Every month we ask one individual in our network a few questions about their way into tech, their motivation and their lessons learned.
Let’s start from the beginning. Tell us about where you’re from!
I grew up in Appenzell, Switzerland, a place known for its beautiful and protected landscapes. However, my roots trace back to Serbia, and I’m ethnically Albanian. Every summer, my family and I would visit the home country, where we were surrounded in the rich culture and traditions of our Albanian heritage. This duality of experiences between these two cultures shaped my worldview and gave me a deep appreciation for diversity.
What valuable advice did you get from your parents?
My parents grew up in Serbia and worked in agriculture. What they gave me was something like, values of generosity, kindness, and the importance of serving others.
“The highest good is like water. It nourishes all things without trying to. It settles in places that people avoid. Therefore, it is close to the Tao.” — Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
This quote suggests that true service is humble, quiet, and impactful, much like water that gives life without seeking recognition.
How did you become interested in tech?
From a young age, I was drawn to the sciences. Subjects like mathematics, physics, and biology fascinated me, and my curiosity often led me to ask for extra lessons from my teachers. My friends and family often referred me as the “Musterschülerin”, a model student, its sounds like the title of this page “role model”. I still remember saying out loud: I want to study at the ETH Zürich, because of my genuine passion for learning.
After completing my high school at Kantonsschule am Burggraben in St. Gallen with major in Science, I pursued that dream and enrolled at ETH Zürich. It was there that my journey into the world of technology truly began.
Due to the high demand for AI workshops tailored to Swiss-German speakers, I founded a company in St. Gallen called “Memeti Solutions”. In 2024, it was selected by Swiss Ladies Drive as one of the 30 under 30 in their Founder Academy program.
AI scares many people or makes them think – it’s not tangible – how do you feel about it or how do you respond to these people’s concerns?
I get why people feel uncertain about AI. It’s moving fast, and from the outside, it can look like this massive wave coming toward you. As an Artificial Intelligence Researcher, I don’t see AI as something tangible. I see the lines of code, the training data, the edge cases, the human choices behind the models. It’s important to see the whole picture, biases, misuse, overhype. Indeed, its RISKY!
How do I respond to this? We need more transparency, more ethics, more hands on the tools, more trial- error!
Experience, talk about it.
Ask your friends:
- How do you use ChatGPT for this?
- How do you prompt on topic X?
- What tools are you using beyond ChatGPT?
- How do you think about privacy when using AI tools?
Just ask. Be curious.
You have Albanian roots – countries in Eastern Europe have more women in STEM subjects than here in Switzerland. What is your experience?
I see remarkable Albanian women who have made significant contributions globally such as Mira Murati’s advancements as CTO of OpenAI, now CEO of Thinking Machine Lab, and Dua Lipa’s influence in the arts, songs and service95.
Reflecting on this question, I don’t have the statistics on hand, and to be honest, I don’t fully trust any data I didn’t falsify myself (yes, that’s a classic statistician answer). But instead of quoting numbers, I’ll share a thought that stuck with me from Atomic Habits by James Clear:
“Genes do not determine your destiny. They determine your areas of opportunity.”
This perspective resonated with me. It reminded me that while we can’t choose where we come from, we can shape where we go by focusing on the things that naturally light us up. Btw, just a side note, my name “NUR” means “light” in many Asian languages.
Diversity and AI – do you see a connection? Do you agree with the statement that the way you code is decisive?
Absolutely.
As an AI researcher, I recognize that our backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives shape the algorithms we develop. A lack of diversity in AI development can lead to systems that inadvertently perpetuate biases, as they may not account for the nuances of different communities.
Important words: AI is quite a new field, and that’s exactly why diversity matters. The foundations are still being built. The way we design, code, and train AI today will shape how it behaves tomorrow. If we want AI to serve everyone, then everyone needs to work on this somehow.
Have you ever had a role model that inspired you on your path?
At the moment, its very much Mira Murati. All my professors and friends are pointing me in her direction. Let’s see if our paths cross one day 😊.
What aspects of your work are you proudest of?
The opportunity to contribute to meaningful AI innovations that can positively impact society keeps me motivated and mentoring young girls for tech and supporting their journey is very satisfying to me! Reach out to me if you have a girl who wants to get into tech, especially AI.
What drives you at work?
The thrill of solving complex problems and the opportunity to contribute to innovations that can make a real difference in people’s lives.
What has been your toughest challenge you faced while working in tech?
One of the toughest challenges I’ve faced in tech is navigating imposter syndrome. Despite my accomplishments, there have been moments where I’ve questioned my abilities and felt like I did not belong. And honestly, despite Switzerland’s wealth and tech innovation, getting into leadership roles, VC funds, or real decision-making spaces is so hard and still incredibly rare. Can someone tell me why?
Do you have a favorite book or podcast?
Well, you can see I LOVE reading books! And someday I will publish my book!
“The wind moves, lifting the edge of the carpet, making the mats restless, stirring up dust and straws into the air, causing the pond’s water to ripple like chainmail, making branches, trees, and leaves dance, extinguishing lamps; it makes the half-burnt wood flare up and stokes the fire. All these states appear different and varied; yet from the perspective of the object, the root, and reality, they are but one, for the movement comes from a single wind.”
A metaphor from Rumi reminds me that while our experiences and challenges may seem diverse, they are all influenced by a singular force guiding us.
Beside plenty of books I do love reading, I do listen to podcasts on YouTube, just a few to mention in here:
especially:
What advice would you give other women in tech?
Seek out mentors, stay curious, and don’t hesitate to advocate for yourself and others. Reach out to me for mentorship, or AI workshops, happy to support you and shape tech together!
And what advice would you give women not yet working in tech that want to enter the field?
Tech is super BIG, I would say, in Switzerland consider exploring advisory roles with AI startups. Many startups value diverse expertise, and your unique background can provide valuable insights.
Additionally, angel investing is a viable path to support innovation.
