One of the top 15 women in the world for Artificial Intelligence and the only woman from Australia on that list, Svetha Venkatesh is a powerhouse in STEM. She is an Alfred Deakin Professor with 346 publications based on her research. Her research has lead to two successful start-ups; icetana, an ASX listed company that provides AI-assisted video surveillance and TOBY Playpad, an app that provides therapy for children with autism. In 2017, Svetha was awarded the prestigious ARC Australian Laureate Fellowship for her contributions to the use of pattern recognition and experimental complexity and optimization. She is a genius in her own right and of course, her only child, Akshay Venkatesh, ended up a Fields medalist – which is akin to the Nobel Prize of Mathematics. Svetha is down-to-earth, non-pretentious and focused on making a difference.

In this episode, we discuss Svetha’s beginnings in India, the adversity she faced as a woman studying and working in STEM, her experience migrating to Australia, and her academic and research career.