Dr. Andrea Thomaz

Andrea Thomaz, PhD, is a leading expert in artificial intelligence and a passionate pioneer in social robotics, with over 20 years in AI, machine learning (ML) and mobile manipulation. As CEO and Co-Founder of Diligent Robotics, Andrea has driven the development of socially intelligent robots, such as Moxi, which are transforming healthcare operations nationwide.

A 2024 finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Gulf South Award, Andrea is recognized across the AI field. She has delivered keynotes at prestigious conferences, including TedX, CoRL, and HRI, sharing advancements and commercialization of AI for robotics. Her work has earned acclaim from the National Academy of Science, MIT Technology Review, TIME Magazine, WIRED and Popular Science, among others.

Andrea holds a Ph.D. from MIT, was a Robotics Professor at UT Austin, and has co-authored over 100 publications, contributing foundational research on robots that learn from human feedback. Her pioneering work continues to shape the robotics landscape, advancing collaborative technology to support complex human needs.