

Okthalia Adam
Okthalia Adam
AI Strategist & Early-Stage Operator
AI Strategist & Early-Stage Operator
Chicago, IL
Available for strategic roles in AI & Product
About Me
About Me
I’m Okthalia Adam, a strategy and operations leader with experience across the full venture lifecycle, from early-stage startups to Series B/C companies to a publicly listed firm. In most of my key roles, I operated as the CEO’s right hand, owning cross-functional execution, improving decision flow, and driving alignment in fast-changing environments.
I’ve worked across Southeast Asia and the U.S., leading product strategy, managing complex stakeholder ecosystems, and supporting founders during critical inflection points. My work spans building AI systems in regulated industries to scaling operational infrastructure for high-growth teams.
Beyond Professional
I’m someone who is endlessly curious about how people think, feel, and make decisions — including myself. I love patterns, meaning, and the small details that explain why we are the way we are. Technology is my craft, but understanding humans is my anchor.
I care deeply about gentleness, integrity, and emotional self-honesty.
But I’m also ambitious, stubbornly hopeful, and wired to build things that matter.My life is a blend of logic and intuition, discipline and softness, ambition and grounding.
If there is a thread that ties me together, it’s this:
I want to live a life that is meaningful, not performative and help others feel a little more understood along the way.
Experience
Experience
Chicago, IL
Stealth AI Startup
April 2025 - Present
Founder & AI Product Lead
Building a privacy-first AI companion grounded in behavioral science and spiritual well-being, focused on safe, empathetic AI interactions and responsible deployment.
Designed culturally intelligent conversational frameworks enabling AI systems to adapt responses based on user emotional states, context, and cultural background.
Conducted early user validation demonstrating strong resonance for tone, privacy safeguards, and daily emotional support flows.
Developed product architecture, evaluation criteria, and responsible AI principles guiding model behavior.
Chicago, IL
Stealth AI Startup
April 2025 - Present
Founder & AI Product Lead
Building a privacy-first AI companion grounded in behavioral science and spiritual well-being, focused on safe, empathetic AI interactions and responsible deployment.
Designed culturally intelligent conversational frameworks enabling AI systems to adapt responses based on user emotional states, context, and cultural background.
Conducted early user validation demonstrating strong resonance for tone, privacy safeguards, and daily emotional support flows.
Developed product architecture, evaluation criteria, and responsible AI principles guiding model behavior.
Remote, US
Google via Highspring
Oct 2025 - Present
AI Model Evaluation & Localization Analyst
Evaluated and optimized large-scale AI-generated outputs for Google’s AI Max Campaign, ensuring linguistic, cultural, and contextual accuracy for Indonesia.
Applied judgment under ambiguous guidelines to classify, score, and refine model behaviors, maintaining high precision across fast-paced, high-volume evaluation cycles.
Identified systemic model failure patterns and surfaced insights to upstream teams to improve model reliability and safety.
Strengthened cross-cultural robustness of AI outputs, supporting safer and more responsible deployment in emerging markets.
Remote, US
Google via Highspring
Oct 2025 - Present
AI Model Evaluation & Localization Analyst
Evaluated and optimized large-scale AI-generated outputs for Google’s AI Max Campaign, ensuring linguistic, cultural, and contextual accuracy for Indonesia.
Applied judgment under ambiguous guidelines to classify, score, and refine model behaviors, maintaining high precision across fast-paced, high-volume evaluation cycles.
Identified systemic model failure patterns and surfaced insights to upstream teams to improve model reliability and safety.
Strengthened cross-cultural robustness of AI outputs, supporting safer and more responsible deployment in emerging markets.
Boston, MA
CQ@Questrom, Boston University
Jun 2024 - May 2025
Graduate Research Assistant - AI Cultural Intelligence
Researched the intersection of AI, geopolitics, and cultural intelligence, examining how cultural norms influence AI-driven decision-making in global business and policy contexts.
Co-authored a forthcoming article with Dr. David Livermore on designing culturally intelligent prompting frameworks for safer, more context-aware generative AI.
Conducted qualitative research and literature synthesis across diplomacy, global markets, and cross-cultural negotiations.
Developed insights connecting cultural intelligence to AI governance and model adaptation, informing academic research and enterprise applications.
Boston, MA
CQ@Questrom, Boston University
Jun 2024 - May 2025
Graduate Research Assistant - AI Cultural Intelligence
Researched the intersection of AI, geopolitics, and cultural intelligence, examining how cultural norms influence AI-driven decision-making in global business and policy contexts.
Co-authored a forthcoming article with Dr. David Livermore on designing culturally intelligent prompting frameworks for safer, more context-aware generative AI.
Conducted qualitative research and literature synthesis across diplomacy, global markets, and cross-cultural negotiations.
Developed insights connecting cultural intelligence to AI governance and model adaptation, informing academic research and enterprise applications.
North Bethesda, MD
The Sunwater Institute (Non-Profit)
Summer 2024
Product & Research Analyst (Strategy & Insights)
Collaborated with the Director of Product to research and develop a political directory platform focused on campaign-related users.
Conducted in-depth market and user research to identify pain points within the campaign segment, driving data-backed decisions for feature development.
Provided strategic input on user experience and product features, contributing to the early stages of the platform’s development.
North Bethesda, MD
The Sunwater Institute (Non-Profit)
Summer 2024
Product & Research Analyst (Strategy & Insights)
Collaborated with the Director of Product to research and develop a political directory platform focused on campaign-related users.
Conducted in-depth market and user research to identify pain points within the campaign segment, driving data-backed decisions for feature development.
Provided strategic input on user experience and product features, contributing to the early stages of the platform’s development.
Jakarta, ID
AIForesee Inovasi Skor (Spin-off from Series D Fintech)
May 2021 – Sep 2023
Product and Partnership Lead, AI Solutions
First Product Hire. Promoted 3x, from Product Owner to Product Lead, then Product and Partnership Lead, overseeing AI-based credit scoring solutions for 25,000+ Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with a 30% loan approval increase and 85% cost reduction.
Led cross-functional teams to refine sourcing strategies, enhancing model accuracy with 600+ data dimensions and scaling client offerings across 25 branches.
Led the creation of 32+ API products, delivering robust KYC/KYB solutions for fraud protection and underwriting.
Earned an honorable mention at the 2023 Global Financial SMEs Awards for "Innovative Product of the Year."
Jakarta, ID
AIForesee Inovasi Skor (Spin-off from Series D Fintech)
May 2021 – Sep 2023
Product and Partnership Lead, AI Solutions
First Product Hire. Promoted 3x, from Product Owner to Product Lead, then Product and Partnership Lead, overseeing AI-based credit scoring solutions for 25,000+ Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with a 30% loan approval increase and 85% cost reduction.
Led cross-functional teams to refine sourcing strategies, enhancing model accuracy with 600+ data dimensions and scaling client offerings across 25 branches.
Led the creation of 32+ API products, delivering robust KYC/KYB solutions for fraud protection and underwriting.
Earned an honorable mention at the 2023 Global Financial SMEs Awards for "Innovative Product of the Year."
Jakarta, ID
Digital Alpha Indonesia (UangTeman, Series B Fintech)
Apr 2020 – May 2021
Corporate Project Manager, CEO Office
Developed market expansion strategies plan for Vietnam & the Philippines, aligning fintech products with local regulatory frameworks.
Managed Special Projects to designed and implemented executive dashboards, improving real-time investment decision-making for risk and portfolio management.
Led cross-functional strategy initiatives and optimised operational workflows, increasing efficiency by 20% through automation.
UangTeman, a Series B fintech, raised ~US $22M across Series A (US $12M) and Series B (US $10M), backed by leading SEA VCs including Alpha JWC.
Jakarta, ID
Digital Alpha Indonesia (UangTeman, Series B Fintech)
Apr 2020 – May 2021
Corporate Project Manager, CEO Office
Developed market expansion strategies plan for Vietnam & the Philippines, aligning fintech products with local regulatory frameworks.
Managed Special Projects to designed and implemented executive dashboards, improving real-time investment decision-making for risk and portfolio management.
Led cross-functional strategy initiatives and optimised operational workflows, increasing efficiency by 20% through automation.
UangTeman, a Series B fintech, raised ~US $22M across Series A (US $12M) and Series B (US $10M), backed by leading SEA VCs including Alpha JWC.
Jakarta, ID
Anabatic Technologies (IDX: ATIC)
Nov 2018 – Apr 2020
Business/Functional Consultant, Core Banking Solution
Partnered with cross-functional teams to lead core Banking System migration from AS400 to Temenos T24, securing a 30% cost reduction through streamlined maintenance and infrastructure, and decreased customisation needs by 40% on compliance and development boosting transaction speed and regulatory adaptability.
Led a $50M+ core banking system migration, from AS400 to Temenos T24, ensuring smooth transition and reducing operational costs by 30%.
Led regulatory compliance efforts to ensure smooth transition and integration of core banking operations for retail banking.
Jakarta, ID
Anabatic Technologies (IDX: ATIC)
Nov 2018 – Apr 2020
Business/Functional Consultant, Core Banking Solution
Partnered with cross-functional teams to lead core Banking System migration from AS400 to Temenos T24, securing a 30% cost reduction through streamlined maintenance and infrastructure, and decreased customisation needs by 40% on compliance and development boosting transaction speed and regulatory adaptability.
Led a $50M+ core banking system migration, from AS400 to Temenos T24, ensuring smooth transition and reducing operational costs by 30%.
Led regulatory compliance efforts to ensure smooth transition and integration of core banking operations for retail banking.
Bandung, ID
BANIENT.CO (Bootstraped)
May 2018 – Dec 2020
Founder Bootstraped (Political Analytics Startup)
Founded a startup that provided data analytics services for political campaigns, offering targeted campaign recommendations through social media network analysis.
Hired and Led a team of 7 engineers and data scientists in developing analytical models that drove campaign strategy decisions for multiple political candidates and Drove targeted campaign optimizations, increasing candidate engagement by 50%.
Oversaw product development, business strategy, and client acquisition, growing the company’s service offerings and building long-term partnerships.
Bandung, ID
BANIENT.CO (Bootstraped)
May 2018 – Dec 2020
Founder Bootstraped (Political Analytics Startup)
Founded a startup that provided data analytics services for political campaigns, offering targeted campaign recommendations through social media network analysis.
Hired and Led a team of 7 engineers and data scientists in developing analytical models that drove campaign strategy decisions for multiple political candidates and Drove targeted campaign optimizations, increasing candidate engagement by 50%.
Oversaw product development, business strategy, and client acquisition, growing the company’s service offerings and building long-term partnerships.
Yogyakarta, ID
Wondertech Pte. Ltd. (Pre-Seed)
Jun 2017 – Apr 2018
Product Manager, Software & Automation
Led a $500K digital transformation project for a VIP rental car company, delivering a comprehensive mobile app (iOS and Android), front-office, and back-office systems, significantly improving process efficiency through digitalization.
Co-founding the launch of Wonderlabs Academy, training 20+ women aged 18-32 in coding and technical skills to support workforce diversity in tech and Recognized as one of Indonesia's top 50 female leaders, receiving a nomination for the ANGIN Women's Spotlight award.
Managed multiple additional projects, including three website developments, one mobile app design, and workflow automation with Hubspot that boosted lead generation efficiency by 25%.
Managed the end-to-end development and launch of digital products for clients in Singapore and Australia, overseeing everything from scoping to user training.
Yogyakarta, ID
Wondertech Pte. Ltd. (Pre-Seed)
Jun 2017 – Apr 2018
Product Manager, Software & Automation
Led a $500K digital transformation project for a VIP rental car company, delivering a comprehensive mobile app (iOS and Android), front-office, and back-office systems, significantly improving process efficiency through digitalization.
Co-founding the launch of Wonderlabs Academy, training 20+ women aged 18-32 in coding and technical skills to support workforce diversity in tech and Recognized as one of Indonesia's top 50 female leaders, receiving a nomination for the ANGIN Women's Spotlight award.
Managed multiple additional projects, including three website developments, one mobile app design, and workflow automation with Hubspot that boosted lead generation efficiency by 25%.
Managed the end-to-end development and launch of digital products for clients in Singapore and Australia, overseeing everything from scoping to user training.
Education
Education
Boston, MA
2023 – 2025
Master of Business Administration
Questrom School of Business, Boston University
Minor in Social Impact, Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods. Focus in Strategy & Innovation
Boston, MA
2023 – 2025
Master of Business Administration
Questrom School of Business, Boston University
Minor in Social Impact, Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods. Focus in Strategy & Innovation
Bandung, ID
2014 – 2018
Bachelor of Management
Telkom University
Major in International Information, Communication, Technology Business Management Magna Cum Laude, 3.82/4.00
Bandung, ID
2014 – 2018
Bachelor of Management
Telkom University
Major in International Information, Communication, Technology Business Management Magna Cum Laude, 3.82/4.00
Certifications
Certifications
Certified Web Developer (CWD)
International Web Association, 2021
Certified Web Developer (CWD)
International Web Association, 2021
User Experience (UX) Design Certification
Nielsen Norman Group, 2018
User Experience (UX) Design Certification
Nielsen Norman Group, 2018
Advanced HTML5 and CSS3 Specialist
W3Schools, 2016
Advanced HTML5 and CSS3 Specialist
W3Schools, 2016
Awards
Awards
Innovative Product of The Year - Honorable Mention
2023 Global Financial SMEs Awards
Innovative Product of The Year - Honorable Mention
2023 Global Financial SMEs Awards
Indonesia's Top 50 Female Leaders
ANGIN Women's Spotlight Nominee
Indonesia's Top 50 Female Leaders
ANGIN Women's Spotlight Nominee
Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) Awardee
Indonesian Ministry of Finance
Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) Awardee
Indonesian Ministry of Finance
Korean Government (GKS) Student Exchange Awardee
Korean Government (GKS)
Korean Government (GKS) Student Exchange Awardee
Korean Government (GKS)
Recommendations
Recommendations
Christian Limawan
Chief Executive Office of AIFORESEE
"Okthalia is the kind of leader every tech company hopes to find but rarely does. She joined us mid-pandemic and immediately went beyond her role—driving our ISO 27001 certification not once, but twice, leading high-impact data initiatives, and bridging complex stakeholder needs with ease. Her strategic mind, bias for action, and innate curiosity make her a rare product talent with both startup scrappiness and enterprise-level thinking. She doesn’t just ship—she builds systems that scale."
Christian Limawan
Chief Executive Office of AIFORESEE
"Okthalia is the kind of leader every tech company hopes to find but rarely does. She joined us mid-pandemic and immediately went beyond her role—driving our ISO 27001 certification not once, but twice, leading high-impact data initiatives, and bridging complex stakeholder needs with ease. Her strategic mind, bias for action, and innate curiosity make her a rare product talent with both startup scrappiness and enterprise-level thinking. She doesn’t just ship—she builds systems that scale."
Alanda Kariza
Founder, Managing Partner of Advislab & Chevening Scholar
“Okthalia is one of the most resourceful, curious, and capable people I’ve worked with. She led flagship programs and commercial projects with confidence, even managing senior professionals. Her drive to learn, grow, and lead—especially in male-dominated industries—is unmatched. She’s a builder with vision and grit.”
Alanda Kariza
Founder, Managing Partner of Advislab & Chevening Scholar
“Okthalia is one of the most resourceful, curious, and capable people I’ve worked with. She led flagship programs and commercial projects with confidence, even managing senior professionals. Her drive to learn, grow, and lead—especially in male-dominated industries—is unmatched. She’s a builder with vision and grit.”
Reza Bikwanto
Lead Data Scientist of AIFORESEE
"Working with Okthalia was a masterclass in product–data collaboration. She had a sharp understanding of the full product lifecycle, from gathering customer insights to turning them into impactful features. Oktha bridges business and technical teams seamlessly, making her an ideal Product Manager for any data-driven team."
Reza Bikwanto
Lead Data Scientist of AIFORESEE
"Working with Okthalia was a masterclass in product–data collaboration. She had a sharp understanding of the full product lifecycle, from gathering customer insights to turning them into impactful features. Oktha bridges business and technical teams seamlessly, making her an ideal Product Manager for any data-driven team."






