Polly Allen has over 20 years experience developing software, building and leading software teams and most recently leading cross-functional science and engineering teams as a Principal Product Manager for Alexa AI at Amazon. She led the development and launch of the first Generative AI answers on Alexa in 2020. (And yes, it used transformer models like those that drive ChatGPT!)
As a leader in the intersection of Product Management and Machine Learning, Polly is passionate about DEI in the space and empowering more people to understand, leverage and participate in AI. She founded AI Career Boost, the world’s first AI-focused career accelerator, to help increase access to AI careers and diversity in AI leadership.
Polly is an experienced angel investor and past corporate board member, has advised multiple startups, and speaks on panels and conferences about Product Management, Ethics and DEI in AI. She holds a M.Sc. in Software Engineering from MIT and the University of Victoria, and an MBA from the University of British Columbia. When not working you can find her scuba diving around the world with whale sharks (Mexico), turtles (Thailand) or between tectonic plates (Iceland).
