Jennifer Rött

I attribute my success to resilience, empathy, and a refusal to accept systems that weren’t built for people like me. I grew up in foster care, started my first business at ten, emancipated myself as a teenager, and navigated homelessness while putting myself through school. That experience taught me empathy as a survival skill—one that has since become my leadership superpower.

Today, I lead with purpose and design for impact. I build award-winning teams, scale innovation in complex systems, and center emotional intelligence in everything I do. I believe innovation begins with empathy. I measure success not just by what I build, but by the opportunities I create for others to thrive.

The best advice I’ve received wasn’t spoken, it was modeled: “Don’t wait for permission to lead.” I learned early on that I wouldn’t always be invited into the room, so I focused on showing up with clarity, empathy, and a commitment to excellence. I’ve been fortunate to learn from mentors who led with service, challenged assumptions, and lifted others up. That example shaped how I lead today—by solving real problems, building strong teams, and creating space for others to thrive. Leadership, I’ve learned, is a choice, not a title.

Don’t minimize yourself to make others comfortable. Take up space, ask for what you deserve, and negotiate every opportunity. You are not “lucky to be here” - you earned it! Surround yourself with people who challenge and support you. And, when you get a seat at the table, make space for others.

The biggest challenge right now is the speed at which AI is reshaping product ecosystems, and the gap between what organizations want to achieve and what their infrastructure, talent models, and decision-making frameworks can realistically support. Many companies are trying to retrofit AI into legacy systems without addressing the underlying architectural and operational constraints, which creates technical debt, fragmented experiences, and ethical risk.

At the same time, this gap represents the greatest opportunity. Teams that invest in foundational systems, thoughtful data governance, and human-centered AI design have the ability to leapfrog competitors. We’re moving from “adding AI features” to building AI-native and embedded-AI products that fundamentally change how users interact with technology and how businesses operate.

There is also a major opportunity in multidisciplinary collaboration. AI demands tighter alignment between design, engineering, data science, compliance, and the business. Organizations that break down silos and elevate design alongside technical decision-making will build more intelligent, intuitive, trustworthy systems.

Finally, the ethical dimension is now front and center in both user experience and business risk mitigation. Bias, transparency, and user trust are core product requirements, not secondary considerations. Teams that design AI responsibly will differentiate themselves not only through innovation, but through credibility.

Integrity is the foundation of everything I do. I hold myself to honesty, accountability, and clarity of intention in both work and life.

Excellence matters. It’s doing things intentionally, thoughtfully, and with high standards.

Equity and empathy guide how I lead. When people feel valued, supported, and empowered, they’re able to do their best work and show up as their full selves.

And finally, growth. I value people who challenge themselves, challenge me, and challenge the status quo.