Varsha
Agarwal
Founder and CEO at BodhIQ
"Universal AI - Building by Everyone for Everyone"
"Universal AI - Building by Everyone for Everyone"
Wed May 13 - 4:30 AM EDT/New York (See in local time)
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05/13/2026 4:30 AM
05/13/2026 04:50 AM
America/New_York
#WTGC2026
"Universal AI - Building by Everyone for Everyone"
#WTGC2026
"Universal AI - Building by Everyone for Everyone"
https://www.womentech.net/ringcentral
https://www.womentech.net/ringcentral
"Universal AI - Building by Everyone for Everyone"
"Universal AI - Building by Everyone for Everyone"
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Session: Universal AI - Building by Everyone for Everyone
Modern AI is transforming how we build technology, but there's a critical difference between "AI for everyone" and "AI by everyone"—and that difference determines whether AI actually becomes universal.This talk explores how we move from building static, one-size-fits-all solutions to creating intelligent, adaptive systems that understand real-world context. When people closest to problems can build AI solutions themselves—not just use what others create—we unlock a fundamentally different kind of innovation.
We will explore:
• Why context matters more than scale: the five dimensions that determine whether AI works in real situations
• How contribution loops transform passive users into active builders—and why this shift matters
• Two frameworks for universal AI: building FROM the edge (where constraints reveal universal truths) and building WITH people (enabling co-creation, not just consumption)
• Real examples of AI built by people solving their own problems—and how those solutions end up working for everyone
This isn't about making AI more inclusive as an afterthought. It's about recognizing that innovation accelerates when we remove the barriers between seeing a problem and building the solution.
Key Takeaways
- Why "By Everyone" beats "For Everyone": The innovation and business case for distributed AI building Understand how enabling broader participation in AI development leads to better solutions, faster iteration, and AI that works across contexts.
- Building contribution culture: How to transform organizations from AI consumers to AI co-creators Practical frameworks for democratizing AI building within teams—lowering barriers to contribution, creating learning loops that happen in the flow of work.
- The 360° Context Framework and two design principles: FROM the edge and WITH people Foundational approaches one can implement immediately—understanding context dimensions that determine AI success, starting with extreme use cases to build universal AI
Bio
Varsha Agarwal is Co-Founder and CEO of BodhIQ, focused on AI transformation and leadership development. With 25+ years driving business and technology transformation at VMware and Sapient, she now helps organizations build AI-ready cultures and enables people to move from AI users to AI builders.As Karnataka State Vice President of WICCI AI/ML Council, she champions accessible AI education. Through Lenostun Foundation, she's delivered 10,000+ hours of hands-on AI training to underrepresented groups, partnering with organizations like Enable India and Youth4Jobs.
Varsha has spoken at IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, Adobe Symposium, NASSCOM, Rakuten Tech Conference, Women Who Code and many other platforms on AI transformation, leadership development and inclusive tech. She advises startups through Attvaran accelerator (UCL, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras collaboration) and co-founded Together We Can, a consortium driving collaborative impact in diversity and inclusion.
She holds certifications from ISB, Kellogg School of Management, IIM Bangalore, and Stanford, bringing both enterprise experience and grassroots impact to democratizing AI development.
