Recap:
Fortune
Brainstorm
Tech 2025
From the POV of our CEO & Co-Founder, Jaclyn Wainwright
Excited to be in Park City this week for Fortune Brainstorm Tech.
There’s nothing like being in a room with people who are shaping the future—Fortune 500 execs, technologists, founders, asking the hard questions and sharing what’s working (and what’s not) when it comes to building, leading, and scaling in a time of relentless change.
We covered a lot on Day 1. From AI to access to empathy—yesterday was a masterclass in where tech is headed and where it must evolve.
Here are a few takeaways from the Sessions:
🧠 AI That Pays Off: Maximizing Your ROI
There’s a lot of hype around AI, but what actually delivers ROI? Boring problems. Specific use cases. Small wins.
Brad Anderson (President, Qualtrics) reminds us that transformation isn’t a lightning bolt. It’s the result of consistent, incremental improvement.
The real risk I see? When tools are technically impressive but don’t solve an actual business problem. Without alignment on metrics and goals, no AI pilot is going to succeed.
The way to win with AI? Pick a metric—any metric: cost, speed, accuracy, productivity—and focus there. Solve a boring, specific problem first.
One line I won’t forget: “You’re only as strong as your weakest process.”
AI won't fix a broken workflow—it will expose it.
📞 For Lyft, It’s Ride or Die
Lyft just launched “Lyft Silver,” a senior-friendly interface with a one-click call to customer care. What I loved? Lyft CEO, David Risher did a live demo onstage to see how fast his own team picked up. The answer? 17 seconds.
That kind of leadership that prioritizes real customer experience over just slideware is powerful. He painted a picture of a future where you drive your car during the day, and while you sleep, it joins Lyft’s platform, gets cleaned by a fleet manager, and ends up back in your driveway by morning. Wild.
🚙 Health Care, Rewired
Kate Ryder (CEO, Maven Clinic) shared the stage with Uber Health and Amazon Pharmacy to declare “consumer health is finally here.”
In this session I was shocked to learn the staggering cost of missed health appointments: $4.4B annually for veterans services alone.
Uber Health’s platform is directly addressing this. Uber helped reduce missed health appointments by giving access to transportation for vets—80% said they wouldn’t have made their appointments without Uber Health.
Sometimes innovation means just helping people get to the doctor.
🎬 The Power Broker
Michael Ovitz, (Cofounder of CAA) reminded us that leadership isn’t about collecting power—it’s about collecting people.
I love his approach of seeing each individual not as an asset, but as their own business. The question he posed: Who are you collecting? The relationships we build define the futures we’re able to shape.
It’s not about status—it’s about who you’re building with, and what you’re building toward.
Feeling inspired and energized. Day 2 Updates to come!
On the left: Featuring Humankind's Jaclyn Wainwright in front of Fortune Brainstorm Tech in Salt Lake City, Utah“For 10 years, we have been saying consumer health is here and seen little change/progress, but
today, on stage with Uber and Amazon, we can truly say that consumer health is here.”
Kate Ryder
CEO, Maven Clinic
Another powerful day at Fortune Brainstorm Tech filled with conversations on AI, culture, and what it means to lead with purpose. The recurring theme? Innovation alone isn’t enough, it has to be useful, human-centered, and deeply connected to people’s lives.
Here are a few takeaways from standout sessions:
🔮 LEADERSHIP IN TIMES OF CHANGE
We talked about how the rise of agentic AI is redefining how we think about connection. I loved Jonathan Dien's (Slack) idea of AI agents that welcome employees into new channels — sharing who's there, how they communicate, and why the group exists. Culture can't be replaced by AI, but it can absolutely be reinforced by it.
Another key takeaway was the idea of “quantum leadership.” Just as physics shows us we can’t always know the direction and speed of a particle at once, leaders can’t expect certainty in moments of change. Instead, we have to embrace ambiguity and lean into the conversations that move us forward.
🌟FORTUNE MOST POWERFUL WOMEN LUNCH: Leadership Lessons with Revathi Advaithi
Revathi’s (CEO, Flex) story is extraordinary. From her early days on the manufacturing floor to leading Flex through reinvention and growth, her leadership is rooted in authenticity and courage.
She spoke candidly about navigating breast cancer while leading her company, offering a powerful reminder that excellence comes not from perfection, but from purpose.
It was also a joy to meet Ellie Austin, who moderated beautifully. Pattie Sellers' vision for Fortune Most Powerful Women truly lives on.
💡 WHAT CUSTOMERS REALLY WANT
Marketing leaders from Visa, Adobe, and Autodesk shared what it really takes to connect today: humility with AI, clarity of goals, and never losing sight of your brand.
Frank Cooper III (CMO, Visa) reminded us to ask: how do these new tools reinforce what customers truly value?
I left thinking about how storytelling and emotional connection will always cut through the noise, no matter how advanced the tools get.
🛒 WHAT WALMART REALLY KNOWS
What stood out in this session wasn't just how Walmart utilizes AI, but how John Furner (CEO, Walmart U.S.) is personally using it as an individualized briefing tool. He described talking to AI during his commute, asking questions like, “What’s happening in the world today that might disrupt my supply chain?”
That mindset of staying proactive, curious, and open to new tools is what real leadership looks like in this moment of change. His perspective was clear: AI should make leaders better informed, associates more supported, and customers’ lives easier.
Another reminder that innovation is powerful, but only when guided by purpose and people. Walmart's people-led, tech-enabled business is a great example of this in action.
Thank you to Fortune for the incredible past few days. As I leave the conference, I'm feeling energized, inspired, and excited to bring these ideas back to my team.
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