Lea Steinacker

Léa Steinacker, PhD, is a social scientist, bestselling author, board member, and award-winning entrepreneur. Her work and post-doctoral research are focused on how technology interacts with people, organizations, and the planet.

Her 2024 book on Artificial Intelligence (AI), co-written with Prof. Dr. Miriam Meckel, "Alles überall auf einmal: Wie Künstliche Intelligenz unsere Welt verändert und was wir gewinnen können" became a national bestseller. 

For over a decade, she has explored the profound impacts of emerging technologies like AI. Her academic publications cover topics such as automated facial recognition, synthetic voice generation, quantum computing, as well as her original framework of Code Capital. With her expertise, Léa serves on the Board of Directors of Weleda AG and as an AI Advisory Board Member of Ringier AG, one of Switzerland's leading media companies. Additionally, she lectures at the University of St. Gallen, teaching courses like "Social and Economic Impacts of Artificial Intelligence" and "AI Governance: Perspectives from Asia", and at the Hertie School of Governance. 

In 2018, she co-founded and is now the Executive Chairwoman of ada Learning, a startup that accelerates workforce transformation by enabling employees to drive innovation from within. Since its inception, ada has equipped thousands of employees from DAX companies, SMEs, governments, and civil society organizations with critical transformation skills and best practices. 

Previously, she served as the Chief Innovation Officer of WirtschaftsWoche, Germany's leading business magazine, where she also covered the future of work and socio-technological change. Prior to joining Handelsblatt Media Group, she worked with social justice NGOs in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She was selected as a Forbes 30 Under 30 leader, one of Medium Magazine’s Top 30 Under 30 journalists, a BCG Thought Leader, and an Atlantik Brücke Young Leader. In 2011, she was awarded the Henry Richardson Labouisse Prize for independent research. 
 
Léa holds degrees from Princeton University (A.B.), the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (MPP), and the University of St. Gallen (PhD).