Rana El Kaliouby, Ph.D.
About Rana El Kaliouby, Ph.D.
Rana El Kaliouby, Ph.D., is an accomplished AI advisor and venture partner, currently serving at Smart Eye and BOLD Capital Partners. She has a strong background in technology and leadership, having co-founded Affectiva and held various roles in prestigious organizations.
Current Roles and Responsibilities
Rana El Kaliouby serves in multiple roles across various organizations. She is an AI Advisor at Smart Eye since 2024, and a Venture Partner at BOLD Capital Partners since 2023. Additionally, she holds the position of Eisenhower US Fellow at Eisenhower Fellowships, also starting in 2023. El Kaliouby has been an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School since 2021, and she is a Member of the Board of Directors at Videra Health. Furthermore, she is a member of YPO since 2019 and has been recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum since 2017.
Previous Experience
El Kaliouby has a significant background in leadership roles. She was the Deputy CEO at Smart Eye from 2021 to 2024. Prior to that, she co-founded Affectiva in 2016, where she served as CEO. Her earlier roles at Affectiva included Chief Science Officer and Chief Technology Officer from 2009 to 2016. Additionally, she was a member of the Future Global Council on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at the World Economic Forum from 2016 to 2024.
Education and Expertise
El Kaliouby holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge, where she studied from 2001 to 2005. She completed a Post-Doc in Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2006 to 2010. Additionally, she earned a Master of Science in Computer Science from The American University in Cairo from 1998 to 2000, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Electronics, and Business Administration from the same institution from 1993 to 1998. She also participated in Executive Education at Harvard Kennedy School in 2017.
Recognition and Contributions
Rana El Kaliouby has received multiple recognitions for her work in technology and leadership. She has been featured on Fortune’s 40 Under 40, Forbes' Top 50 Women in Tech, and Boston Globe’s Top 50 Tech Power Players. She co-chaired YPO’s first-ever AI Summit and is involved in the Fortune Brainstorm AI conferences. Additionally, she co-hosts a PBS NOVA series on AI, showcasing her commitment to advancing public understanding of artificial intelligence.
Board Memberships and Community Involvement
El Kaliouby serves as a trustee at several institutions, including the Boston Museum of Science, Milton Academy, and the American University in Cairo. She co-founded the AI Operators Fund in 2021, which focuses on investing in early-stage AI startups. Furthermore, she launched and currently chairs the YPO Boston chapter and is a member of the YPO Northeast Regional Board, demonstrating her active involvement in community and leadership initiatives.