AI in Action: Real Use Cases Driving Business Impact

Join us for a dynamic panel discussion exploring how artificial intelligence is driving measurable impact across industries including finance, healthcare, consulting, and STEM. Featuring senior leaders at the forefront of AI adoption, this conversation will move beyond theory to examine real-world applications and outcomes. Panelists will share where AI has delivered the greatest value within their organizations, reflect on what surprised them throughout the implementation process, and candidly discuss initiatives that fell short and the lessons learned along the way. This cross-industry dialogue will offer practical insights, honest reflections, and actionable takeaways for anyone interested in how AI is shaping the future of work and decision-making today. Co-hosted by Questrom Women in Business Alumni Council, BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences, and BU Center for Computing & Data Sciences. An invite-only networking reception to follow the panel discussion. ## Panelists **Kara Peterson (Questrom'08)** — Co-founder, descrybe.ai. Kara is the co-founder of descrybe.ai, a justice tech startup based in Boston, MA. She started the company with her husband and co-founder, Richard DiBona, in July 2023 as a way to leverage AI to help democratize access to the law and address the access to justice crisis in the United States. Kara leads the company's marketing and business development functions. In addition to being a justice tech entrepreneur, Kara is also a marketing communications executive focused on organizations with a social justice mission. She is currently the Senior Director of Integrated Marketing Communications at the Museum of Science, Boston, and previously held roles as Chief Communications Officer at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and as Executive Director of Communications at the Boston University School of Public Health. **Ashley Jankowski (Questrom'12)** — VP Model Risk Officer, State Street. Ashley is a quantitative finance professional with over a decade of experience in model risk management, treasury modeling, and quantitative analytics within the financial services industry. She began her quantitative finance career at Deloitte in New York City as a Quantitative Analyst in the firm's Pricing Center, focused on derivative pricing, model validation, and model risk engagements. For the past 11 years she has worked at State Street Bank in Boston, spanning treasury modeling initiatives along with her most recent role as the Model Risk Officer in the bank's credit and loan division where she leads efforts in model governance and risk management. **Azer Bestavros, PhD** — Associate Provost for Computing & Data Sciences, Boston University. Azer is the inaugural Associate Provost for Computing & Data Sciences at Boston University, appointed in 2019 to lead the development of the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences (CDS), a university-wide academic unit advancing research and education in computing, data science, and AI. Under his leadership, CDS has grown into a cross-disciplinary hub spanning 50+ faculty across multiple schools and supporting new undergraduate and graduate programs focused on integrative, impact-driven learning. A BU faculty member since 1991 and former Chair of Computer Science, he also founded the Hariri Institute for Computing in 2010. An internationally recognized expert in distributed systems and trustworthy computing, his work has helped shape internet content delivery, cloud computing, and privacy-preserving analytics, supported by over $40M in research funding and resulting in patents, startups, and widely cited publications. **Mina Moussavi, PhD** — Clinical Product Manager, DeepHealth. Mina leads the development of AI-powered software as a medical device (SaMD) solutions, including four FDA-cleared or registered products designed to support radiologists and improve patient outcomes. With a PhD in Physiology from the University of Calgary, Mina brings a strong foundation in biomedical science combined with deep expertise in machine learning applications in healthcare. Prior to DeepHealth, she served as Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Medical Sciences Professional and Career Development at Boston University School of Medicine, where she led curriculum development, taught across multiple physiology disciplines, and supported graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in career advancement. **Aridaman Pandit, PhD** — Head of Immune Profiling and Systems Immunology at AbbVie. Aridaman leads a team of more than 25 experimental and computational scientists pioneering AI/ML-driven immunology drug discovery. Over a four-year tenure at AbbVie's Cambridge-based Immunology Discovery division, he has directed single-cell multiomics atlases, shaped AI strategy across the organization, and supported more than 20 assets from discovery through preclinical development — earning the VP Immunology Discovery Award (2023), the R&D President's Award (2024), and the Discover Research Impact Award (2024). Earlier in his career, he held a Senior Principal Research Scientist role and has maintained a long-standing editorial appointment as Review Editor at Frontiers in Immunology since 2020. Aridaman currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology. ## Moderator **Donna Moy (Questrom'05)** — Global Sales Transformation Leader, Lenovo. Donna is a strategic and innovative leader who drives growth at the intersection of technology, data, and customer experience. As part of Lenovo's Global Sales Team, she leads ecosystem transformation initiatives that integrate AI-enabled sales tools, go-to-market analytics, and cross-functional field enablement to accelerate global performance. With more than 20 years of experience spanning eCommerce, digital transformation, and operational strategy, Donna has built a reputation for turning complex challenges into scalable, measurable results. Prior to Lenovo, she served as Director of Product and Field Sales Enablement at Comcast, where she led the launch of AI/ML-driven personalization capabilities. Donna previously co-founded The Bunty, an eCommerce platform curated by interior designers, and founded 4KidsinPA and 4KidsinNJ, regional digital platforms connecting families to local experiences.