Inside the AI4ALL Gala 2026: How Magic, Leadership, and Collaboration Lit Up Amsterdam
From royalty to award winners, everyone agreed; this was a night for celebrating women, community, and going ‘all in’ on shaping responsible AI
Written by Myrthe van den Berg
On February 6th 2026, something special unfolded at the AI4ALL Gala & Awards. Barely a year after launching our non-profit do-tank, 130 AI leaders, enthusiasts and curious-but-cautious users gathered at ING’s Cedar Building in Amsterdam, to raise funds and celebrate the AI4Her awards for women. From the moment guests were handed their welcome drinks, conversations buzzed with excitement. Everywhere you looked, bonds were being celebrated and connections made and strengthened. It was clear that this wasn’t just a fundraising night – this was a community coming of age.
“The Power of Us is not just about being in the same room. It's about what becomes possible when we decide to build together."
The theme for the Gala, The Power of Us, was more than just a slogan printed on programs or projected on big screens. It felt like the invisible thread connecting every moment of the night. As Oliviana Bailey, co-founder and co-CEO of AI4ALL, put it in her opening words: “The Power of Us is not just about being in the same room. It’s about what becomes possible when we decide to build together. Because real change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when people with different perspectives, experiences, and roles come together and say, okay, what can we do?”
For many, the first ‘to-do’ of the night itself was to place a bid on the silent auction. With items ranging from prestigious INSEAD courses to high fashion jewellery, coaching sessions to original artwork, there was plenty to compete for. A velvet kimono emerged as a favorite, while the Google Pixel Buds and an AI video content course sparked a particularly spirited bidding war.
The idea of an invisible thread for the evening became wonderfully literal during dinner. Much to the amazement of guests, Michel van Zeist, one of Amsterdam’s most in-demand magicians, pulled a seemingly endless length of tape from his mouth. As the tape continued to weave its way across the entire length of the dining area, dangling over bemused guests’ heads, tables that had been deep in conversation over beef bourguignon and Chateau de Velvet wine looked up in unison.
It was the kind of unexpected delight that set the tone for the evening: surprising, exciting, and impossible to forget. With playing cards scattered across the floor instead of glitter or confetti, it was a fitting reminder that this wasn’t your typical gala.
“AI is the biggest industrial revolution ever. If we want to shape the world, we need to sit at the table.”
For one, the keynotes were particularly touching. This was not just a night of smart, professional insights, although there were plenty of those. Learnings were delivered with honest, human emotion, too.
Carina Kozole, Chief Risk Officer at ING and Bianca Zwart, Chief Strategy Officer at bunq, both shared candid stories about their unconventional paths to leadership in tech and finance – Carina having grown up in a family with a union leader father, Bianca having studied Spanish, and implored other women to be brave and bold. “AI is the biggest industrial revolution ever. If we want to shape the world, we need to sit at the table,” said Carina. “So have fun, go all in, be super kind, enjoy the ride and try to reach the stars,” she continued, before adding candidly: “People often think it looks easy. It’s not easy. It’s a lot of work.”
“My observation is that in this AI era, it's not necessarily about intelligence, it's about curiosity. So give it a go.”
Bianca Zwart, offered an alternative perspective for people who felt ill-equipped to step into AI. “My observation is that in this AI era, it’s not necessarily about intelligence, it’s about curiosity. So give it a go.” Later, when asked for her advice to 30-something career women, heads nodded as she said simply, “the worst decision you can make is not making any decision at all.”
That call to action echoed through the AI4Her Awards ceremony, which celebrated women shaping responsible AI across four categories.
Liana Hakobyan received the AI4Her Future award for making AI adoption practical by founding The AI Habit.
Dr. Rimma Dzhusupova won the AI4Her Earth award, sponsored by KickstartAI, for optimizing critical infrastructure like offshore platforms, saving thousands of tons of raw materials.
Professor Marlies Schijven claimed the AI4Her Health award, for revolutionizing operating rooms with her surgical black box technology.
And dr. Marzieh Fadaee secured the AI4Her Legacy award, sponsored by DataChef, for redefining multilingual AI at Cohere Labs.
It said a lot that during the awards ceremony, most nominees chose to sit in the middle of a row, rather than choosing an aisle seat. Reflecting the spirit of the evening, they didn’t position themselves for a quick walk to the stage – they picked a place to engage in conversations. And during such conversations throughout the night, these accomplished women would turn questions around, asking about their new connection – about their work, their ideas. This wasn’t false humility. It was the kind of leadership that listens first, that recognizes building the future of AI isn’t a solo achievement.
It was The Power of Us in action.
“It’s important that the people who are creating tech are also relatively representative of the people who they’re serving.”
And in keeping with the theme, this wasn’t just women supporting women, but men wholeheartedly championing inclusivity as well.
In his interview, Prince Constantijn van Oranje-Nassau, Techleap Co-founder and Special Envoy, made clear that inclusive tech isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic essential.
“The tech we’re building will, in the end, serve the whole of society,” he told the audience via video link. “And so it’s important that the people who are creating it are also relatively representative of the people who they’re serving.”
"We can't do this in isolation. Meaningful progress in AI happens in collaboration.”
Erick Webbe, CEO of KickstartAI and sponsor of the AI4Her Earth award, reminded the room that AI’s potential is realised only through collaboration. “We can’t do this in isolation. Meaningful progress in AI happens in collaboration. It grows out of ecosystems, communities, and people that share their knowledge.”
And later, Ashkan Roshanayi, CEO of DataChef and sponsor of the AI4Her Legacy award, spoke movingly about why he chose to sponsor the awards. “I’m an immigrant, so I know one or two things about being a minority in the room. That’s why I’m proud to be part of the AI4ALL community. It’s not just about AI, it’s about the curiosity, the bravery of these women, and how they are paving the path for future leaders.”
"That's why I'm proud to be part of the AI4ALL community. It's not just about AI, it's about the curiosity, the bravery of these women, and how they are paving the path for future leaders."
As DJ Drop the Cheese took to the decks at the after-party and Lost Paloma cocktails, courtesy of The Lost Explorer, flowed, there were two things guests were talking about. Just how was that magic trick possible, and how can I support AI4ALL’s mission? After a year of building this new foundation, the AI4ALL Gala truly brought The Power of Us to life.
As one guest put it, “I joined the AI4ALL Gala tonight because I think AI will be the future and that instead of being scared of it, I need to be part of it.” Proof indeed of what AI4ALL has been saying all along: responsible AI starts with us.
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© AI4ALL | 2026