VentureBeat's annual Women in AI Awards — now in its fourth year at the time of publication — recognizes women leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, and mentors transforming the AI industry. Selected from over 200 nominations across five categories, nominees were evaluated on their commitment to the field, their work to increase inclusivity, and their positive influence on the broader AI community.
Gila Hayat, co-founder and CTO of Darrow, was nominated in the AI Entrepreneurship category — an award honoring women who have started companies showing great promise in AI, with consideration given to business traction, the technology solution, and impact in the field. Her nomination reflects the growing recognition that building ethical, mission-driven AI companies is itself a form of leadership — one that matters not just commercially but for the health and direction of AI as a discipline.
Hayat's inclusion in this cohort is notable for what it signals about where meaningful AI work is happening. While much of the conversation around AI entrepreneurship centers on generative models and consumer applications, Darrow represents a different kind of AI ambition: using machine intelligence to close the justice gap, surfacing legal violations that disproportionately harm people who lack the resources or awareness to pursue accountability on their own. That is an ethical proposition as much as a technical one.
VentureBeat has run the Women in AI Awards since 2019 precisely because women remain significantly underrepresented in AI — both as founders and as practitioners. Hayat's nomination, alongside peers from companies spanning healthcare AI, cybersecurity, and sustainable infrastructure, reflects the breadth of impact women are having across the field — and the importance of making that impact visible.
