Andra Maria Vaduva

Founder

New York, New York, United States14 yrs 2 mos experience
AI EnabledAI ML Practitioner

Key Highlights

  • Expert in AI adoption and human-centered design.
  • Founder of multiple AI-focused initiatives.
  • Proven track record in leadership development.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a leader in AI adoption and strategy within the education and technology sectors.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Ai StrategyChange ManagementResponsible AiAffective ComputingLeadership Development

Other Skills

n8nAgentic AutomationAgentic WorkflowsMulti-agent SystemsAnthropic ClaudeNetlifyBolt.newArtificial Intelligence (AI)Agentic AI DevelopmentClaude SkillsAI ArchitectAffective computing & human-factors researchHybrid-AI systems design & rapid prototypingValidation & safety assuranceStakeholder orchestration & translation to practice

About

I kept noticing the same pattern inside organizations: talented teams, strong ambition - but confusion on how to use AI in a way that actually matters. So I built a way to make adoption practical, human, and repeatable. My background sits at the intersection of AI and emotion modeling, and at MIT I doubled down on human-centered design: how people actually make decisions under pressure. That lens changed everything. If adoption is human, then strategy has to meet people where they are. Today we work with leaders across the US, Mexico, and the UK to turn AI from noise into one sensible bet at a time. We pick a real problem, set guardrails, run a 30-day sprint, and measure what matters: hours saved, faster cycles, fewer errors, better decisions. Then we scale what works. I lead two vehicles to do this. Safespace is the AI Adoption Lab. We study what makes change stick and design readiness, governance, and upskilling programs leaders can confidently explain to their boards and CFOs. The approach is human-centered, responsible, and scalable. Mental Gym teams are the AI SWAT teams. We deploy small, fast-moving squads focused on education, strategy, and adoption. Education means short workshops and coaching that raise the skill floor quickly. Strategy means choosing the first sensible bet and defining clear success criteria. Adoption means staying close to the team as they use the methods in real work until the win sticks. Outcome: organizations stop “trying tools” and start shipping decisions faster, saving hours, and reducing errors with proof they can see, feel, and share.

Experience

14 yrs 2 mos
Total Experience
1 yr 11 mos
Average Tenure
1 yr 3 mos
Current Experience

Cbrne ltd

Senior AI Researcher in Responsible AI & Emotion Modeling

Aug 2025Present · 9 mos · London Area, United Kingdom · Remote

  • What I’ll drive:
  • Ethical & misuse risk assessments (ERA/MRA), value-sensitive design, and large-scale validation exercises so AI is deployable, auditable, and trusted by operators and the public.
  • Translation from research to field training—turning frameworks into repeatable playbooks for decision-makers.
  • Why this matters for my work:
  • I’m doubling down on human-centered, trustworthy AI—where safety, ethics, and outcomes meet real-world operations.
  • My focus is affective & responsible AI: how people perceive and trust AI systems under pressure, and how we design for that reality.
  • I get to ship impact inside active EU projects, not just talk about it.
  • What we’re doing (concrete wins):
  • Hybrid AI in industry (ULTIMATE): advancing industrial-grade hybrid AI across space and robotics use cases—think satellite fault prognosis and collaborative robots—while meeting strict validity, explainability, and ethics requirements.
  • AI for policing (ALIGNER): co-creating an EU roadmap and practical Fundamental Rights Impact Assessment so law-enforcement AI is effective and rights-preserving under the EU AI Act.
Affective computing & human-factors researchHybrid-AI systems design & rapid prototypingValidation & safety assuranceStakeholder orchestration & translation to practiceResponsible-AI governance & policy opsResponsible AI+1

Ai circle

Member

Feb 2025Present · 1 yr 3 mos · New York, United States

Technology Change ManagementGenerative AI StudioAI AgentsArtificial Intelligence (AI)Generative AIGenerative AI Tools+1

Mental gym ai

Founder, Chief of AI Adoption

Mar 2024Present · 2 yrs 2 mos · New York, United States

  • Mental Gym AI is the team you deploy when you want AI to move from talk to proof. We send small, fast squads into the flow of work to help people learn, choose a first sensible bet, and adopt it in real situations. Education means short, practical sessions and coaching that raise the skill floor quickly. Strategy means selecting one use case that matters, defining clear success, and setting guardrails everyone understands. Adoption means staying close to the team as they use the method day to day until the win sticks.
  • We work inside the tools you already use and keep the process simple. Pick a real problem, set the rules, run a 30-day sprint, measure what matters, and scale what works. Leaders get clarity they can explain to boards and CFOs. Teams get confidence and momentum. The result is visible progress you can point to: hours saved, faster cycles, fewer errors, better decisions.
  • If you are feeling the pressure to do something real with AI without adding complexity, this is where we start. One bet at a time, with proof you can see, feel, and share.
n8nAgentic AutomationAgentic WorkflowsAI StrategyMulti-agent SystemsAnthropic Claude+6

Reforge

AI Strategist

Mar 2024Present · 2 yrs 2 mos

  • Partnered with Reforge to create online courses and artifacts, including frameworks and strategies at the intersection of AI and Leadership Development.
  • Recently hosted an AMA with the Reforge community, based on my experience coaching 7-figure startup founders on team scaling, workplace culture improvement, GTM, and raising capital. Find the insights in Reforge's latest blog post: https://www.reforge.com/blog/leadership-challenges-and-navigating-critical-moments-in-your-role
Crisis ManagementDecision-MakingKey Performance IndicatorsLeadership DevelopmentPerformance ImprovementArtificial Intelligence (AI)+2

Intro

Book 1:1 Video Sessions

May 2023Present · 3 yrs

Ifundwomen

Startup Coach

Feb 2022Dec 2022 · 10 mos · New York, United States

  • Coached over 150 founders over 18 months at IFundWomen, a New York organization dedicated to helping women and underrepresented groups raise capital and scale their businesses.
  • Awarded Best Startup Coach.

Culture amp

Culture First Lead

Dec 2021Jul 2023 · 1 yr 7 mos

  • Culture First is a community committed to building a better world of work. Our events bring together leaders, practitioners, and change agents who share this intention and want to contribute to making this happen. I am building the first #CultureFirst community in Mexico City in tandem with Employee Experience leaders in LATAM and United States.

Linkedin

AI Strategist, Course Author

Aug 2021Present · 4 yrs 9 mos

  • Creating pivotal courses for startup and Fortune 500 leaders in AI, productivity, and leadership. My courses provide accreditation towards SHRM® and HRCI® certifications.
  • Created "Reducing Employee Turnover" course; 13K+ learners.
  • Developed "Building a Collaborative Team Culture with AI" course, now part of entrepreneurship and business university curricula at 10+ universities across the US, including: Syracuse University
  • and University of Miami.
Culture ChangeKey Performance IndicatorsTechnology Change ManagementArtificial Intelligence (AI)Productivity ImprovementPerformance Management+2

Women in ai

Cohort 2021

Mar 2021Aug 2021 · 5 mos · New York, United States

Techcelerator.co

Growth Mentor

Apr 2020Aug 2021 · 1 yr 4 mos

Hiboo

Founder

Mar 2020Dec 2021 · 1 yr 9 mos · New York, United States

  • Hiboo: Your ally-at-work, empowering women and underrepresented groups to speak up and achieve equitable success. Sign up: https://hiboo.ai

Cocoon

2 roles

Head of Growth

Oct 2018Jan 2020 · 1 yr 3 mos

  • Cocoon is transforming the $300B skin care and beauty industry. We analyze proprietary data from Cocoon Beauty Engine™ to understand the industry’s audiences, their behavior, purchase drivers, and personal preferences at a granularity, cost, and scale not possible before.
  • https://my.cocoon-skin.com

Senior Growth Marketing Consultant

Aug 2018Oct 2018 · 2 mos

  • Cocoon is transforming the $300B skin care and beauty industry.
  • We analyze proprietary data from Cocoon Beauty Engine™ to understand the industry’s audiences, their behavior, purchase drivers, and personal preferences at a granularity, cost, and scale not possible before.
  • https://www.cocoon-skin.com

Safespace

Founder and CEO

Aug 2018Present · 7 yrs 9 mos · New York, United States

  • safespace: The AI Lab for human-centered adoption.
  • Despite $250B in AI investment, only 5% of companies achieve value at scale. The gap isn’t technology -- it’s human capability.
  • At safespace, we study what makes people adopt -- not resist -- change. Our research blends emotional intelligence, behavioral science, and AI strategy to design programs that make adoption stick.
  • We help leaders upskill teams, measure change readiness, and deploy AI responsibly across every layer of the organization.
n8nAgentic AutomationAgentic WorkflowsMulti-agent SystemsAnthropic ClaudeNetlify+6

Staunchgirls - e-commerce

Co-Founder & CMO

Feb 2017Aug 2018 · 1 yr 6 mos · New York City Metropolitan Area

Consultant

Technical Growth Consultant at Tech Startups

Aug 2016Dec 2019 · 3 yrs 4 mos · New York City Metropolitan Area

  • Managed digital marketing initiatives; E-mail, SEO, SEM, affiliates, social, retargeting, to hit traffic plans and ROI.
  • Partnered cross-functionally to support Brand initiatives.

Sevenrooms

Product Marketing Manager

May 2016Aug 2016 · 3 mos · Greater New York City Area

  • Project Managed all cross-functional attributes of the product launch.
  • Enhanced product brand identity through growth and marketing strategies.
  • Managed strategic partnerships to increase product adoption.

Foodie for all

Head Of Marketing

Dec 2014May 2016 · 1 yr 5 mos · New York City Metropolitan Area

  • Grew the revenue to an undisclosed MRR in a two-people company through demand generation and digital marketing campaigns.
  • Built and launched marketplace to achieve new business goals after pivoting from B2C to B2B business model.

General assembly

Digital Marketing Immersive

Aug 2014Nov 2014 · 3 mos · New York City Metropolitan Area

  • Business Strategy and Branding, Marketing Analytics (performance measurement, normalcy, comparison and optimisation; Google Analytics), UX, Email Marketing, Search Marketing (SEO & SEM; Google AdWords), Social Media Advertising.
  • On-going consulting projects for B2B Startup (Paid Acquisition), Fashion E-commerce (Email Marketing) and B2C Tech Startup (overall Marketing Strategy).

Swell, inc.

2 roles

Product Marketing Manager

Dec 2013Dec 2014 · 1 yr · New York City Metropolitan Area

  • Managed high-impact product launches for Google, Estee Lauder, L'Oreal, Kate Spade.

Account/Brand Strategy Manager

Sep 2013Dec 2013 · 3 mos · New York City Metropolitan Area

  • Operated as the lead point of contact for Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Hermes, Michael Kors, Nike, CR Fashion, and Louis Vuitton accounts.
  • Managed successfully a cross-functional team (design, product and engineering) to achieve quarterly key goals.
  • Developed a trusted advisor relationship with key accounts, customer stakeholders and executive sponsors.

Nicholson school of communication, university of central florida

Graduate Teaching/Research Assistant

Aug 2011May 2013 · 1 yr 9 mos · Greater Orlando

  • Conducted extensive research alongside two associate professors using quantitative (SPSS) and qualitative research methods (focus groups).

Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Executive Program — Designing High Impactful Solutions with MITdesignX

Feb 2023Present

Reforge

AI Foundations for Product Managers — Artificial Intelligence

Apr 2025May 2025

Conversational Academy

Conversation Design Certification — Conversation Design & AI Training

Jan 2021Jan 2021

Fullstack Academy

Software Engineering and Full Stack Development

Jan 2018Jan 2018

UCF College of Business

Certificate of Entrepreneurship — Business Administration

Jan 2012Jan 2013

University of Central Florida

M.A. — Statistics and Mass Communication

Jan 2011Jan 2013

National School of Political and Administrative Studies (Romania)

Bachelor's degree (B.A.) — Communication and Public Relations

Jan 2007Jan 2010

Stackforce found 100+ more professionals with Ai Strategy & Change Management

Explore similar profiles based on matching skills and experience