At Cannes 2026, Women Inspiring Network (WIN) brought together leaders, creators, entrepreneurs, technologists and changemakers from around the world at the third edition of WIN Lounge, dedicated to the exchange of ideas, perspectives and possibilities. Hosted at Hotel Martinez on June 25, the gathering created a space where creativity met technology, business met purpose, and diverse voices came together to explore the opportunities and challenges shaping the future.
Set against the backdrop of the French Riviera during one of the world’s most influential gatherings of the creative community, the day unfolded through thought-provoking discussions, networking experiences, immersive sessions and WIN Voices Podcast recordings. Conversations spanned the evolving relationship between AI and creativity, the future of leadership, cultural influence, health equity, innovation, marketing and the growing importance of collaboration in a rapidly changing world.
Speaking about the gathering, Stuti Jalan, Founder & Curator of Women Inspiring Network (WIN), said: “At Cannes this year, we set out to create a space where people could come together not just to share ideas, but to challenge assumptions, build unexpected connections and reimagine the future. Across every conversation, three themes kept surfacing, culture, human connection and AI, shaping the tone and depth of the dialogue throughout the day. What made it special was the openness, curiosity and collaboration that continued beyond the stage. We are also deeply grateful to our partners- LR global, Practice vision, MOJO media and Masimo,whose support made this platform and these meaningful conversations possible.”
The WIN Lounge was opened with a riveting keynote by Shilpa Maniar, Full-Funnel AI Experiences at Amazon Ads. This was followed by conversations led by an global group of voices including Ameetess Dira, CMO, Petzey; Anna Iuculano, Managing Director Italy, xpln.ai; Cecile Agarwal, Director, Strategic Marketing, Masimo; Charlene Polite Corley, VP of Inclusive Insights, Nielsen; Chris Lieber, EVP, Starpower LLC; Debbie Eacott, Founder, Eacott Global Leadership and Director, Stellence AI; Dee Poku Spalding, Founder & CEO, The WIE Suite; Dheeraj Sinha, CEO, McCann India; Dr. Watceilia Varso, Founder, The Executive Synapse Review; Ekta Chopra, Chief Technology & AI Officer, e.l.f. Beauty; Hannah Charman, Co-Founder & Managing Director, RESISTER; Irina Puzakova, Global Category Media Lead, WPP Media; Japneet Kaur, Founder, Greenkid Chronicles and Program Director, Cybersecurity, Mphasis; Jeanel Alvarado, Founder & CEO, RetailBoss; Katie Dean, SVP Creative Director, 21 Grams; Katie Langdon, Founder, Skin and Blister Agency, Healthcare Communications; Katrina Victoria Gumaya, Chairman, Katalyst Venture Group; Kerry Parkin, Founder, The Remarkables; Kim Jayde, Founder, KJ Productions; Kit Altin, CSO, The Gate London; Leslie Zane, CEO, Triggers; Lynn Lester, SVP, The Drum; Mary Seats, CMO & Founder of The Bakery CoWork & CEO The Icing Agency ; Maya Joelson, CEO and Global Investment Strategist, Meta Point Advisors; Meera Sharath Chandra, Founder, CEO & Chief Creative Officer, Tigress Tigress; Nene Parsotam, Executive Creative Director, VINE Creatives; Paulina Jones, Executive in Brand Consulting, 160over90; PJ Pereira, Founder & Creative Chairman, Pereira O’Dell and SILVERSIDE; Priyanka Jain, Founder & Director, Snowworld Entertainment; Rachel Klausner, Commercial Lead, North America, PubX; Samira Brophy, Senior Director, Creative Excellence, Ipsos UK; Shilpa Sinha, Chief Strategy Officer (Global Markets) for L’Oréal at McCann; Shweta Harit, Global Senior Vice President, De Beers Group and CEO, Forevermark; Sigal Hillel, Founder & CEO, Funjetsetter; Tejali Shete, Founder & CCO, Roll Dot Agency; Tera Carissa, Advisory Board Member, The Waterlight Save Initiative; Valentino Brodkorb, Brand Partnerships Director, Provoke; and Vince Lynch, CEO, IV.AI.
Beyond the WIN Lounge, as part of Yacht Talks 2026, Stuti Jalan joined a series of discussions exploring the future of AI, innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship. In a conversation with Vince Lynch, CEO of IV.AI, she explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, decision-making and human potential. She also spoke with Stefanie Beach, CEO & Founder, The Marketeer Group about her journey of building a successful business, lessons learned through entrepreneurship and the realities of balancing leadership, ambition and life beyond work.
A dedicated session in collaboration with Ipsos brought a different lens to the day, with Stuti Jalan presented AI-use cases on AI enabled healthcare access, women’s health innovation and technology for child protection at Ipsos Lounge Series, titled, Alt Valleys: Tech Culture From Around The World.
Beyond the stage, the networking mixer, workshop experiences and podcasts created opportunities for people to connect, exchange ideas and build relationships that continue beyond Cannes.
Following Cannes 2026, Women Inspiring Network will continue convening global conversations through upcoming engagements across Climate Week New York, Davos 2027, and future editions across world platforms.