Building Trust in AI and Empowering the Future Workforce: Founder and CEO of Kodamai Maha Achour: Women in Tech California
Welcome back to the Women in Tech podcast, where we celebrate inspiring women from around the globe who are leading the way in technology and innovation. In this episode, Espree Devora sits down with Maha Achour, co-founder and CEO of Kodamai, a UK-based AI company focused on integrating trust and governance into artificial intelligence. From her early fascination with mathematics growing up in North Africa without access to modern technology, to breaking barriers in physics at MIT, and now pioneering enterprise AI solutions, Maha Achour shares her remarkable journey. She discusses the importance of self-confidence, the power of asking the right questions, and why math and AI are essential skills for the next generation—especially girls. Listeners will hear about her experiences as a serial entrepreneur, the philosophy that guides her leadership, and practical advice for fostering innovation and resilience in both work and parenting. Get ready for an insightful conversation about the future of AI, education, and the future of the workforce.
In this inspiring episode, Maha Achour takes us from her beginnings in North Africa to her pivotal role as co-founder and CEO of Kodamai, a company focused on integrating trust and governance into artificial intelligence. She shares her lifelong passion for mathematics, the journey into physics at MIT, and how these foundations shaped her entrepreneurial career.
Explore the conversation
Early Passion for Math & Science
Maha Achour recounts her curiosity as a child, her struggle with limited resources, and her self-driven approach to learning advanced mathematics and physics
Empowering Girls and Women in STEM
Insights into how Maha Achour mentors girls in math and science, and reframes math as an accessible and fascinating discipline
AI's Role in Education & the Workforce
Discussion on the importance of engaging young people with AI, navigating the changing job landscape, and how intuition and critical questioning remain vital skills in the age of automation.
Founding Kodamai
Maha Achour explains Kodamai's mission to build trust into AI platforms for enterprise customers and elaborates on how AI agents streamline complex workflows, with real-world examples from manufacturing
Navigating Entrepreneurship
Reflections on integrity in business, making fearless decisions, and placing customer-driven development at the core of building a company
Overcoming Challenges
Stories of overcoming language and cultural barriers as an immigrant, and lessons learned about separating emotion from leadership
Parenting, Self-Confidence & Lifelong Learning
Perspectives on raising children in a digital world, nurturing inner belief, and balancing ambition with caring motherhood
Book Recommendations & Influences
"The Alchemist" as a must-read, and Maha Achour shares how philosophy—especially Socrates—continues to guide her learning and innovations in AI
Connect with Maha Achour: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahaachour/
mention you were inspired by the Women in Tech Podcast
Tools Mentioned
Remarkable digital notebook—combining analog thinking with digital convenience
Memorable Moments
“You always have to find your passion to empower yourself.”
“If you don’t fail, you’re not trying hard enough… failure is part of success.”
“AI is not something we should fear, it’s something we should learn to interact with.”
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Mission: 'If She Can Do It, So Can I'
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