PeopleofSuperintelligence

Public voice

Tess Posner

Tess Posner is an AI inclusion advocate whose work widens access to technology and AI education. She grows Samaschool and directs TechHire before becoming AI4ALL’s founding CEO in 2017, expanding its education network to more than 20 partner sites. She coauthors a book on people-centered work, is named one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics in 2020, and turns toward music and community gatherings. In March 2025, she returns to AI4ALL as interim CEO; as of October 2026, she hosts Resonance salons and serves as an AI4ALL board member and advisor.

Now at
AI4ALL
Badges

Timeline

  1. 2013–2016

    Samaschool's digital training

    Before Samaschool, she leads the employment and education programs at First Place for Youth and literacy and debate programs in underserved New York City schools. By 2016, she grows Samaschool from a San Francisco pilot begun in 2013 to an international program with eleven locations.

  2. 2016

    TechHire and an IFTF fellowship

    In 2016, Opportunity@Work hires her as its first Director of TechHire. She serves as a Future for Good Fellow at the Institute for the Future, focused on equity and economic opportunity in education and the economy.

  3. 2017–2021

    Founding CEO of AI4ALL

    She becomes AI4ALL’s founding CEO in 2017 and grows its AI education network to more than 20 partner sites by 2021. Her work focuses on inclusion and equity in technology. She holds a master’s degree in Social Enterprise Administration from Columbia University and a liberal arts bachelor’s degree from St. John’s College.

  4. 2018

    The People Centered Economy

    In 2018, she coauthors The People Centered Economy: The New Ecosystem for Work, a book that presents models and policies for a people-centered economy.

  5. 2020

    100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics

    In 2020, she is named one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics.

  6. 2021–2024

    Turning toward music

    In October 2021, she announces plans to leave AI4ALL’s CEO role at the end of 2021 to pursue songwriting and performance, while continuing as an advisor. In 2024, she co-founds VENUS Music Showcases to spotlight women and gender-expansive artists.

  7. March 2025

    Interim CEO at AI4ALL

    In March 2025, AI4ALL appoints her interim CEO after Emily Reid’s departure. She guides the organization through a leadership transition.

  8. As of October 2026

    Hosting Resonance salons

    As of October 2026, she hosts Resonance salons where community members, educators, artists, healthcare workers, and technology builders explore AI’s effects on human agency. She also serves as a board member and strategic advisor to AI4ALL.

Career

  1. Since 2017AI4ALLFounding CEO, Strategic advisor
  2. From 2024VENUS Music ShowcasesCo-founder
  3. From 2016Opportunity@WorkDirector of TechHire
  4. 2013–2016Samaschool
  5. First Place for YouthLead of employment and education programs

Education

  1. Columbia UniversityMaster's degree in Social Enterprise Administration
  2. St. John's CollegeLiberal arts bachelor's degree

From the biography.

  1. Direct Form 990 pay in the latest returns of 39 nonprofits with AI people on this site is highest at $2.1M at the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2) (2024)Includes Tess Posner. IRS Form 990 compensation across 39 nonprofits with AI people on this site from 2012 to 2025: in the latest returns, Mozilla reports $6.1M including related-company pay (2024) and the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2) leads direct nonprofit pay at $2.1M (2024).
  2. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labsIncludes Columbia University. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, recent citations, dual appointments and job moves across 2,420 university researchers and 308 frontier-lab researchers.
  3. Nonprofit roles are 2.3 times as common in AI safetyIncludes Columbia University. We estimate where people focused on safety, alignment and evaluation work. Nonprofit roles appear for 25.1% of safety people with known affiliations, compared with 11.0% in other areas.
  4. Universities had a net outflow of 2,068 moves in AI careersIncludes Columbia University. Our estimates of career flows and median h-index across universities and companies in AI, including the role of joint appointments and earlier academic jobs.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

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

  1. Tess Posner - AI4ALL ai-4-all.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. Opportunity@Work Celebrates TechHire Initiative First Anniversary, Hires Director of TechHire - New America newamerica.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. IFTF: Tess Posner legacy.iftf.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. AI4ALL Announces Leadership Transition, Tess Posner Appointed Interim CEO - AI4ALL ai-4-all.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. The People Centered Economy - Book - People-Centered Internet peoplecentered.net. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. Speak at ODSC AI East 2026 - Get the Info Here! odsc.ai. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. Singing A New Song - AI4ALL ai-4-all.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. Tess Posner - Bio tessposnermusic.com. Checked 20 October 2026.
  9. The Missing Village - by Tess Posner - RESONANCE resonancefieldnotes.substack.com. Checked 20 October 2026.
  10. The Accidental Gift of AI - by Tess Posner - RESONANCE resonancefieldnotes.substack.com. Checked 20 October 2026.