Karpagam "Kay" Narayanan

CEO Ascendo AI

Karpagam “Kay” Narayanan is an accomplished technology executive, entrepreneur, and board leader with over two decades of experience driving innovation in enterprise software and AI. She is the founder and CEO of Ascendo.ai, a company delivering AI-powered agents for complex B2B service and support environments.

Previously, she co-founded Paloras, which was acquired by Amazon’s Lab126. Kay has been recognized among the Top 100 Businesses in the Bay Area and honored by Forbes and CIO Review for her leadership in high-growth software ventures. She was the first female board member of TiE Silicon Valley, served as an angel investor with the TiE Angels—a Top 20 angel fund—and is a long-time advocate for STEM education through Girl Scouts, Maker Faire, and regional robotics programs