Dr Shmona Simpson

Dr. Shmona Simpson is the Founder and CEO of Paritii, an innovation strategy firm advancing economic mobility through technology solutions designed for underserved communities. Under her leadership, Paritii has developed and licensed a portfolio of 25 products, platforms, and services that reimagine how technology serves the public good, while managing more than $300 million in impact investment.

A recognized expert in responsible technology, Shmona has mitigated algorithmic bias at influential organizations and has published foundational benchmarks and frameworks for evaluating fairness in AI systems. She also leads national initiatives dedicated to AI literacy and access. Her flagship solution, Swyft, was accelerated by Google.org and leverages intelligent automation to streamline complex educational workflows, such as financial aid. By scaling the availability of data-backed guidance, Swyft empowers students at broad-access institutions to successfully navigate higher education and career entry.

Previously, she was a Fellow at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where she led cross-functional initiatives to drive the adoption and efficacy of technology for social impact. Her work on the business case for equity-centered innovation has been featured in The Lancet, Nature, SXSW, Business Insider and the Associated Press.  Shmona holds a Doctorate in Clinical Medicine from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.