Maria Ritola is a Finnish entrepreneur, speaker and author

Maria works at the intersection of technology, society, and business, combining a background in research with hands-on experience as a tech entrepreneur. In her talks, she focuses on the human role in a rapidly evolving technological landscape—how we think, collaborate, and decide alongside intelligent systems.

Topics

Why do some teams perform beautifully while others struggle to succeed? How can artificial intelligence be harnessed to enhance—not hinder—effective knowledge work? What is the potential of AI agents, and why does the current technological shift demand new ways of thinking about collaboration, leadership, and expertise?

Drawing on academic research, real-world case studies, and her own experience at the intersection of AI, organizations, and human decision-making, Maria examines how recent advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping how teams solve problems, make sense of complexity, and work together under uncertainty. Rather than focusing on technology alone, her work highlights the human dimension: trust, judgement, communication, and meaning-making in an AI-augmented world.

Maria’s talks offer audiences both conceptual clarity and practical insight. She connects cutting-edge developments in agentic AI with everyday organizational challenges, helping leaders, teams, and knowledge workers understand not only what is changing, but why it matters—and how to respond thoughtfully.

Maria’s recent speaking topics include:

Agentic AI and the Future of Information-Intensive Work

Building a Successful Team: What Research and Practice Tell Us

Collaborative Intelligence: Human + Machine

What Building a Great Team Entails

The Human Voice in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: Rethinking Ethos, Logos, and Pathos

Culture of Growth in the Age of Agentic AI

Problem-Solving in Uncertainty

Across these themes, Maria invites audiences to move beyond hype toward a more grounded understanding of how humans and intelligent systems can work together—intentionally and effectively.

About

Maria is a Finnish entrepreneur, independent technology analyst, and experienced speaker. She has delivered hundreds of speeches for audiences both big and small.

With a background in research and technology, Maria went to study exponential technologies at Singularity University, NASA Ames Research Center, back in 2015. She started Iris.ai with her co-founders to build an AI Science Assistant that helps researchers make better use of scientific literature. Iris.ai has been nominated an AI XPrize Finalist, has had honorary mentions in Nature and Science magazines and most importantly, has helped thousands of researchers in various fields.

Prior to Iris.ai, Maria worked as a team lead at the Nordic think tank Demos Helsinki that focuses on fostering collaboration across different sectors of society. At Demos she also co-founded Peloton Club, an accelerator to help companies build solutions to the climate crisis.

Maria is a well known entrepreneur and technology analyst in the Nordics and has been selected the young person of the year in Finland and among the most influential women in technology by Nordic Business Insider. She has served on multiple boards, including at Vake, Demos Helsinki and Sylva. Maria discusses technology trends regularly in the morning show of Finland’s Public Broadcasting Company.