Shireen Santosham

Shireen Santosham is the Director of Public Affairs at Zillow, where she leads initiatives at the intersection of technology, policy, and social impact — with a growing focus on the responsible use of AI in housing and public life. She is also a lecturer at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, where she teaches The Future of Cities, exploring how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies can create more equitable, sustainable urban systems.

Previously, Shireen served as Head of Social Impact and Executive Director of the Nextdoor Kind Foundation and as Chief Innovation Officer for the City of San José — the largest city in Silicon Valley. In those roles, she spearheaded efforts to expand digital access to underrepresented communities and launched pioneering civic technology programs, including AI-driven service delivery, autonomous vehicle pilots, and privacy audits to strengthen public trust.

Recognized nationally for her leadership in inclusive innovation, Shireen has received numerous awards for advancing technology for social good. She holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, an M.P.A. in International Development from Harvard Kennedy School, and dual B.S. and B.A. degrees with honors from the University of Pennsylvania.