Keynote speaker on AI, Technology and Ethics
Cynthia West, PhD
The AI Era is making foundational changes to our society and economy. Dr. West is calling for a New Social Framework.®
Keynote Speaker, Cynthia West, PhD
The AI Era is here and now more than ever. We need to consider the ethics of what we are building.
Cynthia West, Ph.D. is a keynote speaker on The AI Era: A Call for a New Social Framework®. Her unique perspective includes blending:
- Experience as a co-founder and entrepreneur of four tech startups.
- A published author of Techno-Human Mesh: The Growing Power of Information Technologies.
- A professor of entrepreneurship and business ethics.
- And a leader of California's Orange County’s Accelerate California entrepreneurship center.
Cynthia is an inspirational and futuristic speaker for your events, conferences and workshops.
Artificial Intelligence, Technology and Ethics Keynote Speaker
AI, Tech and Ethics Keynote Speaker
AI, Tech and Ethics Keynote Speaker
AI, Tech and Ethics Keynote Speaker
Are you seeking an engaging, thought-provoking speaker for your upcoming event? Get out of the trenches with Dr. West!
Cynthia brings her 30+ years of experience as a tech entrepreneur and co-founder for your audience.
Innovation Workshops
AI, Tech and Ethics Keynote Speaker
AI, Tech and Ethics Keynote Speaker
Need your innovation teams to think about the broader social, cultural, and political impacts of the tech you are building?
Dr. West will run workshops with your teams in product development, marketing, sales to create ethical products.
Listen to a Speech
Technology and Ethics - full talk from Women in Tech Symposium
Exemplars in Leadership - closing remarks at Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce
How I got interested in tech and ethics
Read the Book - Techno-Human Mesh: The Growing Power of Information Technologies
What Our Clients Say
Get In Touch with Cynthia West, PhD
Cynthia West, PhD
Bio
Cynthia West, Ph.D., is a leading voice at the intersection of AI, technology, and ethics, known for blending deep philosophical insight with decades of Silicon Valley experience. Her work draws on four rare pillars of expertise:
- Tech industry leadership as a co-founder, executive, and early member of multiple startups.
- A Ph.D. in political philosophy focused on how technology reshapes society, culture, politics, and the human body.
- Author of Techno‑Human Mesh (Praeger, 2001), a prescient examination of the unintended consequences of emerging technologies.
- Professor and leader of Chapman University’s entrepreneurship and innovation programs.
Dr. West entered the tech world in 1993 as the fifth employee of TestDrive Corporation, a patented “try-before-you-buy” CD-ROM software platform that was acquired by R.R. Donnelley & Sons within 14 months.
She later joined Audio Highway—an early MP3 player and audio-on-demand pioneer with five patents—which reached a peak valuation of $500 million after going public in 1998.
While building these companies, she completed her Ph.D., using her insider vantage point as the first woman and only female executive in both startups to examine the ethical blind spots she witnessed in real time. Her early concerns about the societal impact of technology proved strikingly accurate, positioning her as one of the earliest critics of the technology industry’s unchecked influence.
Today, Dr. West brings more than 30 years of tech leadership, four startups, and two successful exits, and academic experience to her work as a speaker and thought leader. As AI accelerates, she challenges audiences to think beyond efficiency, productivity, and profitability toward long term moral responsibility, guiding organizations to adopt AI with clarity, foresight, and humanity.
Frequently Asked Questions
March 20, 2026
Women in Tech Symposium • Quantum eMotion • Keynote Speaker
Technology and Ethics
December 12, 2025
Student Government • Chapman University • Keynote Speaker
Leadership
June 5, 2025
Chapman University, The Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics • Keynote Speaker
30 Second Pitch Workshop
May 6, 2025
Technology Innovation Forum: Women Leaders of Octane • Moderator
Panel: Definitions of Success
April 26, 2025
Chapman University, Collaboration with Wilkinson College • Panelist
Panel: Building the Career You Want
April 19, 2025
SoCal Celebrates Entrepreneurship • Moderator
Panel: Launch Your Startup
February 27, 2025
Chapman University, Collaboration with Fowler Engineering • Moderator
Panel: Jennifer Gill Roberts, Entrepreneur, Technologist, VC
January 28, 2025
Women Rising Leadership Academy • Keynote Speaker
How to Give an Engaging Presentation
January 14, 2025
Exit Hours Entrepreneurs • Keynote Speaker
Sales Processes for Startups
Will AI Save the World or End It?
Before AI: The Ideas That Made Technology Ethical (or Not)
From Plato to Platforms: The Ethical Roots of Modern Technology
Always On: Living in the Age of Total Surveillance
Always On: Wearables, Biometrics, and the New Human Experience
Exclusion by Design? Inequality in the Digital Era
You’ve Got My Back: Leading with Loyalty
Pricing varies based on the specific services, audience size, and location of the event or workshop. I do offer discounted services for non-profits. Please contact me directly for a detailed discussion about pricing tailored to your needs.
You can reach out to me through the contact form on this website or you may book a call with my on the booking link below. Let's get the conversation started!
Book time with Cynthia West
I travel to any location internationally to present at your event. While I can do online sessions, the impact of onsite events and conferences is exponentially greater.
Schedule Your Consultation with Cynthia West, PhD Today
Why Work With Us
Develop AI Strategies for the Long Term
Protect Your Brand and Board
Innovate Ethically
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