Maria Ritola

Maria is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker and author

Maria has spent her entire career in the intersection of technology, society and business as a researcher and as a tech entrepreneur. In her talks she delves into the human perspective within the swiftly evolving landscape of technology.

Topics

Why some teams perform beautifully while others find it difficult to succeed? How can we leverage generative AI for effective knowledge work? These are key questions Maria delves into during her talks, weaving together research, case studies, and her own insights. She unpacks how recent technological advancements reshape organizational problem-solving and explores the implications for teamwork. Some of the titles from Maria’s recent speaking engagements:

Generative AI and the Future of Information Intensive Work
Building a Successful Team: What Research and Practice Tell Us
Collaborative Intelligence: Human + Machine
What Building a Great Team Entails
Sustainable Development and Digitalization
Culture of Growth in the Age of Generative AI
Problem-Solving in Uncertainty

About

Maria is a Finnish entrepreneur, independent technology analyst, and experienced speaker. She has delivered hundreds of speeches for audiences both big and small.

With a background in research and technology, Maria went to study exponential technologies at Singularity University, NASA Ames Research Center, back in 2015. She started Iris.ai with her co-founders to build an AI Science Assistant that helps researchers make better use of scientific literature. Iris.ai has been nominated an AI XPrize Finalist, has had honorary mentions in Nature and Science magazines and most importantly, has helped thousands of researchers in various fields.

Prior to Iris.ai, Maria worked as a team lead at the Nordic think tank Demos Helsinki that focuses on fostering collaboration across different sectors of society. At Demos she also co-founded Peloton Club, an accelerator to help companies build solutions to the climate crisis.

Maria is a well known entrepreneur and technology analyst in the Nordics and has been selected the young person of the year in Finland and among the most influential women in technology by Nordic Business Insider. She has served on multiple boards, including at Vake Oy and Sylva Ry. Maria discusses technology trends regularly in the morning show of Finland’s Public Broadcasting Company.