Rising ICON #29: Gia Vitali
What name do you prefer to be called?
Gia
What are your pronouns?
She/her
Where did you grow up?
Little Canada, MN
What city are you currently based in?
Saint Paul, MN
How do you typically introduce yourself to new people?
Hey there, I’m Gia. I live in St. Paul. Great to see you!
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about you?
I’m really good at parallel parking.
Who do you help?
The first people that come to mind are my three nieces, all amazing young women now. They light me up and help me just as much as I think I help them.
What are you building now?
My main focus at Collaboration.Ai is building United We Transform - an event that will bring together learners and doers all with the goal of connecting problems with solutions through human connection and a side of artificial intelligence.
What were you building ten years ago today?
My political career and profile in MN.
What do you predict of yourself 10 years from now?
Diversified income sources, continued board service on issues I’m passionate about, winding down, and traveling more.
What’s a fact or statistic you wish everyone knew about your industry?
Not so much a fact, but an evolving belief…Yes, Ai is changing everything right now, and it will probably affect your job. But the unique value that human interaction brings is not going away. Ai can and should be used for good to support what humans do well, even better.
Why do you believe the work you do matters?
See above.
Who is your mentor and what is the best advice they’ve given you?
I have had too many amazing female friends and mentors to name here, and a few good men sprinkled in as well. The best advice isn’t what they’ve said, but has been shown in their actions; offering me an opportunity to learn and run alongside them.
What piece of content about you or your company are you most proud of?
How Love Won is a documentary about the Vote No campaign in 2012 where I served as Deputy Campaign Manager.
What publication do you hope to appear in next?
Rising Icons :)
Who would you love to be interviewed by?
Love to See It, a feminist podcast that dissects the Bachelor franchise/series and other feminist pop culture topics.
If you had to give a TEDTalk tomorrow, what would the title be?
Thriving as an extrovert in an introvert’s shell.
What award would mean the most to win?
I really hope I can break 4 hours at Grandma’s Marathon this summer. Of course, finishing is reward enough…but I’ve come so close!
What makes zero sense to you?
The excessive gun violence in our country.
What’s a word in your industry you hope gets re-evaluated?
Ecosystem
What game are you changing?
Tennis. Actually, it’s changing me. I play every Tuesday and it’s the best 90 minutes of my week.
What’s the next thing you’re a part of that you want to invite more people to participate in?
United We Transform, May 21, 2024 in Saint Paul: https://www.unitedwetransform.com/
Where can we follow you online?
Truly, it’s my dog’s IG account where I am (I mean, she is) most active: https://www.instagram.com/pepper_loon/. But, if you want to find me, LinkedIn is probably the best: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gia-vitali-9930865/
What’s one thing that makes every leader better?
Letting others lead.
To learn more about Gia’s work, visit https://www.unitedwetransform.com/
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We’re grateful to each Rising ICON for their transformative work. Thank you, Gia, for sharing your story!
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“The unique value that human interaction brings is not going away. Ai can and should be used for good to support what humans do well, even better.”
Notice: It’s important for our readers to understand the origin of the interview content. The featured ICON contributed responses that were not edited from the original submission. All claims are made solely by the contributor and do not reflect the views of LAUREL or its partners. Thank you for supporting rising leaders. The future is bold.
