We know AI doesn't stand still and neither do we. New tools emerge, workflows evolve, and new opportunities open up. Whether you're starting your career, looking to progress, returning to work, or simply trying to understand what everyone is talking about, our AI Advantage for Professionals series gives you a place to learn by doing.
Already joined a previous edition? You’ll find new topics to explore, new things to build, and new ways to apply AI in your work and career.
What is AI Advantage?
AI Advantage for Professionals is a free series of 4 live, hands-on online sessions where you'll experiment with AI, solve real workplace challenges, and create something of your own. No prior AI, tech or coding experience is required.
Learn alongside hundreds of others, supported by Aish, our instructors, and the She Loves Data community.
Come with curiosity. Leave with new knowledge, or even something you've built.
How it works
Held on selected Saturdays from September to November, each 2.5-hour session starts at 4:00 pm Singapore, 9:00/8:00 am UK and 6:00/7:00 pm Australia. As clocks change during the programme, please check the start time for your location when registering.
Join one session or all four. If you choose to build your own AI solution, we'll support you throughout the programme via Slack. Those who submit their project may be selected to showcase their work during Graduation.
Can't join live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording for the session(s) you've registered for.
Session 1 · CREATE | 12 September 2026 with Nickey
Moving from one-off prompting to context-driven AI. You'll learn how to give AI the right context and get output you can trust. You'll leave having built your own personal AI assistant, ready to use at work and in daily life, plus a step-by-step guide to keep building on your own. Tools: Gemini Notebook, Gemini Gems, Claude Code (showcase).
Session 2 · INNOVATE | 10 October 2026 with Aish
Moving to fully functional agents that interact with other agents. You'll design and build your own AI agent or automation, and leave with a working solution, built end-to-end, plus a reusable framework for the next agent you build. No starting from scratch! No coding experience required. Tools: Claude, Gemini, n8n/Make, Lovable or Replit + APIs.
Session 3 · IGNITE | 31 October 2026 with Aish
Moving from users to responsible AI champions. Responsible AI is only as good as the people practising it. You'll practise spotting bias, hallucinations and ethical gaps in real AI outputs and automations, and leave with your own AI Risk Warning Toolkit. Tools: n8n/Make, Miro.
Session 4 · GRADUATION | 14 November 2026 with Radha and Haja
Get inspired and improve your professional relevance. The cohort's most impactful AI projects get showcased and celebrated. Then you'll learn how to present your new AI skills on LinkedIn, develop and promote your personal brand, and get practical tips for your next career move.
You’ll gain:
AI skills you can put into practice immediately
AI solutions you built yourself
A reusable framework for future AI projects
How to update your LinkedIn profile
Certificates, LinkedIn badges and challenge awards
A place in the She Loves Data global community of more than 29,000 professionals that continues long after Graduation
Who is it for
Career starters, job seekers, returners, business owners, team leads - and anyone curious about AI. No technical background required.
Free, and proudly supported by Cognizant, in our third year of partnership.
Your Instructors
Aishwarya Ramakrishnan
Director, Banking and Financial Services Industry
Aish is a senior technology leader and Director in the Banking and Financial Services sector, where she leads high-performing, cross-functional teams to deliver technology transformations across Corporate Banking in APAC and the Middle East. Known for her ability to align strategy with execution, Aish drives innovation at scale, empowering her teams to build impactful, resilient, and future-ready solutions.
Combining deep technical expertise with a passion for data and human-centered design, Aish leads with clarity, empathy, and purpose. She is a vocal advocate for inclusive leadership and has spent the past five years shaping global upskilling initiatives through She Loves Data. As the Global Lead for the AI & Machine Learning track at SLD, she has delivered multiple training programs, including leading the previous two editions of AI Advantage, and helped thousands of women worldwide grow their confidence in data and tech.
Committed to nurturing future talent, Aish was selected as a mentor for the National University of Singapore (NUS) Women’s Professional Development Program, where she supports the growth of emerging women leaders. Her industry contributions have earned notable recognition: in 2024, she was named one of the Top 50 Asia Women Tech Leaders, and in 2025, she was named ‘Singapore 100 Women in Tech’ in addition to being awarded as one of Singapore’s Top 200 IT & Tech Creators by Favikon, securing the #5 spot in the Technology category.
Aish is driven by one mission: to lead with impact, elevate others, and help shape the inclusive, intelligent future of work.
Nickey Khemchandani
Founder @ Collective Global and Co-Founder / CTO @ BSD Education
Nickey operates as a venture builder through the brand Collective Global, having helped launch over hundreds of brands and businesses. Simultaneously, he has been leading the technological and digital vision of BSD Education as its co-founder and Chief Technology Officer. With his leadership, he has helped BSD develop a revolutionary EdTech solution that is enabling educators in over 26 countries and boasting over 150,000 paid users.
He has over 17 years of experience in developing and scaling technology solutions. He utilizes best-in-class product development techniques to help businesses go from ideation to launching revenue generating products. In addition, his expertise in digital marketing and user experience helps drive scale for businesses and enables teams to harness the power of data. Corporations globally seek his expertise in designing large-scale digital transformation projects.
Over the years, he has been featured across several leading publications and books, and invited to speak at international conferences around the topics of technology application in various industries. Nickey is committed to championing market-leading innovation and leadership to grow businesses into global front-runners.
Radha Raman
Business Consultant, LamplightersAsia | Doctoral Researcher
Radha Raman is a technology leader with 30 years of experience across multinational IT organisations in Asia Pacific, including IBM, VMware and Red Hat.
In 2025, she took a deliberate pause to complete an MBA in AI and a Master's in Psychology — reflecting her conviction that technology and human mindset are inseparable in successful AI adoption. She is currently pursuing her doctorate research on how organizations can support the AI transformation of mid-career professionals, with particular focus on the Asian context.
She is a consultant working with IT companies on building their AI business strategy, serves as a Volunteer Career Advisor with Workforce Singapore and mentors mid-career women professionals.
Radha is a mother of two daughters living in Singapore with her husband and her dog.
Haja Sheriff
Strategic Advisor | Co-Founder LamplightersAsia
Haja Sheriff brings more than 30 years of experience building technology businesses across Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM, and today co-leads his own boutique go-to-market firm, Lamplighters Asia, headquartered in Singapore, which he co-founded in 2024.
Throughout his career, he has specialised in entering new markets and segments that had no established model, and creating the structure needed to make them work. At AWS between 2016 and 2023, he built the Marketplace business in Asia-Pacific from $8 million to a $150M run rate in 2 years, developed the partner ecosystem for AWS Public Sector in India, and launched an entirely new not-for-profit segment from the ground up. Earlier, at Amazon Alexa, Kindle, Microsoft, and IBM, he followed the same pattern, from growing partner and channel businesses to introducing new commercial models across Asia.
Today, through Lamplighters Asia, he helps technology partners such as software vendors, system integrators, and startups turn their access to major cloud partner programs into real revenue, working alongside them from diagnosis through to delivery.
FAQs
Is the programme free to attend?
Yes. The AI Advantage for Professionals: IGNITE is completely free to attend, thanks to the support of Cognizant.
Do I need any AI or technical experience?
No. The programme is designed for all experience levels. Whether you're just getting started or already using AI, you'll learn by doing and build at your own pace.
Is AI Advantage only for women?
While the programme is designed primarily for women professionals, everyone is welcome to join.
I’ve joined a previous AI Advantage edition. Is IGNITE still relevant for me?
Absolutely. AI doesn’t stand still - new tools, workflows and opportunities are constantly emerging. IGNITE is more hands-on than previous editions, with a strong focus on applying AI in practice, plus new topics like evaluating AI outputs and using AI responsibly. You’ll also learn how to showcase your skills on LinkedIn and take the next step in your career.
Do I have to attend all four sessions?
No. You can join whichever sessions fit your schedule. If you attend all four, you'll get the full learning experience.
Will the sessions be recorded?
Yes. If you can't attend live, you'll receive the recording for the session(s) you've registered for. Recordings are shared with registered participants after each session.
Do I have to build and submit an AI solution?
No. Building and submitting a solution is completely optional. If you choose to submit one, selected projects will be showcased during Graduation.