Who gets to shape the technologies that will define the next decade? As artificial intelligence transforms industries and economies, the question of who leads its development is becoming increasingly important. The Horasis Global Summit 2026 will address that challenge in Medellín, Colombia, with a panel dedicated to expanding women’s influence across technology, entrepreneurship and investment.
The session, titled “Women: The Tech Leaders of Tomorrow,” will explore how women can gain greater access to technical leadership positions and deep-tech funding. Rather than approaching inclusion solely as a matter of representation, the discussion will examine how companies, investors and educators can make better use of existing resources to create opportunities for women to lead technological development.
Scheduled for November 10–13, the summit will take place under the theme “Building Tomorrow.” The panel will contribute to its broader discussion about how societies can navigate technological transformation while expanding opportunities and strengthening resilience.
Five perspectives on the future of women in technology
The session will bring together five speakers with experience across different parts of the technology and business ecosystem. They include Luzcenit Acosta-Guio, founder of Arakue in Colombia; Sarah Dong, managing partner at CEO Clubs Network in China; Jamilah Mena, founder and CEO of Nemeri Ventures in the United States; Ivette Chalela Naffah, an independent board member, investor and co-founder from Mexico; and Veronica Rodriguez, a product and AI leader and community advocate in Colombia.
Their professional backgrounds connect several elements that influence the growth of technology companies, including access to capital, product development, commercial relationships and international networks.
For Mena, the conversation around investment is closely connected to her work at Nemeri Ventures, which supports women of color founders with early-stage strategy and investor-readiness. The organization helps entrepreneurs prepare for funding opportunities, addressing one of the barriers women can encounter when building technology businesses.
Dong contributes a different perspective through CEO Clubs Network, a platform connecting executives and entrepreneurs across regions. Her participation brings attention to the role business networks can play in creating cross-border relationships and opportunities for founders.
The discussion will also consider how women can move beyond technical participation into positions where they influence the products and systems being developed. Rodriguez brings experience in digital products across fintech, cybersecurity and global platforms, alongside community initiatives aimed at increasing the participation of people of African descent in technology across Colombia and Latin America through training, mentoring and technical community-building. Her professional background connects product leadership with efforts to expand access to the technology sector.
Naffah, meanwhile, brings experience in investment and corporate governance. As an independent board member and investor, she offers a perspective on how leadership and funding decisions influence which technologies receive support. She is also involved with Women in Emtech, a group focused on women in emerging technology.
Juliana Cabrejo Porras, co-founder and managing director of Latinoamerica Business Center, will chair the panel. Her work focuses on connecting Latin America with the Middle East, helping companies from the region explore opportunities in the United Arab Emirates through her center at Universidad de La Sabana. Her corporate experience includes IBM, Microsoft, Samsung and Honeywell.
The combination of these backgrounds puts the discussion at the intersection of technology development, investment and international business. As emerging technologies create new opportunities, the panel will examine how women can gain greater access to the resources and decision-making positions that influence their development.
Ultimately, the session will bring the summit’s “Building Tomorrow” theme into a specific discussion about leadership: ensuring women are not simply part of the technology transformation, but among those determining its direction.
