Dr. Sedef Akinli Kocak is the Director of Applied AI Projects at the Vector Institute, where she leads a suite of programs aimed at building workforce capacity in artificial intelligence and integrating advanced technologies into current and future industry work streams. She also leads the Global Alliance for Climate Action Initiative at Vector. Recognized for her inspirational work and contributions to the Canadian tech and AI ecosystem, Sedef is awarded the Leader of the Year 2025, AI for Good in Women in AI, North America, and listed in the “Top 25 Women in AI: Canada Edition,” nominated for the DMZ Women of the Year Annual Award 2022.

An accomplished researcher at the intersection of sustainability and software-intensive systems, she is the co-founder of the Sustainability Design Research Alliance. Sedef was appointed as an Adjunct Professor at Ontario Tech University, working within the Trustworthy AI Lab. Dr. Akinli Kocak is a member of ACM, IEEE, Engineers for a Sustainable World, Women in AI, and AI4Good. She serves on the academic advisory committees of several AI-related initiatives and has chaired and co-organized numerous academic conferences and workshops.