PeopleofSuperintelligence

Lab leader

Clara Shih

Clara Shih is a technology executive who led AI groups at Salesforce and Meta and is now a co-founder of New Work Foundation. Born in Hong Kong and raised in the United States, she studied computer science at Stanford and internet studies at Oxford as a Marshall Scholar. She joined Salesforce’s AppExchange team in 2006, built Facebook’s first business application, founded Hearsay Systems, and wrote The Facebook Era. At Salesforce AI, she described Einstein GPT as the company’s first attempt to spread generative AI across its platform; TIME named her among its 100 Most Influential People in AI in 2023. New Work Foundation launched dearCC, a free AI-powered career navigation and mentorship platform, in October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 2005

    From Hong Kong to Oxford

    Born in Hong Kong and raised in the United States, she studied computer science at Stanford and earned an Oxford master’s in internet studies as a Marshall Scholar.

  2. 2006

    A product start at Salesforce

    At Salesforce, she joined the AppExchange team in 2006 as a founding product marketer.

  3. 2007

    Faceconnector on Facebook

    In 2007, she built Faceconnector, the first business application on Facebook.

  4. 2009–2020

    Hearsay and The Facebook Era

    She founded Hearsay Systems in 2009 and led it as chair and CEO through 2020. The Facebook Era, published in 2009, became a New York Times–featured bestseller.

  5. 2020–2024

    Leading Salesforce AI

    From 2020 to 2024, she held senior Salesforce roles as CEO of Service Cloud and Salesforce AI. At Dreamforce 2023, she described Einstein GPT as the company’s first attempt to spread generative AI across its platform.

  6. 2023

    A place on TIME100 AI

    TIME named her among the 100 Most Influential People in AI.

  7. October 2024–January 2026

    Business AI at Meta

    At Meta, she led the Business AI Group, overseeing development and monetization of its business AI portfolio from October 2024 to January 2026. She joined HubSpot’s board in November 2025.

  8. Since April 2026

    A foundation for new work

    After leaving Meta earlier in 2026, she launched New Work Foundation at the TIME100 Summit in April. She is a co-founder of the nonprofit, which launched dearCC, a free AI-powered career navigation and mentorship platform, on October 1, 2026.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Clara Shih yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Book Clara Shih: AI Leader headlinerbureau.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  2. Marshall Scholar Alumni by Year marshallscholars.squarespace.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  3. Clara Shih | Stanford Technology Ventures Program stvp.stanford.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  4. Clara Shih, HubSpot Board of Directors hubspot.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  5. Salesforce’s New Head of AI on Leading Customers into an AI Future salesforce.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  6. Salesforce embeds conversational AI across the platform with Einstein Copilot techcrunch.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  7. Press & News | New Work Foundation newworkfoundation.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  8. New Work Foundation launches dearCC, a free AI-powered career navigation and mentorship platform to help Gen Z break through the entry-level hiring freeze newworkfoundation.com. Checked 14 October 2026.