Rosario B Casas of BCPartners Tech On Pushing the Boundaries of AI

The Future Must Be Built Today. The future isn’t some far-off event; it’s being shaped right now. And you — yes, you — have a role to play. Look around: what needs improvement in your industry, community, or country? Start your journey today and explore how AI can help you research, create, and innovate.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming industries at a breakneck pace, and the entrepreneurs driving this innovation are at the forefront of this revolution. From groundbreaking applications to ethical considerations, these visionaries are shaping the future of AI. What does it take to innovate in such a rapidly evolving field, and how are these entrepreneurs using AI to solve real-world problems? As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rosario B Casas.

Rosario is an award-winning Latinapreneur with over 9 years of hands-on experience in data and technology platforms and more than 25 years in executive leadership roles. She is the co-founder of XR Americas, BCPartners Tech, Brooklyn2Bogotá Digital Transformation Community, and a founding member of Dreamers & Doers. Rosario previously served as the CEO of the Senseta Group.

She has been an Advisory Board member for prestigious organizations such as SXSW Pitch, Rally Prize Indiana, XR In Learning, The World Innovation Network (TWIN Tech), and Rutgers University’s Big Data program. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Artizen Premium VR Grant, now operating as a DAO. As a business mentor, Rosario has supported programs like the Founder Institute, Women.nyc, WE NYC, Harvard Ventures, Mujeres Tech at the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering, and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center’s Mentor Makers initiative.

Rosario is a TEDx and NAB Show speaker and has received numerous accolades, including being named a “Legendary Woman” by Ford Motor Company in 2019 and one of the “100 Innovators” by OBO Movement in 2020. She was recognized as the Founder Institute’s Highest Ranked Mentor in Latin America in 2022. Her inspiring journey is featured in the books Hispanic Stars Rising: The New Face of Power by Claudia Romo Edelman, The Future Built by Women: Creating a Brighter Future Through Tech and Innovation by Brooke Markevicius, and Behind Her Vision: Women of New York City by Ashika Kalra and Jade Chen.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how you grew up?

I am proudly Colombian, born and raised in Bogotá, and I come from a strong line of women who taught me that education has the power to transform lives. My grandmother, aunts, and mother all worked in education, which gave me an early and intimate understanding of the joy of learning. From a young age, I was eager to explore new things, finding inspiration in books and in the remarkable talents of others.

Moreover, I attended a school dedicated to sparking curiosity and fostering a love for knowledge and excellence. This background instilled in me a sense of pride in embracing my identity as a lifelong learner, and my family has always been a key sounding board for my ideas and aspirations. As a child, my dream was to become President of my country so that I could positively impact the lives of others. This ambition reflects the values my mother and grandmother instilled in me: to dream big and work hard to achieve my goals.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

My career has been full of interesting and transformative moments:

• Starting as a research assistant to my mother, which provided me with a strong foundation in working methods and instilled in me a high standard of work ethics.
• Learning from leaders and mentors, as I did in my first professional job, where I had the privilege of working closely with some of Colombia’s top entrepreneurs at a very young age.
• Taking on significant challenges, such as being responsible for the Citizens Participation Strategy for the Anticorruption Presidential Program in Colombia, or later serving as Chief of Staff to Lina Moreno de Uribe, the First Lady of Colombia, during a pivotal period in the country’s recovery.
• Embracing change, like when I founded a consulting company to support foreign direct investment in Colombia, which led to overseeing the acquisition of a Colombian software company by a Silicon Valley firm. After the acquisition, I was appointed CEO to lead the merged company.
• Transitioning into the technology sector, driven by a realization that technology not only bridges gaps but also accelerates scalable solutions to improve lives.

If I had to identify the common thread through all these experiences, it would be this: being prepared, trusting life and staying open to opportunities, seeking out and learning from great mentors, remaining humble enough to learn new things from scratch, and working passionately toward meaningful goals. Together, these elements form a powerful recipe for success.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

In 1997, after completing my Political Science courses, I was recommended for a position as a coordinator at ParticipAccion Ciudadana, an entrepreneurial foundation established by prominent Colombian business and academic leaders. I was interviewed and quickly appointed to the role. My direct supervisors, Martha Cecilia Bernal and Jorge Zapp Glauser, along with the Board Members, were incredibly inspiring, generous with their knowledge, and eager to open doors for me. They worked closely with me, and within just nine months, I was promoted to Executive Director of the organization.

After two years, when I transitioned out of the organization, many of its Members became my first circle of Mentors — some of whom still provide guidance and mentorship to this day. Our professional relationships have evolved into friendships that I deeply cherish.

Reflecting on this experience, two key takeaways have shaped my career:

1. The importance of mentorship: Having great mentors who are invested in your journey can make a profound difference, and when you have the expertise, paying it forward by mentoring others is equally impactful.
2. The value of generosity in leadership: As a leader, your generosity and investment in your team members’ growth can have a lasting, transformative impact on their lives and careers.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Be sure to make things happen every day” is not just a motto for me; it’s a life lesson that I’ve carried with me since childhood. When I was 11 years old, a car accident profoundly affected my family, and we lost some of our beloved members. That tragedy taught me that every day is a gift — a chance to make a meaningful impact.

This lesson became the foundation of my TED Talk, The Magic of Making Things Happen, where I shared this story. That pivotal moment at an early age showed me the importance of acting today on what truly matters. It reinforced my belief in contributing to the world with what you have to offer in the present rather than postponing actions and opportunities. After all, there’s no guarantee that you’ll have the chance to do it later.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Passion for Learning and Understanding How Things Work

In today’s rapidly evolving world, the ability to learn and understand how things work is more relevant than ever. Personally, transitioning across diverse fields — from citizen participation to anticorruption, government, finance, M&A, technology, XR, and AI — has been both challenging and rewarding. What made the journey more accessible was my passion for learning and embracing each step along the way. Sharing that knowledge with my team, clients, or community has been equally fulfilling, as it transforms learning into a practical and impactful skill.

Belief in Intuition

I trust my intuition. While I diligently conduct research to gather insights, there comes a point when letting intuition guide my vision becomes essential — especially in industries like Spatial Computing and AI. In these fields, where linear and fully rational thinking often falls short, imagination and intuition are instrumental. We are building solutions that don’t yet exist, and that’s where I allow my intuition to inspire and shape my work.

Focused Discipline on My Mission

Discipline isn’t something I apply to everything, but when it comes to my mission, I am fully committed. My drive is fueled by a desire to improve lives and create meaningful impacts on people’s futures. Whether working in government or navigating the entrepreneurial journey, my mission has always remained the same. This consistency has helped me pivot strategies and adapt to better tools and methods to achieve my goals.

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Share the story of what inspired you to start working with AI. Was there a particular problem or opportunity that motivated you?

As I mentioned before, I didn’t actively choose AI — it chose me, through my journey in management. When I started advising the Senseta Group, I wasn’t fully aware of the transformative possibilities that technology and AI could unlock. However, by October 2013, when I received the offer to become its CEO, I had gained a clear understanding and saw a world of opportunities ahead. One of my main inspirations was the exceptional Colombian talent within the team acquired by Silicon Valley. Individuals like Sebastián Ramírez Montaño (@tiangolo) inspired me to think about how to support their growth and ensure they achieved global reach. At the same time, entering the industry revealed a stark underrepresentation of women, despite a strong pipeline of talented developers.

After my time at Senseta, my husband and I moved to NYC, where I decided to deepen my technical expertise. I ventured into the world of Spatial Computing, starting with virtual and augmented reality in 2015. Immersing myself in NYC’s vibrant tech ecosystem showed me what is possible when a strong community comes together. During this time, I attended weekly sessions at the Future Reality Lab at NYU, led by Ken Perlin. I had the privilege of meeting pioneers like Ken, Dario Laverde, Sophia Dominguez, David Lobser, Michael Gold, Javier Molina, David Gochfeld, and others. I was also fortunate to be part of NYC’s burgeoning XR industry, engaging with visionaries such as Ori Inbar, Adaora Udoji, Jessica Brillhart, Tom Emrich, Matt Miesnieks, Cathy Hackl, Samantha Wolf, the WXR Fund team, Caitlin Burns, Brian Seth Hurst, Chris Bobotis, Toni Parisi, and many more who were building a thriving community and market for XR. This experience profoundly shifted my mindset and expanded my vision.

During this period, I became convinced of my passion for building technology at the intersection of humanity and innovation. Together with my business partners, we launched XR Americas to grow this vision. However, when the pandemic hit, it became clear that many people — especially small business owners — were being left behind in the digital transformation. What seemed evident to us was unimaginable to them.

In response, we strengthened BCPartners Tech, positioning it as the technical backbone for non-technical founders. Additionally, we launched Brooklyn2Bogotá Digital Transformation Community, a network aimed at training and supporting Latino-owned traditional small businesses across the Americas. Now spanning 19 countries, this initiative ensures no one is left behind while we continue to build the future at the frontier of technology.

Describe a moment when AI achieved something you once thought impossible. What was the breakthrough, and how did it impact your approach going forward?

From a technical perspective, I am constantly amazed by the speed of advancement in AI and how much more accessible and affordable it is to develop a prototype today compared to just nine years ago. The availability of training resources, tools, and development communities has reached a level that would have been unimaginable even 2–3 years ago. There has never been a better time to build in AI — and if you haven’t started yet, now is the perfect moment to dive in!

One of my most rewarding experiences was working with 10–17-year-old kids to help shift their mindset from merely consuming technology to creating solutions with it. Equally inspiring is the opportunity to guide individuals over 70 — healthy, talented people in their silver and golden years — toward using AI tools to leverage their vast experience and wisdom.

The tools available today are not only accessible but also engaging, making it easier than ever for anyone to start. By fostering these perspectives, we can ensure talent is more equally distributed worldwide, empowering people far beyond the traditional technology industry to harness AI as a tool for transformative impact.

Talk about about a challenge you faced when working with AI. How did you overcome it, and what was the outcome?

One of the main challenges, in my view, is achieving effectiveness when designing solutions meant to endure, especially in a landscape where today’s tools, frameworks, and systems may become obsolete within months. It’s a delicate balance — acknowledging that the significant effort required today might soon be drastically reduced by future advancements, yet understanding the need to deploy and execute immediately.

This challenge is also what makes the problem so fascinating. It reflects the future of every industry: leading the way in addressing today’s needs while simultaneously building with a forward-looking perspective. This requires a strong focus on the problem we aim to solve, leveraging the best tools available now while maintaining a vision for adaptability and agility.

Success in this approach isn’t just about technical expertise — it demands investment in team dynamics, human skills, and collaborative abilities. That’s how we approach these challenges, and it’s the foundation of how we work.

What has been the outcome? We are advancing every day, learning constantly, and remaining inspired by our mission.

Can you share an example of how your work with AI has had a meaningful impact (on others, on business results, etc)? What was the situation, and what difference did it make?

I’d like to share three quick examples, keeping details high-level due to confidentiality:

1. AI-Powered Decision-Making for a Small City
   In collaboration with a partner specializing in public services, we tackled a city’s pressing issue amidst the typical challenges of bureaucracy, data fragmentation, and limited resources. The city lacked accessible and integrated data, a data-savvy team, and sufficient budget for a larger analytical workforce. We implemented an AI and advanced analytics strategy, culminating in a natural language processing (NLP) dashboard and a map visualization tool. These tools enabled the team to access and interpret key information efficiently, significantly reducing decision-making times while ensuring data integrity and governance. This solution not only addressed the city’s initial problem but also recovered funds and delivered impactful results for its citizens.
2. Empowering the Workforce Through XR at XR Americas
   At XR Americas, we focus on delivering near-real-time training and support for infrastructure teams responsible for smart city updates and maintenance. By integrating Spatial Computing (XR+AI), we connect the physical world with expert content, enabling the workforce to perform more efficiently. If we aspire to build smart cities, it’s essential to train the workforce smarter as well.
3. Driving Impact Through Hispanic Star Data Hub
   In partnership with the We Are All Human Foundation, we are developing the Hispanic Star Data Hub to enhance the value and accessibility of curated data for decision-makers across the U.S. As a data-driven organization, the foundation’s mission is empowered by transforming their datasets into actionable insights that drive progress and amplify the impact of the Hispanic Star Alliance.
4. Brooklyn2Bogotá Digital Transformation Community
   Through the Brooklyn2Bogotá Digital Transformation Community, we support traditional small business owners with tools and training for digital transformation. Our efforts include:

• A 10-week Incubator Program, which educates participants on data-driven decision-making and practical tools.
• Workshops and resources focused on integrating AI into traditional businesses, such as accounting firms, legal offices, food companies, real estate agencies, and more.
• Implementing AI within our own operations, demonstrating how even small teams can leverage advanced technologies effectively.

These examples showcase the power of leveraging AI and advanced technologies to create solutions that are efficient, impactful, and accessible across different sectors.

Here is the main question for our discussion. Based on your experience and success, can you please share “Five Things You Need To Know To Help Shape The Future of AI”? (Please share a story or an example, for each.)

1. Everybody Should Be Learning About AI

AI is poised to reshape our lives as profoundly as mobile phones and the internet once did. Yet, many non-tech individuals are hesitant to embrace new tools and technologies. Now is the perfect time to dive in — learn what AI is (and what it isn’t), ask basic questions, and explore its possibilities. No matter your profession, find a trustworthy source to follow, read from, or take a course.

If you already have AI knowledge or skills, take the initiative to teach, guide, or mentor others. Don’t wait — take action today and be part of the transformation.

2. Ethics Are a Must

Ethics in AI isn’t optional; it’s essential. Developers, this is for you: ethics must be embedded in every step of the process — from how data is acquired to preventing biases, creating transparent user terms, and defining clear governance and operational policies. Accountability, behavioral guidelines, and sanctions for non-compliance are crucial. While each use case is unique, ethics must remain a guiding principle.

Not sure where to start? Check out resources like the Responsible AI Institute for practical guidance. Let’s ensure AI is used to build a better world, not harm it. The future deserves our responsibility.

3. Critical Thinking Matters More Than Ever

AI has made it easier than ever to spread all types of content — from news to scam emails. That’s why validating information before accepting or sharing it is critical. Blind faith in unverified sources erodes trust and fractures the bonds that unite us. Cultivate critical thinking in your family, workplace, and community, and if you’re raising kids, make it a priority in their education.

The hardest part? Adjusting our perspective when we realize we believed something simply because it aligned with our existing views, even if it wasn’t true. Let’s embrace critical thinking as our compass in this fast-changing world.

4. Multigenerational and Multidisciplinary Work Is a Game-Changer

For too long, technology development felt exclusive to tech professionals. But with AI, the field has opened up to everyone. Your expertise — no matter the industry or age group — can add tremendous value. Whether it’s rethinking longevity models, improving quality of life, or driving economic innovation, AI offers opportunities for all.

Not everyone needs to build the technology itself; experts from various fields can contribute to shaping the future of AI. Career pivoting is more accessible than ever — take it from one of my mentees, who transitioned from text translation to working in innovation and data within a year. Reinvent yourself, add value, and be part of what’s next.

5. The Future Must Be Built Today

The future isn’t some far-off event; it’s being shaped right now. And you — yes, you — have a role to play. Look around: what needs improvement in your industry, community, or country? Start your journey today and explore how AI can help you research, create, and innovate.

AI is a tool for action. From where you are, begin making a difference and join the team shaping tomorrow. The future isn’t waiting — why should you?

When you think about the future of AI, what excites you the most, and how do you see your work contributing to that future?

What excites me most about AI is its potential to revolutionize education by creating methods that adapt to diverse learning preferences, styles, and needs. It can bridge resource gaps for small business owners, empowering them to grow and scale, while enabling entrepreneurs to tackle global challenges at scale. From improving access to finance and enhancing public policy planning to accelerating research in sciences and health and developing better simulation models, the possibilities are limitless.

Leila Janah famously said, “Talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not.” I firmly believe that with a shared ethical vision, AI has the power to democratize opportunity, making it accessible to everyone, everywhere.

While this vision brings human, rather than technical, challenges, I remain optimistic about our collective potential to create a better future. With AI as a superpower in our professional toolkit, we can amplify innovation, expand possibilities, and drive meaningful change across industries and communities.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who want to innovate in AI? Can you share a story from your experience that illustrates your advice?

One of my key pieces of advice is to stay focused on the problem you want to solve, rather than getting caught up in how impressive the technology is. With the rapid advancements in AI and the constant influx of new resources and research, it’s easy to be swept away by the “WOW” effect and lose sight of the solution’s real impact. Remember, AI is a superpower in your toolkit — it’s the means, not the end.

As an entrepreneur working with cutting-edge technologies, the journey can sometimes make you more visible for the trend than for the problem you’re addressing. This distraction can lead you off course. My invitation is to maintain a clear perspective and leverage AI as the transformative tool it is, always keeping the focus on solving the core problem.

If you’re invited to the table because of your association with a technology trend, make sure you use that opportunity to engage the audience with the problem you’re solving and the change you’re driving. Let AI amplify your solution and its potential for impact. Remember, it’s not just about showcasing the technology; it’s about how you use AI to create meaningful and scalable change.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

OMG! Many! But my 2 top on the list are Fei-Fei Li and Jen-Hsun Huang.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

My social networks are:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosariobcasas/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosariobcasas/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosariobcasasTech/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosariobcasas

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RosarioBCasas

To learn more about my work and connect with my endeavors, visit my personal website: rosariobcasas.com. It’s a hub where I share insights, projects, and updates on my journey to empower individuals and organizations through technology, innovation, and AI.

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success in your important work.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my journey and vision here, and congratulations on the incredible work you do every day to empower and inspire through mind, heart, and vision.

Photos credits:

Jade Chen (the ones in Long Island City)

Think & Talk (the one with the pink jacket)

Women.nyc (the one seated presenting from a blue chair)