Professor Birju Shah

Professor Birju Shah is a globally recognised leader in artificial intelligence, innovation, and product strategy, with more than twenty years of experience driving AI transformation across technology, healthcare, sustainability, and urban systems. As CEO of Loam, a pioneering company redefining land and rights acquisition, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Product Management and AI at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Birju combines deep technical expertise with a passion for developing the next generation of AI leaders. His insights bridge academia and industry, making him an exceptional choice as a keynote speaker on how artificial intelligence is reshaping business and society.

Birju’s career began in research and academia, holding positions as Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant at the MIT Media Lab and Sloan School of Management, where he explored early applications of AI and human–computer interaction. His academic grounding and entrepreneurial mindset led him to The Climate Corporation as Head of Product and Yield Analysis, applying data science to climate resilience and agricultural efficiency. These experiences set the foundation for his ability to merge technical innovation with real-world problem-solving, a hallmark of his later leadership roles.

In subsequent years, Birju scaled some of the world’s most influential technology platforms. At Uber, he served as Head of Product for AI, Health, Communities, Cities, and Sustainability, helping expand global operations to over 100 countries. He later became Chief Product Officer at Redesign Health and President of Sabanto Autonomous Tractors, leading efforts to modernise healthcare and agriculture through automation. In 2022, he took on dual roles as CEO of Loam and Clinical Assistant Professor at Kellogg, where he co-created the acclaimed executive education programme Generative AI: Unlocking Enterprise Value, presented to more than fifty Fortune 500 companies.

Named an Emerging Leader Fellow by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in 2025, Birju is renowned for his ability to translate complex AI concepts into strategic insights for organisations. His blend of academic rigour, global leadership, and hands-on innovation makes him an engaging and visionary AI speaker, one who empowers audiences to harness artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively in an ever-evolving digital world.