance. Lin Qiao is leading one of the fastest-growing AI infrastructure companies, shaping the next generation of enterprise AI. Beyond these names, Rani Yadav-Ranjan is a leading example of purpose-driven AI, building frameworks for responsible AI, ethical governance, privacy, accountability, and human-centered technology. Chaitra Vedullapalli has mobilized more than 100,000 women through technology and global entrepreneurship, demonstrating how AI can create economic opportunity at scale. Janna Ronert exemplifies how consumer brands can use AI for customer engagement, product development, and wellness education — proving that purpose and profitability are not in conflict. Philanthropy’s next big opportunity Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott, two of the biggest U.S. donors, have joined forces by funding the Equality Can’t Wait Challenge. A big shout out to MacKenzie Scott for her $28 billion donation to support HBCUs and learning. AI is becoming a force multiplier for philanthropy. Melinda French Gates, through her firm Pivotal Ventures, has committed $150 million toward advancing women’s economic power and technology equity, with a third earmarked specifically for AI — building the pipeline of women leaders shaping AI and ensuring companies deploying AI maximize its benefits and minimize its harms.[10] Imagine a future where a foundation president can ask: “Show me every STEM program helping girls in rural America that increased graduation rates by 20%.” That future is nearer than we think. AI can help philanthropists identify the highest-impact interventions, track outcomes in real time, and direct resources with unprecedented precision — from solving food insecurity to transforming healthcare delivery in underserved communities. Entrepreneurs of Purpose: The conversation we must lead The EOP story is powerful precisely because our members already live at the intersection of scale, community, and legacy. AI amplifies all three. Imagine AI helping women-owned firms secure government contracts and identify new markets. Imagine AI reducing administrative burdens so purpose-driven founders can spend more time doing the work that matters. Imagine AI improving workforce training, accelerating innovation, and helping women entrepreneurs expand globally. Purpose does not have to remain small. With AI, purpose becomes scalable. Women leading responsible AI One of the most important messages of this moment is this: women often bring a distinctive perspective to AI leadership. Research and commentary increasingly affirm that women leaders focus on ethics, inclusion, accountability, emotional intelligence, and long-term societal impact. In their hands, responsible AI is not simply a technology issue — it is a human issue. AI for the deaf community is already delivering real-time signlanguage interpretation and multilingual communication support. AI-driven diagnostics are filling long-standing gaps in women’s health research. The tools exist. The leaders are here. The only thing missing is a louder voice. The story is no longer simply about technology. It is about purpose. Meta’s smart glasses helping blind veterans read a menu. Microsoft funding accessibility for people with disabilities. Google training one million Americans in AI skills. Women entrepreneurs using AI to scale companies and create jobs. Women philanthropists directing resources to where they matter most. That is the story of AI for Good — and women entrepreneurs and women philanthropists are uniquely positioned to lead it. SOURCES & REFERENCES [1] Microsoft AI for Good — $115M Humanitarian Initiative | Neowin (2018) [2] Microsoft AI for Accessibility — $25M Program | Microsoft Accessibility Blog [3] Google.org — $75M AI Opportunity Fund | Google Public Policy [4] Meta AI Glasses Impact Grants — Terms & FAQs | Meta (January 2026) [5] Meta AI Glasses for Blind and LowVision Users | Meta Store [6] Dr. Regina Barzilay — MIRAI Validated on 2M+ Mammograms | MIT Jameel Clinic [7] Dr. Joy Buolamwini — Algorithmic Justice League | AJL.org [8] Midi Health Hits $1 Billion Valuation | Fortune (February 2026) [9] Phia AI Shopping App — 1.5M Users, $35.5M Series A | WWD (May 2026) [10] Melinda French Gates — Pivotal Ventures $150M Women & AI Commitment | ReWorked (2026) Additional supporting sources: VentureBeat • MIT CSAIL • Breast Cancer Research Foundation • NPR • TechCrunch • San Francisco Examiner • WBCSD • Inside Philanthropy EDIE FRASER and SHARON REYNOLDS are co-chairs of Entrepreneurs of Purpose (EOP), a program of the Enterprising Women Foundation. Both are members of the Enterprising Women Advisory Board and inductees into the Enterprising Women Hall of Fame Learn more at www.enterprisingwomenfoundation.org. enterprising Women 59
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