Beyond the Demo: The Human Side of AI
Hosted by Heali by Curevoz
Monday, September 28, 2026
6:30 PM–8:30 PM ET
About
Artificial intelligence is advancing at an incredible pace, but behind every breakthrough is a deeply human story.
Beyond the Demo: The Human Side of AI brings together Boston AI founders, researchers, designers, and innovators to share the moments that inspired them to build, not just what they built.
Instead of product pitches or technical demos, this conversation explores the personal experiences, challenges, and questions that became companies, research labs, and new technologies.
Topics include:
• Building AI people actually trust
• Designing for real human needs
• Lessons from turning personal experiences into startups
• The responsibility of founders shaping the future of AI
Following the panel, attendees are invited to continue the conversation during an open networking session designed to connect students, researchers, founders, investors, clinicians, and members of Boston’s growing AI ecosystem.
Whether you’re building your first AI product, researching the next breakthrough, or simply curious about where AI is headed, this event is designed to spark conversations that continue long after the evening ends.
Speakers
- Abishek Muralikrishna — Co-founder, Curevoz and Heali
- Founder perspective on turning a deeply personal family caregiving challenge into a multilingual, human-centered AI product.
- Gabriela Torres V. — Director of AI Innovation Ecosystem Development, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
- Perspective on Human-AI design, responsible innovation, and building stronger connections across Massachusetts startups, universities, investors, and industry.
- Kranthi Manchikanti — Founder, AI Runtime
- Practitioner perspective on moving AI beyond polished prototypes and into reliable, real-world systems.
- Kara Peterson — Co-founder and CEO, Descrybe
- Founder perspective on responsible AI, access, trust, and building technology for high-stakes environments.
- Pat Pataranutaporn — Researcher, MIT Media Lab
- Research perspective on personalized AI, human flourishing, memory, and how intelligent systems may shape everyday life.
- Additional invited academic voice
- A Boston-area professor or researcher working in human-centered AI, healthcare AI, responsible deployment, or human-computer interaction.
Host
Heali by Curevoz
Location
Hult International Business School — Boston Campus, pending final institutional and room confirmation The proposed venue is an academic event space in Cambridge near Kendall Square with room for a public panel, audience Q&A, interactive exhibits, and networking.
Hult International Business School 1 Education Street Cambridge, MA 02141
Open in Google Maps ↗