Natalie Lao

Dr. Natalie Lao is the Executive Director of the App Inventor Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by professors and engineers at MIT and Google with the mission of empowering students to create meaningful technologies that can transform their lives and uplift their communities. She received her B.S., M.Eng., and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), where she developed database and AI components, and led research, curriculum development, and teacher training for MIT App Inventor initiatives across the globe. At MIT, she was Co-creator and Instructor for the undergraduate course 6.S198: Deep Learning Practicum, and led the trajectory team for the MIT Inclusive AI Literacy and Learning project. Natalie serves as Expert on Mission for UNESCO’s AI & the Futures of Learning project, where she co-developed the United Nations’s AI Competency Framework for School Students.