Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the electric joint founders of ubiquitous AI-powered shopping companion Phia, who are stunningly fierce! They’ll join us on the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 main stage! This year’s show will take place at San Francisco’s Moscone West from October 27-29. Gates and Kianni will discuss their approaches to making consumer interest into long term use. They’ll dive deep on winning the loyalty of Generation Z.
Both entrepreneurs come with impressive backgrounds. As an outspoken champion for women’s reproductive rights and gender equity in STEM, Gates has forged new paths in her field. She’s perhaps most famous for her passionate advocacy on social issues, at the same time as turbocharging Phia’s topline growth as a consumer brand. Chiara is idealistic and determined, but Kianni, an Iranian American entrepreneur and climate activist, counters that perspective with humor. She serves as the founder of Climate Cardinals, which is the world’s largest youth-led climate nonprofit. Most recently, Reproductive Freedom for All recognized her as their 2024 “Rising Reproductive Freedom Champion.”
Insights into Phia’s Mission
Phia’s mission is to change the way the world shops by leveraging artificial intelligence to deliver a personalized, credible, and transparent shopping experience. Gates and Kianni believe that the next generation of consumer AI must align with values that resonate with younger consumers. They argue that building a durable brand requires more than just innovative technology; it demands a commitment to social responsibility and ethical practices.
Looking ahead to TechCrunch Disrupt, we’re excited that Gates and Kianni will each be taking the stage. Finally, they’ll tell their story of how they turned Phia into one of the most buzzworthy launches of 2025. Emphasizing transparency, personalization, and values-driven technology, they’re creating experiences that resonate with Gen Z consumers. Their process focuses on developing a consumer-driven concept that is authentic and relevant to the brand you’re creating. It’s about making sure that brand really aligns with their values.
Engaging Generation Z
Gates and Kianni know that to win Gen Z loyalty, you first need to do your homework and learn what makes these young consumers tick. This is the generation that will only pay brands that are socially aware and authentic their attention. Phia wants to live up to these descriptors with our cutting-edge tools and bronze-level-yet-activist DNA. The founders are confident that molding Phia’s products to meet Gen Z’s preferences will garner a loyal customer base. This passionate, engaged group will be on the front lines, defending and promoting the brand.
The conversations at TechCrunch Disrupt will focus on very real, doable, on-the-ground pathways to making that possible. Gates and Kianni to illustrate the ways they engage with their target audience. They’ll walk you through how they are shaping their marketing to connect with priorities that younger consumers value. Through chronicling their experiences, they hope to spark the imaginations of other entrepreneurs to incorporate some of the same principles into their own endeavors.
A Commitment to Social Causes
Beyond their entrepreneurial ambitions, both Gates and Kianni are focused on social impact that aligns with their personal and professional missions. As Gates advocates for women’s reproductive rights, Kianni drives the movement to prioritize climate in climate activism. It’s their commitment to these issues that fuels their work at Phia. Their goal is to build the most inclusive platform so that it really empowers consumers.
By further embedding their advocacy into the core of their business model, Gates and Kianni hope to set Phia apart from competitors in a crowded marketplace. They know brands have the power to create positive, impactful change and still prosper commercially. This philosophy will be a major thread through their public-sector focused talk at TechCrunch Disrupt.