Lauren Dunford

Lauren Dunford is the CEO and co-founder of Guidewheel, the FactoryOps platform that democratizes access to Physical AI – connecting any machine in any plant to the cloud to unlock real-time data, boost productivity, and accelerate progress toward net zero.

A World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and repeat Davos speaker, Lauren is known for showing how data and AI can turn factories into engines of both growth and sustainability. Her TED talk, “The future isn’t just coded, it’s built,” calls on the next generation to see manufacturing as the defining career of the future: hands-on, tech-driven, and central to solving climate change.

Before founding Guidewheel, Lauren worked across emerging markets and industrial operations, giving her a rare, practical perspective on how technology succeeds where it matters most – on the factory floor – and how simple visibility can drive measurable ROI at scale.