Strategic Artificial Intelligence Program Advisor

Shrikant Wagh

Active Term: 02/2026 - 02/2027

Areas of Expertise

• AI Strategic Framework
• Change Management of AI
• Using AI for Creative Innovation
• Measurement and Analytics of AI
• Driving AI Transformation & Adoption

Director of Software Product Development & QA

Bellwether Coffee

Shrikant Wagh is a senior engineering, product, and AI technology leader with 20+ years of experience building intelligent, scalable, and high-reliability systems across AI/ML platforms, IoT/OTA ecosystems, entertainment technology, FinTech, and global consumer applications. A true “player-coach,” he blends hands-on technical depth with strategic product leadership to take ideas from concept to production with speed and rigor. He holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras, specializing in Neural Networks and DSP. His research in speech processing led to peer-reviewed publications, and his work in neural-network-based optical inspection earned national recognition, including the prestigious Elcina Award for AI-based non-destructive testing. Shrikant has led engineering and product functions at Bellwether Coffee, PayCertify, Switchfly, ZoomSystems, Mevio, and Optimyz Software. His expertise spans LLM evaluation, AI agents, MITM-based AI testing, RAG systems, QA automation, CI/CD, and platform engineering. As the founder of Pragyaantra, he is pioneering QA automation for responsible AI by merging cognitive insights with modern machine architectures. He is also an inventor with multiple U.S. and international patents in web-services automation, distributed testing, and intelligent workflow orchestration—demonstrating deep architectural thinking and real-world innovation. Shrikant contributed significantly to global software interoperability standards as Chair of the WS-I Testing Tools Working Group, authoring major test assertion profiles and interoperability specifications, reflecting his commitment to engineering rigor and cross-industry governance. On the Strategic AI Advisory Board, he brings multidisciplinary expertise in AI system design, responsible AI practices, product strategy, scalable architectures, and mentorship—helping shape an ethical, industry-aligned AI curriculum for the next generation of leaders.