Rana el Kaliouby
Born 1978 · Age 47
Egyptian-American computer scientist, entrepreneur and AI leader, co‑founder of Affectiva, pioneer of Emotion AI, author and advocate for ethical AI.
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Life & Career Timeline
Completed BSc at American University in Cairo
Earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the American University in Cairo.
Completed MSc at American University in Cairo
Earned a Master of Science from the American University in Cairo.
Completed PhD at University of Cambridge (Newnham College)
Awarded PhD (research in affective computing leading to later startup work).
PhD technical report published (Cambridge)
Published PhD technical report 'Mind‑reading machines: automated inference of complex mental states' (University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory UCAM-CL-TR-636).
Paper: 'The emotional hearing aid'
Co‑authored 'The emotional hearing aid: an assistive tool for children with Asperger syndrome' (Universal Access in the Information Society).
Postdoctoral researcher at MIT Media Lab begins
Joined MIT for postdoctoral work and became a research scientist focused on affective computing and autism applications.
Helped found MIT Autism & Communication Technology Initiative
At MIT, helped found the Autism & Communication Technology Initiative applying affective computing to autism and communication assistive tech.
Work in MIT Affective Computing group
Worked on emotion‑reading wearable glasses and early assistive 'emotional hearing aid' prototypes in the MIT Media Lab Affective Computing group.
Co‑founded Affectiva (with Rosalind Picard)
Co‑founded Affectiva, an MIT Media Lab spin‑off focused on Emotion AI (facial and vocal emotion recognition).
Named Chief Science Officer / Chief Technology Officer at Affectiva
Served as Affectiva's Chief Science Officer and Chief Technology Officer leading emotion science and technical efforts (role span 2009–2016).
Launched Affdex mobile SDK (product - date approximate)
Affectiva launched the Affdex mobile SDK enabling app developers to integrate emotion detection (product cited in profile; exact year not always specified; placed here by timeline context).
Named Principal Investigator on NSF funding
Reported as principal investigator on over $1M in small business funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation supporting affective computing work (source: network/personal bio).
Featured by MIT Technology Review
Recognized/featured by MIT Technology Review (source cites MIT Technology Review 2012).
Early venture funding raised (initial rounds)
Affectiva raised early venture capital from investors (multiple rounds across early 2010s; totals reported later).
TEDWomen talk: 'This app knows how you feel…'
Delivered TED talk (TEDWomen) demonstrating Emotion AI and Affectiva's work: 'This app knows how you feel — from the look on your face.'
Profiled in The New Yorker
Featured in The New Yorker profile about computers learning to read emotion and Affectiva's role in the market (article by Raffi Khatchadourian).
Affectiva wins traction in automotive and media markets
Affectiva expanded into automotive in‑cabin sensing and media analytics, signing pilots and partnerships with carmakers and ad/market research clients.
Appointed CEO of Affectiva
Promoted to CEO of Affectiva (shift from Chief Science/Technology roles to CEO leadership).
Executive Education at Harvard Kennedy School
Completed Executive Education at Harvard Kennedy School (listed on network profile; year 2017).
Profiled on PBS NOVA
Featured in a PBS NOVA profile on AI, sharing Affectiva's work and impacts.
Contributed chapter to 'Architects of Intelligence' (book)
Contributed one chapter to Martin Ford's 2018 book 'Architects of Intelligence: The Truth About AI from the People Building It.'
Named to BBC's 100 Women list
Recognized in the BBC's '100 Influential and Inspiring Women' list (2019).
Affectiva milestone: $50M raised and ~100 employees (reported)
University of Cambridge news and other profiles report Affectiva had raised roughly $50M in venture capital and employed ~100 people as of 2019.
Recognized on Fortune '40 Under 40' and Forbes 'Top 50 Women in Tech' (reported)
Multiple bios and personal site list inclusion on Fortune's 40 Under 40 and Forbes' Top 50 Women in Tech lists (years reported by site without explicit date in sources).
Published memoir 'Girl Decoded' (Penguin Random House)
Published bestselling memoir 'Girl Decoded: A Scientist’s Quest to Reclaim Our Humanity by Bringing Emotional Intelligence to Technology.'
Affectiva product & market reach milestone (reported)
Affectiva's Emotion AI had been delivered to 90+ countries and was used across automotive, media analytics and other industries (company reporting).
Joined Videra Health board of directors
Named as a member of the Board of Directors for Videra Health, a health video‑analytics platform (network source).
Became Deputy CEO of Smart Eye
After the acquisition, Rana served as Deputy CEO at Smart Eye to help scale the combined company globally (role began 2021).
Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School
Joined Harvard Business School as an Executive Fellow co‑teaching subjects on AI, startups and ethical AI development.
Affectiva acquired by Smart Eye (exit)
Smart Eye acquired Affectiva in June 2021; the companies merged to create a transatlantic interior‑sensing and media analytics AI company.
General Partner at AI Operators Fund
Joined AI Operators Fund as a General Partner, investing in AI startups (role reported in network profile).
Named Eisenhower US Fellow (Eisenhower Fellowships)
Selected as an Eisenhower US Fellow (2023 cohort) recognizing global leaders and connecting them internationally.
Venture Partner at Bold Capital Partners
Joined Bold Capital Partners as a Venture Partner (supports early‑stage investing in life sciences, healthcare and frontier tech).
Co‑Founder & Managing Partner of Blue Tulip Ventures
Co‑founded Blue Tulip Ventures, a venture firm focused on AI investing and diverse founders (role reported in network profile).
Total venture capital raised (reported cumulative)
Various sources report Affectiva raised between ~$26M and $62.55M across rounds; broader reporting commonly cites $50M+ raised in venture capital prior to acquisition.
Host of 'Pioneers of AI' podcast
Began hosting the 'Pioneers of AI' podcast (network profile lists podcast hosting role in 2024).
Ongoing board and advisory roles (multiple organisations)
Serves/has served on advisory boards and trustee boards including American University in Cairo, Mass Technology Leadership Council, SIMPEDs at Boston Children's Hospital, MIT E14 Fund and All Raise Boston Steering Committee.
Affectiva / Smart Eye combined market leadership milestone (ongoing)
As part of Smart Eye, Affectiva's Emotion AI contributes to interior sensing and media analytics leadership; combined company serves major automakers, advertisers and research organisations.
Key Achievement Ages
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