“Everyone Is Replaceable”: How to Stay Valuable in the AI Era | Ep 10. Jena Zangs

Jena Zangs is the first and currently only Chief Data and AI Officer in higher education in Minnesota, leading data and AI strategy at the University of St. Thomas. She was named one of EdTech Magazine's 25 Higher Ed Influencers to Follow in 2026, and in the same month she stepped into her new role she launched Women Build the Future, a global platform showcasing women building in AI, which she built herself with Lovable after winning Lovable's SheBuilds Season 2. In this episode, Wiktoria and Jena talk about why AI is about people, not tools, why data and AI belong under one leader, the "ick factor" test for using people's data, how universities are preparing students for an AI workforce, and why "everyone is replaceable" is the reason to keep learning, not to be afraid. Jena also shares why women adopt AI 25% less than men, how to get more women on stage, and her advice for anyone who thinks they are "not technical". Connect with Jena: Website: https://jenazangs.com Women Build the Future: https://womenbuildthefuture.com LinkedIn:   / jenaz   Connect with Women Lead AI: Join our FREE Skool community: https://www.skool.com/she-leads-ai-1882 Instagram:   / wiktoriakorr   TikTok:   / wiktoriakorr   00:00 Introduction 00:44 What a Chief Data and AI Officer actually does 03:26 What "AI ready" really means 04:52 Why data and AI belong together 08:00 AI education has to be continuous 10:33 "Everyone is replaceable": the fear of AI taking jobs 12:30 Unstructured data, privacy and the ick factor 15:42 Preparing students for an AI workforce 18:29 Why AI change needs buy-in from the top 20:17 Getting out of your own way with new tools 22:05 Graduating into an AI job market 24:52 Reimagining every university major for AI 27:25 You don't have to be technical 29:32 Vibe coding and the new wave of founders 33:47 Building Women Build the Future 35:39 Why women adopt AI 25% less 38:43 Getting more women on stage 39:40 How her role will change 41:09 The future student experience: your own AI agent 43:39 Can curriculum keep up with AI? 46:57 Advice for a new Chief AI Officer 48:51 How to tell if your organisation is AI ready 50:08 Fast round If this episode was useful to you, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave a review. It really helps the show grow! 🎁 Free prompts, guides and templates: https://www.womenlead.ai/resources?ut... 🎧 Women Lead AI podcast: https://womenlead.ai/podcast 💼 LinkedIn:   / wiktoria-korbecka