Sol Rashidi Joins AWS as Head of Technology for Startups, North America

Data and AI leader Sol Rashidi has joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) as the new Head of Technology for Startups, North America. In this role, Rashidi will oversee AWS’s support for nearly 123,000 startups across the U.S. and Canada, focusing on generative AI, applied AI, strategy, data, technology, and infrastructure.

Rashidi’s career spans numerous high-profile positions, including Chief Analytics Officer at Estée Lauder, Global Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Merck, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at Sony Music, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Royal Caribbean, Partner at Ernst & Young, and Chief Information and Digital Officer at Soli. She was also instrumental in launching IBM’s Gen-1 Watson.

Known for her balance of visionary thinking (“The Art of the Possible”) and pragmatic solutions (“The Art of the Practical”), Rashidi has a talent for driving innovation while ensuring companies remain grounded in their mission. Her approach emphasizes:

• Prioritizing impactful solutions over complex architecture
• Understanding when AI is the right tool—and when it’s not
• Striving for progress rather than perfection
• Recognizing that innovation often involves cutting through the noise
• Embracing action and adapting as everything evolves

Rashidi brings a vibrant energy and passion to her work, diving into details while maintaining a strategic focus to uncover opportunities and value. She is also a global keynote speaker and the best-selling author of “Your AI Survival Guide: Scraped Knees, Bruised Elbows, and Lessons Learned from Real-World Deployments.”

In her LinkedIn post, Rashidi shared: “During my ‘golden gap year,’ I fell in love with helping startups turn their big bold ideas into reality. So it only made sense that if I were to go back to a big company, I continued to serve the people and companies that are making the greatest impact on the front line.”

Rashidi also expressed her gratitude to several startups that have influenced her career path, including Armada, Protopia AI, Tribe AI, Stitched Insights, imaware, and Domino Data Lab. Her experiences with these startups have been instrumental in guiding her new role at AWS.

Her accolades include being named among the “Top 100 People in AI,” “Top 75 Innovators of 2023,” “Forbes AI Maverick & Visionary of the 21st Century,” “50 Most Powerful Women in Tech,” “Global 100 Data Power List,” “Top 5 CDOs,” and “Top 100 Innovators in Data & Analytics.” Rashidi is also a member of the AIM Leaders Council and was recognized as one of the top 100 Most Influential AI Leaders in the USA for 2023 by AIM Research.