Dr. Maya Ackerman is an internationally renowned expert in generative AI, combining over a decade of pioneering research with business leadership. As one of the earliest innovators in generative AI, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the field since 2015. Ackerman is a professor at Santa Clara University, and co-founder/CEO of WaveAI, one of the first generative AI startups, whose innovative products have empowered millions of users worldwide.
Dr. Ackerman specializes in creating scalable, user-centered systems that elevate generative AI from a fleeting novelty to an indispensable tool. Her expertise has been showcased on prestigious stages, including the United Nations, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Google, IBM Research, and Stanford.
Named a “Woman of Influence” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, Dr. Ackerman’s insights have been featured on NBC News, NPR, and New Scientist. Her thought leadership and practical approach make her a sought-after speaker who inspires and equips audiences to harness the transformative power of generative AI. She is the author of Creative Machines: AI, Art & Us. For more, read full bio and CV.
watch Dr. Maya Ackerman
Selected Talks
testimonials
What Clients Say
Events that educate & Inspire
Keynote topics
AI, Art & Us
Once the stuff of science fiction, creative machines are now reshaping culture and daily life. Can AI really be creative? What does it mean for machines to engage in artistic expression? And how do we forge a human-centric future in this new era? Maya Ackerman invites us to rethink the relationship between humans and machines, seeing it not as a tale of replacement but as a story of imagination, expression, and the future we choose to build together.
igniting innovation
As AI rapidly transforms every industry, the ability to innovate has never been more important. In this inspiring and practical talk, Ackerman shares powerful techniques for unlocking human creativity. Then, based on her leadership in building creative AI tools that serve millions of creators worldwide, she shows how individuals and organizations can combine human imagination with AI to unlock new possibilities and lead their industries in the age of AI.
Meet Dr. Maya Ackerman
Bio
Dr. Maya Ackerman is a visionary pioneer in generative AI, blending over a decade of research with innovative business leadership. Dr. Ackerman has been at the forefront of the field since 2015, charting new territories for human-centric generative systems. Earning her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo and a Caltech Postdoc, Dr. Ackerman is a Professor of AI at Santa Clara University.
As the co-founder and CEO of WaveAI, one of the first startups in generative AI, Dr. Ackerman has led the development of transformative tools that empower creators worldwide. WaveAI’s products help millions of users unleash their creative potential while setting new standards for user-centered design and scalability in AI systems. Driven by her passion for innovation, she specializes in crafting technologies that turn generative AI into an indispensable resource—elevating it from a fleeting trend to a tool that fundamentally enhances human capabilities.
Dr. Ackerman’s expertise has earned her invitations to speak on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including Microsoft, the United Nations, Google, IBM Research, NVIDIA, Oxford and Stanford University. Her ability to distill complex ideas into actionable insights has made her a sought-after voice in the field, captivating audiences with her vision of how generative AI can profoundly elevate human creativity and productivity.
Recognized for her leadership and contributions, Dr. Ackerman was named a “Woman of Influence” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Her work has also garnered widespread media attention, with features on NBC News, NPR, and New Scientist, among others. Beyond her technical achievements, she is a dynamic and engaging speaker, inspiring audiences to harness the transformative power of AI while equipping them with the tools to lead in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Through her research, entrepreneurship, and thought leadership, Dr. Maya Ackerman continues to redefine what is possible with generative AI, leaving an indelible mark on the field and empowering people to create, innovate, and thrive.
Past Events
Selected Talks
Microsoft. Redmond, Seattle. 2025.
Google. San Francisco, CA. 2025.
Dell Technologies. Copenhagen, Denmark. 2025.
BBVA. Madrid, Spain. 2025.
Western Digital. San Jose, CA. 2025.
NICE. Virtual. 2025.
TechEx. Santa Clara, CA. 2025.
Santa Monica College. Santa Monica, CA. 2025.
Rotary Club. San Jose, CA. 2025.
Agendagen. Copenhagen, Denmark. 2025.
JHTC. Palo Alto, CA. 2025.
Microsoft. Mountain View, California. 2024.
Oxford University. Oxford, UK. 2024.
California Community Colleges. Long Beach, CA. 2024.
Northeastern University. Virtual. 2023.
The University of Windsor. Virtual. 2023.
National Association of Music Merchants. Anaheim, CA. 2022, 2023, 2024.
NVIDIA. GPT Technology Conference. Virtual. 2023.
Open Data Science Conference. General AI Summit. Virtual. 2023.
Silicon Valley Capital Club. San Jose, California. 2023.
ASCAP. AI Symposium. New York, NY. 2023.
Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofit Summits. Santa Clara, CA. 2023.
Rotary Club. San Jose, California. 2023.
South Bay Generative AI. Sunnyvale, California, 2023.
Sorviev Conference. Kristiansand, Norway. 2023.
Stanford. K1st World Conference. Stanford, California, 2023.
IEEE Humanitarian Technology Conference. Santa Clara, California. 2022.
The Canadian Undergraduate Conference. Virtual. 2022.
University of Toronto. Virtual. 2022.
Audio Engineering Society. Virtual. 2020. 2022.
University of Southern California. Virtual. 2021-2022.
IUI Workshop on AI-Human Co-Creation with Generative Models. Virtual. 2021.
MONDO. New York, NY. 2021.
PMA Academy. Virtual. 2020.
Microsoft. AI and Gaming Research Summit. Virtual. 2021.
Oracle. Virtual. 2021.
Orange Silicon Valley. Virtual. 2021.
NVIDIA. GPU Technology Conference. Virtual. 2021.
RightCon Summit. Virtual. 2021.
ACG Silicon Valley. Virtual. 2021.
United Nations. Geneva, Switzerland. 2019.
Northwestern University. Evanston, IL. 2019.
San Francisco Art Institute. San Francisco, CA. 2019.
Jose San Institute of Contemporary Art. San Jose. CA. 2019.
Ecole Normale Superieure. Paris, France, 2018.
Afeka College of Engineering. Tel Aviv, Israel. 2018.
Stanford. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Menlo Park, CA. 2018.
Nano World’s Fair. San Fransisco, California. 2018.
Harvey Mud College. Claremont, CA
Stanford. Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. Stanford, CA. 2017.
Ericsson. Santa Clara, CA. 2017.
IBM. Watson Research Center. 2017.
US China AI Summit. Mountain View. 2018
Conference of the International Federation of Classification Societies. Bologna, Italy. 2015.
eHarmony. Santa Monica, CA. 2013.
Columbia. New York, NY. 2012.
UC San Diego. La Jolla, CA., 2010.
Let's connect
Get in touch
For speaking inquiries or questions, please reach out to maya@wave-ai.net and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.