Engineering alumni “Rise” to the occasion

This year is the fifth year of Carnegie Mellon University recognizing Tartans on the Rise, a group of alumni who have graduated within the past 10 years and who are already having an outstanding impact in their fields and communities through leadership, innovation, and career achievements. Four out of this year’s 16 Tartans on the Rise honorees are graduates of the College of Engineering.

David Ajoku (MechE 2021)

Founder and CEO, Aware.ai

When David Ajoku lost his mother, he was inspired to start Aware.ai—an artificial intelligence-driven platform designed to reimagine pregnancy and post-partum care by turning emotional moments into real support and care for new and expecting moms.

“My mom used to tell me, ‘You want to go to space, but there are too many problems here on Earth,’” he says. “I realized that while I loved technical challenges, I was most motivated by deeply human problems. And in honor of my mom, that’s what led me to maternal health.”

Reshmi Ghosh (CEE 2017, 2021; EPP 2020)

Senior Applied Scientist and Technical Lead, Microsoft

As part of the MSAI Responsible AI team, Reshmi Ghosh pioneered Azure Prompt Shields, a machine-learning model supporting safe and reliable prompting.

“Security and safety risks around generative AI systems for search and agents are continuously evolving,” she says. “We develop safety filters to detect and prevent data exfiltration attempts, which happen when malicious instructions are hidden in a third-party document that’s uploaded with a prompt.”

Reshmi’s job is among the most coveted in the AI space. She joined Microsoft as one of about 20 members of the company’s annual AI Responsibility incubator, selected from a pool of almost 20,000 applicants.

Susana Lau (INI 2015)

Founder and CEO, EtyaLab

Susana Lau’s firm, EtyaLab, specializes in digital transformation through mobile applications, web platforms, websites, e-commerce systems, and tailor-made digital products. In the past 10 years, she grew the company to a team of 20 staff. Today, it’s a trusted name in technology in Panama and growing across Latin America.

"I grew up seeing my parents being business people on a small scale, then at school my vision to make something of myself met the Silicon Valley/startup mindset. That put me where I am today, and leading by example especially for younger generations,” she says.

Sakshi Mishra (ESTP 2015)

Co-founder, Verber Studio

Sakshi Mishra isn't just applying artificial intelligence—she is architecting the infrastructure that controls it. With her new venture, Sakshi is tackling the "orchestration" problem in generative AI. She is the co-founder of Verber Studio, a creative operating system designed to close the gap between raw AI potential and reliable business results.

“We’re moving into an era where the cost of creation has hit zero, but the cost of management has skyrocketed,” she says. “The new barrier isn't building a product or generating assets; it's distributing the narrative. Verber Studio provides the ‘orchestration layer’ that allows teams to scale their story without losing their soul.”

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We’re so proud of all our Tartans on the Rise, and we can’t wait to see what they do next! Learn more about this year’s Tartans on the Rise.