Meet Cynthia Respert

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cynthia Respert. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cynthia below.

Cynthia, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

Finding my purpose has been a beautiful and progressive journey. I’ve always loved bringing bold visions to life and creatively solving problems. I am always in search of “a better, more efficient way” to accomplish a goal (which drives my husband crazy!). I thrive at the intersection of creativity and efficiency! Systems and impactful solutions have always been my thing—but about a decade into my career in Supply Chain and Logistics within manufacturing environments at Fortune 100 companies, I began craving a more tangible and human-centered impact. That desire sparked the first major pivot from my traditional path.

This leap into nonprofit and entrepreneurial spaces brought me closer to the communities I was serving—and that changed everything. I discovered a new level of freedom, joy, and impact in witnessing others win—not through dashboards or reports, but through real people. “Wait, that exists professionally?!” I thought. And while every path has its challenges, I approached this one with a renewed sense of purpose and determination.

Throughout those transitions, I leaned on both my educational and professional background—paired with a genuine love for helping others and creating value. I’ve mentored hundreds of children, led volunteer teams of over 1,800 people, and managed projects for Fortune 100 companies such as Cadillac, AT&T, JPMorgan Chase, eMerge Americas, and Comcast NBCUniversal. I’ve also had the privilege of supporting over 2,000 small businesses across 10 cities and 3 countries, including the U.S., Canada, and Haiti.

An unexpected cancer diagnosis during that season added a profound layer of perspective. It deepened my resilience and reminded me just how precious life is. It also reframed the urgency of health and self-care—because you may think you have many problems, but when your health is one of them, you really only have one.
These experiences gave me a front-row seat to both the challenges and the possibilities—and emphasized the urgency of using my gifts to make a difference. I knew I was here for a reason. My purpose had always been present—it just needed alignment.

Along the way, I saw the glaring disparity in the representation of women in tech and the untapped brilliance waiting to be unlocked. That’s why I founded AI BuildHER Academy, where we simplify AI and technology for women, empowering them to leverage it to disrupt, innovate, and lead confidently in their industries.

My work is deeply rooted in community, impact, access, equity, and ownership. And I can honestly say—I love it here.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am an AI Strategist and Business Operations Consultant who loves to demystify complex systems and technologies by sharing frameworks and actionable steps that help people “get it.” My journey into this space was a natural evolution from my background in Operations and my approach to emerging technologies and systems. That, coupled with my love for creativity, made AI the perfect playground. It’s the ultimate fusion of systems thinking and innovation.

I’m also the Founder of AI BuildHER Academy—a vibrant, growing community and energetic safe space where women can learn, grow, and demystify artificial intelligence together. We simplify AI for women CEOs, professionals, and entrepreneurs, empowering them to leverage their expertise using AI tools, strategies, and skills to confidently disrupt, innovate, and lead in their industries. It’s that “special” place to UNLEASH YOUR BRILLIANCE through tech.

What excites me most about this work is watching women experience their personal “AI-AHA” moments. We meet women exactly where they are—whether they’re professionals, entrepreneurs, or innovators-in-the-making—and help them reimagine what’s possible with AI. We’ve transformed AI-averse learners into enthusiasts in less than one session! Our approach is rooted in community, guided mentorship, and real-world application.

We’re also tackling a very real problem.

“Women are 22% less likely to use AI than men. What’s more, they’re more likely to consider using AI as cheating.”
(Harvard Business Review Working Paper, 2024–2025)

Women start businesses faster than any other demographic, yet they own only 14% of tech businesses and hold less than 22% of tech roles globally. This gender and wealth gap widens every day we don’t provide the awareness, access, and resources women need to thrive in this space. AI is projected to become a $15.7 trillion economy by 2030—and I’m both excited and determined to ensure more women are active participants in the digital economy.

AI BuildHER Academy is where education, empowerment, and execution meet.

Our core belief is that we:

BELIEVE in our brilliance

BUILD boldly

BECOME the solution the marketplace needs

Through this, we help women develop AI confidence, build solutions (apps, platforms, frameworks), and establish themselves as thought leaders and go-to experts for AI’s impact in their industries. Women in our community have used AI to write books, transform coaching programs, launch podcasts, streamline operations, generate revenue, and bring their boldest ideas to life.

We also host live workshops, community co-working sessions, and certification opportunities—and soon, we’ll be unveiling new learning experiences focused on low/no-code app development and agentic AI.

This community is for motivated women ready to leverage their expertise, amplify their impact, and lead with AI. Our mission is to upskill 100,000 women and shift the narrative around who gets to build and lead in the tech economy. You can follow our journey, join our programs, or connect with the community at www.aibuildheracademy.com.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, three key areas have been incredibly impactful in my journey: systems thinking, adaptability, and community building – with a bonus at the end.

1. Systems Thinking
My Operations and Logistics background trained me to see how pieces connect—how processes, people, and performance align to create outcomes. This mindset helped me see AI not as just a tool but as a system that could amplify outcomes across different parts of life and business. This skill can be applied to any area of life to lean into the bigger picture and avoid the granularity of narrow thinking.

Advice:
If you’re early in your journey, start developing this by zooming. Don’t just focus on tools—focus on patterns. Ask: Where are the bottlenecks? What could be streamlined? That lens will help you see opportunities everywhere.

2. Adaptability
The tech space—and especially AI—is evolving at lightning speed. The ability to pivot, unlearn, and relearn has been a game-changer. When I first entered the AI space, I didn’t have all the answers—but I was willing to ask better questions.

Advice:
Don’t be afraid to be a beginner, and more importantly, actually pursue failing forward. Experimentation is where growth happens. Set time aside each week to run what I like to call “AI L.A.P.S.” (Learn And Produce Something). Try, test, tinker. Progress comes from the reps, not perfection.

3. Community-Building
I’ve learned that innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s accelerated through community. Every major growth point in my journey has been connected to people—collaborators, mentors, clients, or students. AI BuildHER Academy is a direct reflection of that.

Advice:
Surround yourself with doers, not just dreamers. Get into rooms where you’re inspired and stretched. And when failure happens—which it will—lean into community, not away from it. Safe spaces make brave builders.

Finally, I want to highlight two critical questions that I DID NOT routinely ask myself for a long time that will help anyone pursuing something bigger than themselves:
-What do you really want? (To make sure you’re pursuing the right thing)
-What did you fail at today? (Because nothing grows inside of our comfort zone.)

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Absolutely! We believe collaboration is the new currency, and we’re always looking to connect with aligned individuals and organizations who share our mission of equity, innovation, and impact.

We’re especially open to collaborating with:

Curriculum designers and educators passionate about simplifying tech and AI for diverse learners

Corporate and nonprofit partners interested in upskilling their communities or teams through AI literacy and leadership programs

Investors and funders aligned with our goal to upskill 100,000 women and increase AI ownership among underrepresented founders

Speakers, workshop leaders, and facilitators who bring fresh, forward-thinking energy to tech, creativity, or personal development spaces

Tech platforms and ecosystem builders who want to co-create experiences, certifications, or visibility opportunities for women in AI

Whether you’re building, funding, designing, or amplifying—if you’re committed to changing the face of tech, we’d love to connect.

You can reach me directly through the contact form at www.aibuildheracademy.com or connect with me on LinkedIn to explore partnership opportunities. Let’s BUILD!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cynthiarespert.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/cynthiarespert
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/cynthiamrespert
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/cynthiarespert
• Other: AI BuildHER Academy: https://www.aibuildheracademy.com