Lucy Chen and Julia Cai Share Two Founder Journeys at LA Tech Week, Sponsored by Chief
SANTA MONICA, CA — October 19, 2026 — Lucy Chen and Julia Cai, founder of Banjo AI, spoke at LA Tech Week: Two Female Tech Founders' Journeys in the Age of AI on October 15 at the Santa Monica Proper Hotel. The evening was hosted by Cai and sponsored by Chief, during a16z's LA Tech Week, October 12 to 18.
Cai shared what she has built with Banjo AI and gave a live demo of the platform, which helps people live more intentionally. Chen described running her coaching and writing business as a one-person company, with AI agents doing real work. Both got specific about the tools they use day to day and where those tools still fall short.
The segment on the top 10 lessons from building an AI-native company drew the most questions. "Every one of those lessons came with a bit of resilience attached," Chen said. "Both our companies are still growing, and we grew right along with every lesson."
For Chen, the best part was the room's response. "Hearing two women founders talk openly about building encouraged others, especially women, to step up and lead," she said.
About Lucy Chen
Lucy Chen, MS, DTM, is an executive coach, keynote speaker, and award-winning author. She founded Gifted Coaching and Gifted Books, an independent press that helps first-time authors, many of them immigrants and women, publish their stories. Her books include Build Resilience: Live, Learn, and Lead and Good Moms DO Cry, winner of an International Impact Book Award. Before coaching, she spent more than two decades in engineering, risk management, and fintech. She is a founding member of the San Francisco chapter of Chief and of SiliconRoshi AI Academy, and a board member of Catalyst Youth Network.
For more information, visit GiftedCoaching.info or contact Lucy at hello@giftedcoaching.info.
