Is Your AI Governance Real — or Just Performative?

WITS: Women in Tech Stamford Presents

AI governance is quickly becoming one of the most consequential and genuinely difficult - challenges organizations face today. Leaders understand the stakes, but the variables are complex, the landscape is evolving rapidly, and the pressure to innovate and move quickly is real.

In this session, we’ll explore where organizations most often encounter friction when trying to govern AI responsibly. Drawing on our speaker’s extensive experience across technology, legal, and governance roles, the discussion will examine where alignment tends to break down, what effective AI governance actually looks like in practice, and how organizations can move beyond performative policies toward meaningful oversight. Attendees will gain a clearer framework for navigating these conversations within their own organizations

Rather than a traditional presentation, this session will begin with a 10–15 minute introduction to set context and provoke thinking. From there, the conversation will open up into a facilitated discussion, guided by a few key questions. The goal is to create a space where both leaders and practitioners can learn not only from the speaker, but also from one another—sharing perspectives, insights, and real-world scenarios organizations are currently navigating as they balance innovation, risk, and accountability.

Alyssa Harvey Dawson is a board director and technology executive with nearly thirty years of experience at the intersection of law, technology, and governance. She serves on the boards of AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ: APP) and the MSU Research Foundation, and co-chairs the AI Governance Working Group at AI2030. She also mentors founders and early-stage companies through The Batchery. She is also an investor, in tech and theater, and sits on the board of Make-A-Wish CT, including serving as its Philanthropy Chair.

Her career spans senior legal and business development roles at Netflix and Harman International, where she built IP licensing frameworks and created a revenue-generating technology licensing business, to CLO and GC roles at Sidewalk Labs, Gusto, and HubSpot, where her work encompassed AI governance, data privacy, and M&A. She brings both the builder’s perspective and the board’s.

She earned her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown Law and her B.A. in Journalism, cum laude, from Michigan State University, where she was also a member of the Honors College.

She lives in Stamford with her husband and teenage son. They love watching andplaying sports, especially rooting for the Spartans and Hoyas.

• A thought-provoking introduction to AI governance challenges
• A facilitated, interactive discussion (not a lecture)
• Insights from a senior technology and governance leader
• Peer-to-peer learning and real-world perspectives
• Drinks, light bites, and intentional networking with the WITS community

📅 Date: April 23, 2026

⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

📍 Location: Serendipity Labs

This event is designed for women working in technology. If you’re in a different field and interested in attending, feel free to reach out to the event organizer directly to see if it may be a good fit.

WITS (Women in Tech Stamford) is a community dedicated to connecting, supporting, and elevating women in technology through meaningful conversations, events, and shared experiences.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher WITS - Women in Tech Stamford