NY Tech Week: June Tech Talk

During NY Tech Week, we brought together founders, talent leaders, and people ops executives for a candid conversation about the real tradeoffs of introducing AI into the recruiting process. With more than 75 high growth leaders joining us in SoHo, the event created space for honest dialogue about where AI helps, where it falls short, and how teams can adopt it responsibly.

What Happened

Our session featured a panel moderated by Brett Martin, Cofounder of Fonzi AI and General Partner at Charge Ventures. The conversation centered on a core question. As more companies adopt AI to source, screen, and evaluate candidates, is it possible to improve efficiency, accuracy, and the candidate experience at the same time, or are tradeoffs inevitable?

Speakers shared firsthand examples from their own organizations, explored the risks of over automating talent workflows, and dug into the cultural and ethical implications that come with AI powered hiring systems. The audience joined in with sharp questions and active discussion throughout.

Moderator

• Brett Martin, Cofounder at Fonzi AI and General Partner at Charge Ventures

Panelists

• Stacy Johnson Robnett, VP of Talent at Lightspeed Venture Partners

• Byron Kendal, VP of Talent at Rokt

• Lisa Moore, Chief People Officer at Yahoo

Who Attended

The room brought together:
• Chief People Officers
• CHROs
• Talent Acquisition leaders
• Founders and operators from rapidly scaling companies

Why It Mattered

The discussion surfaced real world stories and practical insights from teams already deploying AI across their hiring pipelines. Attendees walked away with a clearer understanding of:
• Which parts of recruiting benefit most from AI tools
• Where automation creates risk or unintended consequences
• How to balance speed with fairness and candidate experience
• What a sustainable AI enabled talent function looks like