SpreeAI Head of Product Banu Jafarli and Talisman Associate Partner Oscar Hoyle. Jason Crowley/BFA.com

On Wednesday, Sept. 23, 145 founders, CEOs, investors and executives crowded around the horseshoe bar at Dante Elizabeth Street, days before its public opening, for Observer’s inaugural A.I. Power Index Party. Among the guests were people who decide how A.I. reaches the financial system, and who it reaches.

Shawn Edwards, the Bloomberg CTO who turned the Terminal into an A.I.-native system, accepted the 2026 A.I. Enterprise Award. Laurel Taylor, whose company Candidly is the A.I. layer the largest financial institutions use to guide customers through debt and savings decisions, took the A.I. Transformer Award. Jeff McMillan, who built and ran artificial intelligence at Morgan Stanley for more than a decade, worked the room alongside Anusha Dandapani, chief data and A.I. officer of the United Nations International Computing Center.

Capital was well represented. Brennan Pothetes of Infinity Constellation, the evening’s presenting sponsor, opened the program. Joe Zhao of Millennia Capital, co-host Neal Batra and Noah Lichtenstein of Crossover VC talked deal flow and national competitiveness. Chris Silver, CRO of Parloa, the customer-service A.I. company that tripled its valuation to $3 billion in eight months, came too. So did Artsy and Artnet CEO Jeffrey Yin, art market economist Magnus Resch, Wendy Diamond of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization, and Dante founders Linden Pride and Natalie Hudson.

Bloomberg CTO Shawn Edwards accepts Observer’s 2026 A.I. Enterprise Award.Shawn Edwards Jason Crowley/BFA.comCandidly founder and CEO Laurel Taylor accepts Observer’s 2026 A.I. Transformer Award.Laurel Taylor Jason Crowley/BFA.comInfinity Constellation founder Brennan Pothetes delivers opening remarks.Brennan Pothetes Jason Crowley/BFA.comCandidly CMO Meera Oliva presents Laurel Taylor with the 2026 A.I. Transformer Award.Laurel Taylor, Meera Oliva Jason Crowley/BFA.comArt market economist Magnus Resch and Bracy Fertig, founder and CEO of Orchestra Health Technologies.Magnus Resch, Bracy Fertig Jason Crowley/BFA.comFLYBLACK Jets partner Nick Rouner and Infinity Constellation founder Brennan Pothetes.Nick Rouner, Brennan Pothetes Jason Crowley/BFA.comG2i Inc Advisor & Former AWS Deputy CISO Merritt Baer, AWS Head of Strategy & Operations Andrew Park, Barclays Director of Cybersecurity Audit Boris Iliayev and Legora CIO Jonathan Aluveaux.Merritt Baer, Andrew Park, Boris Iliayev, Jonathan Aluveaux Jason Crowley/BFA.comMacquarie Foreign Exchange and Interest Rate Strategist Thierry Wizman.Thierry Wizman Jason Crowley/BFA.comTalisman Associate Partner Oscar Hoyle and SpreeAI Head of Product Banu Jafarli.Oscar Hoyle, Banu Jafarli Jason Crowley/BFA.comParloa Chief Revenue Officer Chris Silver.Chris Silver Jason Crowley/BFA.comHimark Group Founder & CEO Shuyi Ragland, Solana Manager Bekka Revel, Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization founder Wendy Diamond and Full Spectrum Capital Managing Partner Shaydi DeJesus.Shuyi Ragland, Bekka Revel, Wendy Diamond, Shaydi DeJesus Jason Crowley/BFA.comSutton Director Kate Morais, Bloomberg CTO Shawn Edwards, Workspace Consulting Group Founding Principal Paulina Ribadeneyra, Bloomberg COO David Wright and Ana Martins Communications Founder & President Ana Martins.Kate Morais, Shawn Edwards, Paulina Ribadeneyra, David Wright, Ana Martins Jason Crowley/BFA.comBNY Senior Director & Wealth Advisor Matt Semino, SmarterLicense CEO & Founder Liz Hagelthorn and Crossover VC’s Noah Lichtenstein.Matt Semino, Liz Hagelthorn, Noah Lichtenstein Jason Crowley/BFA.comHanna Lee Communications EIC Michael Anstendig, AdomoAI CEO Xena Ugrinsky and Kathleen McLane.Michael Anstendig, Xena Ugrinsky, Kathleen McLane Jason Crowley/BFA.comMillennia Capital Founder and Managing Partner Joe Zhao, Observer VP of Content Strategy Merin Curotto and early-stage A.I. investor Neal Batra.Joe Zhao, Merin Curotto, Neal Batra Jason Crowley/BFA.comMacquarie Group Associate Director Henning Menke and HiveSpace Co-Founder Alexander Elsen.Henning Menke, Alexander Elsen Jason Crowley/BFA.comBlue Scorpion Investments Co-Founder and General Partner Goutam Ahuja, Fidelity Investments VP, Venture Capital & Startup Ecosystem, Charlie Stephens and Vicus Ventures General Partner Raj Singh Sandhu.Goutam Ahuja, Charlie Stephens, Raj Singh Sandhu Jason Crowley/BFA.comHealthFirst Global Head of AI Platforms, Data & Security Latesh Nair, Merritt Baer and Observer Partnership Director Justin Arnold.Latesh Nair, Merritt Baer, Justin Arnold Jason Crowley/BFA.comArk Restaurants COO Sam Weinstein, Radiance CEO Jacqueline Schmidt and TensorWave VP of Marketing & Communications Navi Ganancial.Sam Weinstein, Schmidt, Navi Ganancial Jason Crowley/BFA.comBloomberg Head of AI & Innovation Communication Chaim Haas and Huskeys Lead Solutions Engineer Amit Levran.Chaim Haas, Amit Levran Jason Crowley/BFA.comAdform Director of Sales Cassie Olson and Martini Media EVP of Marketing Thom Allcock.Cassie Olson, Thom Allcock Jason Crowley/BFA.comDante co-founder Linden Pride and Shuyi Ragland.Linden Pride, Lineden Pride, Shuyi Ragland Jason Crowley/BFA.comArtechouse Founders Tatiana Pastukhova and Sandro Kereselidze.Tatiana Pastukhova, Sandro Kereselidze Jason Crowley/BFA.comCandidly VP Engineering Brianna Jones, Candidly Founder Laurel Taylor, Candidly CMO Meera Oliva, Candidly COO Deirdre Bertrand and Candidly SVP Finance Erica Miller.Brianna Jones, Laurel Taylor, Meera Oliva, Deirdre Bertrand, Erica Miller Jason Crowley/BFA.comMelissa Li, Real Estate Developer Marc Loeb and Loeb Head of Growth and Partnerships Anuhya Challagundla.Melissa Li, Marc Loeb, Anuhya Challagundla Jason Crowley/BFA.comInfinity Constellation Founder Brennan Pothetes and EY-Parthenon Director of Strategy and Growth Naomi Einhorn.Brennan Pothetes, Naomi Einhorn Jason Crowley/BFA.comBlack Crow AI Founder and COO Shasad Khan and SOJA Ventures Co-Founder and Managing Director Oliver Swig.Shasad Khan, Oliver Swig Jason Crowley/BFA.comLumida Founder & CEO Ram Ahluwalia, Millennia Capital Founder and Managing Partner Joe Zhao and Macquarie Group Associate Director Henning Menke.Ram Ahluwalia, Joe Zhao, Henning Menke Jason Crowley/BFA.comNew York Post Tech Reporter Lydia Moynihan.Lydia Moynihan Jason Crowley/BFA.comGenerative Artist Carrie Able.Carrie Able Jason Crowley/BFA.com