Artificial intelligence has been getting a lot of buzz in recent months — and Lauren Marturano has a front-row seat on how it works and where it is heading. She's the founder and CEO of Zinnia, a tech platform that helps businesses plan events, and some of the software is powered by AI.

In a conversation with The Ledger's Tony Mecia, Marturano discusses her experience building a tech company in Charlotte, the challenges facing women in the tech industry and advances in AI that are improving companies' productivity. This episode is part of The Ledger's “Faces of AI” series, an up-close look at Charlotte-area people and businesses that are using artificial intelligence.

“This is a huge, pivotal moment for technology, and probably the biggest one we’ll see in our lifetime,” Marturano says. “… AI is going to totally transform the way that businesses run and operate. Companies that don’t adapt to using AI, I think, are going to fall pretty far behind.”

You can find out more about her company, Zinnia, at getzinnia.com.

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This episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast is hosted by Ledger editor Tony Mecia. It is produced by Lindsey Banks.

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