"I care about people and AI"

How empathy and resilience help a female founder blaze a path in the AI industry

Welcome to Own Your Ambition, the weekly newsletter with practical tips and strategies to stand in your power, own your value, and position yourself for success. I explore gender related issues in the workplace and beyond, and celebrate professional women who own their talent and ambition and make a difference in the world. Telling their stories inspires all of us to step up, be our best selves, and follow our passion.

In today’s newsletter, I showcase the work of Maria de Lourdes Zollo, a tech trailblazer who is laser focused on delivering products to improve our lives. Her success in this male dominated industry demonstrates how women who own their ambition can thrive despite gender bias.

The AI industry is exploding with new innovative products to provide personal assistance with our daily tasks. With advances in natural language processing personal customization device integration and emotional intelligence, these products will be more intuitive, proactive, and supportive.

As we explore the potential of AI for our business and personal lives, many exciting possibilities emerge.

Perhaps the most impressive feature of the latest AI assistants is their ability to “learn” from the many interactions they undertake. Over time, the technology will learn your preferences and use that information to provide a personalized user experience (UX).

An example of this technology is Bee, a wearable AI assistant designed to help people spend less time on their phones and more time on the things that really matter.

Recently launched in the US and Canada, Bee listens to you to learn more about you, take notes, surface contextual reminders and build lists. Bee shares users' daily experiences, learning what's important to them to better anticipate their needs and simplify their lives.

Some of the features in early testing include the ability to read your notifications and get reminders about important messages and events, write emails or tweets, and get shopping suggestions on demand.

My recent conversation with co-founder and CEO of Bee, Maria de Lourdes Zollo, highlights her passion for building and scaling innovative technologies that enhance and improve lives.

Zollo’s success and impressive background as a serial entrepreneur in the tech world comes down to principles and actions that transcend gender; experience, passion and mindset.

Sharing her story encourages the development of support networks, mentorship opportunities, and initiatives for empowering more women in tech.

Zollo shares her fascination with the intersection of technology and human potential. “For me, tech is a tool that, when used well, enhances our lives in meaningful ways. My journey in this industry has been more about curiosity and innovation than anything else. I see technology as an enabler for people to live more present, fulfilling lives.”

Zollo cites two guiding principles for creating a personal technology device; empathy and resilience.

Empathy

Empathy plays a crucial role in developing meaningful and user-centered products. Empathizing with users enables founders to put themselves in the shoes of their target audience, leading to a better understanding of user’s pain points, needs, and expectations. It facilitates solutions that address real-world problems rather than creating features based on assumptions or trends.

By leveraging empathy, it is possible to create innovative, user-focused, and impactful products that stand out in competitive markets.

“Especially when building AI products, understanding people’s needs and how technology can serve them is fundamental,” according to Zollo.

She continues, “True personal AI must be genuinely personal - understanding each user's world better than any technology ever has. We're not here to be just another assistant; we're here to be on your side, to truly get you. That's why Bee learns your life naturally, without ever asking you to adapt to it or input information. It stays invisible until you need it, learns without commands, and surfaces insights that matter to you.”

If a product owner lacks empathy, they will struggle to fully understand what the customer needs and the reasons that fuel those needs. Without empathy and this higher level of customer understanding, it is likely the product owner will miss out on opportunities to improve their products and services.

Zollo shared, “The idea for Bee came from a deep desire to create technology that feels truly personal. I noticed that while we have many task managers and digital assistants, none really understood the user on a deeper level – how they were feeling, what they’ve experienced in a day, or what they might need without being explicitly told. Bee is designed to enhance presence by subtly supporting the user, helping them live more mindfully without being intrusive.”

Resilience

According to Zollo, “resilience is critical to survive and thrive in a landscape that is constantly changing.”

“Building consumer products teaches you quickly that is impossible to launch something perfect and it will evolve once it meets real life” according to Zollo. “What matters isn't the initial idea, but your ability to learn and adapt. We've rebuilt major parts of Bee countless times based on how people actually use it in their daily lives. Each iteration isn't a setback - it's a step closer to something truly meaningful. The key isn't about getting it perfect the first time - it's about staying committed to our vision and making something people love.”

A mindset that embraces change and experimentation supports creative problem solving by maintaining focus despite challenges. It allows founders to develop solutions that give their start-ups a competitive edge.

Whether it’s setbacks from product failure or market challenges, resilience helps to pivot strategies while not losing the connection with the long-term goal. Resilience facilitates a mindset that failures are opportunities for growth, ensuring continuous improvement in business strategies.

Bee’s path from idea to product was one of “constant iteration”, according to Zollo. “We started by identifying key problems we wanted to solve – helping people organize their lives in a way that feels natural and seamless. From there we focused on building something small, efficient, and privacy focused. We experimented, tested, and listened to early users, refining the product based on real feedback. Bee is a product of both vision and constant learning.”

The goal of Bee

“My goal is to create a personal AI that truly understands and supports the user in a meaningful way. Ultimately, it’s about giving people time and mental space back, so they can focus on what truly matters. I want it to become a trusted companion that helps people feel more present, less overwhelmed, and more connected with their lives.

CEOs and senior executives have personal assistants to help manage their lives/schedules, but I want to democratize the personal assistant, saving people from all walks of life time, energy, and money.

In the long term, I’d love to see Bee revolutionize how people interact with technology, making it something that enhances human well-being rather than just productivity.”

Check out my podcast interview with Pranath Fernando on why women can’t afford to ignore AI, as we discuss why women need to embrace AI for their career development and the importance of having more women in the AI industry.

How are your currently using AI? If so, how?

What has surprised you?