Amazon's Bhavana Chandrashekhar to speak at RoboBusiness' Women in Robotics Lunch

From left to right: Bhavana Chandrashekhar and Joyce Sidopoulos.

Currently, women make up just 35% of the global STEM workforce and 22% of the global AI workforce. This means many women in the robotics industry struggle to find community with other women.

At RoboBusiness 2026, which will be on Oct. 20 and 21 in Santa Clara, Calif., spend an hour connecting with robotics professionals in an environment designed for thoughtful conversation and mentorship. The Women in Robotics Lunch is an opportunity to form new connections, deepen relationships, and champion increased female representation in robotics leadership.

This lunch will include a fireside chat between Joyce Sidopoulos, co-founder of MassRobotics, and Bhavana Chandrashekhar, senior manager of applied science at Amazon Robotics.

The Women in Robotics Lunch has limited seats and will fill up fast! You can register for the lunch by adding it on to your RoboBusiness registration.

Meet the Women in Robotics Lunch speakers

Seattle-based Chandrashekhar manages a team of applied scientists, engineers, and managers building autonomous manipulation robots for Amazon warehouses. Her mission is to build AI-powered robots that augment the workforce performing physically demanding tasks autonomously.

Chandrashekhar’s research interests include robotic vision, machine learning, robotic software, and task planning. Some flagship robots she has built include Robin, which has picked several billion packages, and Vulcan Stow, which has stowed over a million items. Most recently, she was highlighted in IEEE Spectrum‘s “A day in the life of a roboticist” series.

Chandrashekhar will also be taking part in the Day 1 closing keynote “Beyond the Demo: AI in Production Robotics.” This panel will also include James Davidson, the chief AI officer at Teradyne Robotics, and Michael Vogelsong, the head of foundation models at Cobot. These experts will discuss how their companies are applying AI to robots operating in real customer environments. The keynote will start at 4:30 PM.

Sidopoulos is chief of operations at MassRobotics, an innovation hub, collaborative workspace, and laboratory for robotics startups. The nonprofit organization’s stated mission is to enable and grow the next generation of robotics companies.

In her role, Sidopoulos works on initiatives to expand the breadth and depth of the robotics ecosystem. She develops high-impact programs, highlighting technology startups, matching them with funders and customers, engaging with robotics adoption, connecting talent to employers, and working with academia to commercialize research.

Sidopoulos is also a mentor and judge at accelerator and university entrepreneurship programs. Prior experience includes 14 years of civil service with the U.S. Navy’s Naval Undersea Warfare Center as chief scientist for acoustic prediction systems, systems and test engineer, and sonar systems analyst.

She also held senior business development, engineering, and technical resource manager roles at General Dynamics and other defense contractors. She holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from Cornell University.

Register now for RoboBusiness 2026

RoboBusiness 2026 is the leading event for commercial robotics developers. Attendees will gain the latest insights from experts in robotics and AI on cutting-edge research, industry trends, and innovative applications in sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, logistics, and more.

The show also features a number of networking opportunities to give attendees the chance to connect with other experts in the industry. This will include the Mix and Mingle reception on the first day of the show.

Buy your full conference pass before Aug. 31 to save $200 on your registration and gain full access to all keynotes, technical sessions, networking receptions and special events. Discounts are also available for academia, associations, and corporate groups. Please email events[at]arrowfly.com for more details about our discount programs.

For information about sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, download the prospectus. Questions regarding sponsorship opportunities should be directed to Colleen Sepich at csepich[AT]arrowfly.com.