Hi Reader,
From all of us at She Leads AI HQ, Happy New Year! We're excited to be part of this incredible community of women—and we're SO glad you're here.
Whether you're noodling around with AI or leveling waaaay up in 2026, you have a community to walk alongside you. Together we'll go far this year!
2026 is the Year of the Horse, YES. And also: VISIBILITY.
In 2026 we're embracing the urgency of visibility in this era. Women must be at the forefront of thought leadership, business leadership, community support, and so much more. I know She Leads AI has enough momentum to make a big difference, but we must be top of mind for a breadth of audiences.
To hit the ground running, we're joining the 30 Day Content Glow-Up Challenge with Marline Paul. IFYKYK. If you were at AI Festivus, you for sure know that Marline is a FABULOUS mentor.
🌟🌟🌟ABOUT THE GLOW-UP! 🌟🌟🌟
If you're tired of creating content that disappears into the void, join Marline Paul (AI Festivus speaker & Creator of The 3T Framework™) for the 30-Day Content Glow-Up Challenge starting January 5th.
In 4 weeks, you'll solve:
✅ "What should I even post?" → Get clarity on your message
✅ "I don't have time to create content" → Learn to create once, multiply everywhere
✅ "Why is no one seeing my stuff?" → Master visibility strategies
✅ "How do I keep this going?" → Build sustainable systems
What's included: 4 weeks of training, weekly live Q&A, AI prompt library, community support, and lifetime access.
Exclusive for SLAI EFFECT SUBSCRIBERS: Use code FESTIVUS25 for special pricing ($77 instead of $97)
Starts: January 5, 2026
Stop Posting Randomly. Start Creating Strategically!
JOIN ME FOR A 2026 PREVIEW JANUARY 5.
Join us for our upcoming programs to support your journey in AI. We have a preview meeting on January 5 to share our upcoming cohorts. Register Here
Here's to a year of visibility!
Warmly,
Anne and the She Leads AI Team
🗓️ Women in AI - Don't Miss It!
Building Better Systems: Skills-Based Hiring + Context-Driven AI
Saturday, January 3
10am - Noon Pacific
Zoom
Build better hiring and better AI workflows in one beginner-friendly session. You’ll practice skills-based evaluation using observable evidence (not résumés), then learn how to turn basic prompts into context-driven AI that supports human decisions. Expect polls, a mini case study, and hands-on exercises with Tabitha Flax and Tiffany Whitener.
Register for Social Saturdays at SheLeadsAI.ai
🖋️ Our Featured Writer
This month, we’re excited to feature Sarah Downey, who writes about responsible AI, power, and keeping humans at the center. Please enjoy part 4 below. If you missed parts 1-3, you can find them here.
What Kind of AI Leader Will You Be in 2026?
by Sarah Downey
If you're working in AI right now, you already know many tools. You can likely build, implement, advise. You understand the landscape more than many. But as we close out 2025, here’s what I’m wondering: What kind of leader do you want to be as AI becomes infrastructure?
There’s a difference between technical competence and ethical leadership. Between being good at AI and being intentional about how you use it.
The acceleration isn’t slowing down. More models, more applications, more pressure to move fast. And in all that velocity, it’s easy to lose sight of what matters: What are you building toward? Whose interests are you serving? What values are you holding—or letting slip?
The end of year gives us a rare pause. A chance to set our course instead of drifting with the current.
Some questions worth sitting with as you head into 2026: Are you optimizing systems or transforming them? Are you in rooms where power is wielded - or are you implementing decisions made elsewhere? What boundaries do you need to hold?
What would it mean to lead with sovereignty - choosing the rooms you enter, the lines you won’t cross, and the kind of influence you’ll practice as this infrastructure takes shape?
Technical skill might get you in the room. Leadership is what you do once you're there.
2026 is going to move fast. The real question: are you steering, or just holding on?
Exploration Questions (Paste these into your AI if you want a mirror):
“Help me define what “sovereign leadership” means for me in 2026. Ask me 3 questions, then reflect back one principle, one boundary, and one next-step action.”
“What does sovereign leadership in AI look like for me in 2026?”
About the Author
Sarah Downey is the founder of Sarah Downey Consulting, where she guides nonprofits and social impact organizations through responsible AI adoption. Her work blends governance, ethics, and human-centered design - helping leaders build systems that feel clear, grounded, and worthy of the people they serve.
Her writing explores how AI is reshaping work, power, and imagination, and how we can design futures that honor both intelligence and humanity. She shares articles, exploratory prompts, and frameworks for leaders navigating this time of rapid change.
👉 Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowney1
🗓️ AI Festivus Deluxe Replay Bundle
AI Festivus 2025 is officially in the books — but you can still grab the good stuff.
The Deluxe Replay Bundle ($27) gives you full access to the complete proceedings: session replays, transcripts, Jellypod podcasts, NotebookLM audio/video overviews, and written recaps (plus a few secret bonuses). Want to keep going? You can also add 1 Year of AI Salon Mastermind ($200) for guided, trust-based practice, the LIVE Advanced AI Writing Intensive with Anne Murphy (Jan 15, 2026 | $100) to level up your voice without the AI “meh,” and the AI Readiness Training + Certificate ($199) for practical, real-world AI collaboration skills.
Visit https://aifestivus.com/ to grab them before they're gone!
🛠️ Tool Talk
Google Antigravity — a coding co‑pilot on steroids
This new AI‑powered development environment flips the script on how software gets built. Instead of just suggesting code as you type, Antigravity lets autonomous AI agents actually take on tasks inside your IDE — like planning, generating, and testing code in parallel while tracking their outputs for real verification. It’s like having a team of mini‑developers working in sync to ship features faster and with fewer bugs.
GitHub Copilot for Designers (beta whispers)
Okay, so Copilot isn’t just for coders anymore — Adobe and GitHub quietly rolled out a version that actually reads your Figma files and suggests UI tweaks, color harmonies, even micro‑copy improvements. Think of it as ChatGPT that got obsessed with spacing, contrast ratios, and whether your button label is “Submit” or “Let’s Go!” It’s early days, but if your design review meetings look like a Renaissance council debating padding, this could cut down a few hours (and a LOT of opinionated feedback).
🎙️ AI Readiness Project
Spotlight on AI Festivus 2025: Voices Shaping the Future of Work
✍️ Other Upcoming Events
AI Foundations with She Leads AI - $57
January 9, 2026 | 4:00-5:30PM PST
You don't need to be technical.
You need to feel like you belong in the conversation.
This 90-minute live session, plus a three-week daily email course, is for women who are curious, capable, and just… tired of feeling behind.
Advanced AI Writing Intensive with Anne Murphy - $197
January 15, 2026 | 10:00AM-2:00PM PST
Tired of “AI voice” creeping into your writing like it pays rent? Join
Anne Murphy for the
Advanced AI Writing Intensive on
January 15 (10:00am–2:00pm PT) on Zoom. You’ll build your
Voice DNA, create
audience personas, tighten your workflows, and repurpose strong content without sounding like a warmed-over LinkedIn post.
Learn more and register here.
(HOT TIP: Go through the Festivus Replay Bundle link above and save $97.)
