AI Career Foundry – Bay Area

## Pivoting Into AI in the Bay Area: Real Paths + What’s Next

AI is not just another tech trend—it’s actively reshaping how work gets done across industries.

Roles are being redefined. Tasks that used to take hours are now automated in minutes. Teams are getting leaner, and expectations are shifting fast. The gap between people who can leverage AI and those who can’t is widening.
For many, this isn’t a “nice to explore” anymore—it’s quickly becoming a must-have shift.
This meetup is about facing that reality directly and figuring out what to do about it.
We’ll cover both sides:

*how to actually transition into AI

• and where the field is heading so you don’t fall behind

### Speaker 1: Gowtham Sivaramakrishnan (AI Manager)

Gowtham will share his journey transitioning from a non-CS, non-AI background in process engineering into an AI leadership role.
This won’t be generic advice. He’ll break down:

*What it actually takes to pivot into AI today

• How to use your current experience as leverage instead of starting over
  *What most people get wrong when trying to transition
• How to position yourself in a market that’s changing quickly

If you’ve been thinking about making the switch but haven’t acted yet, this talk will give you a clear direction.

### Speaker 2: Brahanyaa Somasundaram (Software Engineer)

Brahanyaa will zoom out and look at the bigger picture—how AI has evolved and what’s coming next.
She’ll cover:

*How AI has rapidly progressed from traditional ML to GenAI

• How organizations are already using AI to transform workflows and teams
  *What changes we’re likely to see in the next few years
• What you should focus on learning now to stay relevant

This is about understanding where things are headed so you can make smarter decisions today.

### Who this is for

*Professionals considering a shift into AI, ML, or GenAI

• Engineers, PMs, analysts, and students
  *People who feel their current role may be impacted by AI
• Anyone who wants to stay ahead instead of reacting late

### What you’ll get

*A realistic view of how AI is impacting jobs and careers

• A clear path to start (or accelerate) your transition
  *Insight into what skills actually matter right now
• A network of people thinking about the same shift

### Agenda

4:00 PM – Arrival and networking
4:15 PM – Talk: Transitioning into AI (Gowtham)
4:30 PM – Talk: Where AI is heading (Brahanyaa)
4:45 PM – Q&A and discussion
5:00 PM – closing notes