Jena Zangs, chief data and AI officer at the University of St. Thomas and lead of the research and development working group of the Institute for AI for the Common Good, has been selected to participate in SheBuilds, a global 48-hour AI hackathon hosted by Lovable, an AI-powered software development platform.
She and her partner on this project, createMPLS Executive Director Shannon Seaver, a National Board certified teacher with a master's degree in mathematics, were among 1,750 applications from 98 countries. Only 215 women builder teams were selected worldwide.
Zangs and Seaver are among the few chosen to represent Minnesota women building artificial intelligence solutions with real-world impact and to showcase how community-university partnerships are shaping the future of equitable AI innovation.
During the SheBuilds competition, Zangs and Seaver will build Authentic Learning Studio, an AI-powered platform designed to advance equity in education by supporting educators, students with disabilities, and families. The platform reflects a shared vision between St. Thomas and createMPLS to advance education services with AI and expand access to high-quality learning experiences.
Authentic Learning Studio aims to reduce the administrative burden on educators while improving access for students of varied academic and linguistic needs. The platform generates differentiated lessons across multiple reading levels, provides translations in more than 29 languages with native pronunciation support, and builds assessments that measure genuine understanding rather than AI-generated answers.
“It’s the first time the education sector truly has the ability to meet each student where they are, help them grow at their own pace, and create learning pathways that reflect how students actually learn,” Zangs said.
St. Thomas leadership in ethical AI
Being selected for SheBuilds reflects the university’s and its partners’ growing national recognition as leaders in ethical AI. St. Thomas has invested in transparent governance, responsible data practices, and applied AI research that prioritizes human dignity and community impact.
“I’m a builder at heart, and at St. Thomas we build AI with intention,” Zangs said. “Everything we design is rooted in purpose. For this build it's about supporting learners, empowering educators, and advancing the common good.”
Livestreaming the Build
SheBuilds brings together women of diverse technical backgrounds to design, build, and deploy working AI applications in just 48 hours. The competition emphasizes transparency, inclusion, and practical impact, values that closely align with the University of St. Thomas and the goals of the Institute of AI for the Common Good.
The 48-hour build can be watched on live stream, allowing students, educators and community members to watch the full AI development process, from idea to working application, in real time. The livestream reflects the Institute of AI for the Common Good’s commitment to transparency in education.
By building in public, Zangs and Seaver hope to inspire more women, educators, and students to see themselves as creators in the AI era regardless of prior technical experience.
