CEO & Founder at Workera | Stanford AI Adjunct Lecturer
San Francisco, California, United States
48K followers
500+ connections
About
Born and raised in France to an immigrant Iranian family, I immigrated to Silicon Valley to follow my passion. I want to help people achieve their fullest potential and accelerate progress through technology.
My work sits at the intersection of AI, skill measurement, and psychometrics. I’m the CEO and founder of Workera — an AI agent platform that understands business context and measures skills in a radically new way, helping individuals and organizations identify strengths, close gaps, and take meaningful action.
Outside of Workera, I co-created the Deep Learning Specialization on Coursera, which has been completed by millions of learners, and I teach the Deep Learning course at Stanford alongside Andrew Ng.
Awards:
- Walter J. Gores Award (Stanford's highest teaching award)
- Stanford Centennial Award for Excellence in Teaching
- Forbes 30 under 30, Education 2020
- Forbes 30 under 30 All Stars, Education 2021
- World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer (2025)
I apologize in advance if I’m not able to respond to DMs quickly. If you’d like to connect in the meantime, you can chat with my Delphi (link: https://www.delphi.ai/kian), which I’ve personally curated.
I'm also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kiankatan
Articles by Kian
Activity
48K followers
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Kian Katanforoosh shared thisMy thoughts on the "AI will take all the jobs" debate.
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Kian Katanforoosh shared thisOne of our engineers is locked in and has no time to talk to me anymore. He now routes me to his digital twin... 🥲
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Kian Katanforoosh shared thisGrateful for the San Francisco Business Times’s recognition. I’m proud to live and build in San Francisco. And as Mayor Daniel Lurie 丹尼爾·羅偉 says, “let’s go San Francisco!!!”
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Kian Katanforoosh shared thisMany companies are now measuring AI skills in their interview process. Knowing the rubrics can help you prepare better. Here’s one of the most popular rubrics for general AI tool proficiency right now. Level 1: Candidate uses AI as search - They’ve replaced Google with tools like ChatGPT or Claude. Level 2: Candidate uses AI as an agent - They delegate tasks like meeting prep or market research. AI supports parts of your workflow and makes you incrementally more productive. Level 3: Candidate uses AI as orchestration - They’ve automated meaningful parts of their job and moved their time to higher-leverage work. They coordinate agents, tools, and data into systems that run continuously. They monitor, analyze, and act with minimal intervention. This rubric is used across roles, not just engineering. Be prepared to show you are Level 3!
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Kian Katanforoosh shared thisThank you to our partners in Tokyo for the warm welcome. A few takeaways from the trip: 1. The AI talent archetypes enterprises are looking for are converging globally. Whether in the US, Europe, or Japan, companies want the same profiles: engineers who orchestrate agents, who can deploy AI solutions in the field, and who can build and evaluate foundation models. Lots of training will be needed to help the workforce map to this. 2. Japan's (lifetime) employment model is quite unique and makes reskilling, upskilling, and internal mobility more important here than almost anywhere in the world. It also creates a uniquely strong foundation for fair, skills-based practices. 3. Every company we met wanted to connect skills development to real business outcomes. Moving from training completions to actual productivity, project quality, and ultimately business performance. This is a critical problem in the industry, and the appetite to crack it here was remarkable. We're doing lots of research in this area. 4. Language and culture are two distinct problems to solve for AI products. So they need to be built with this distinction in mind. For example, a skill agent might be able to teach or assess someone's understand of AI ethics in a variety of languages, but the very definition of AI ethics might differ across countries.
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Kian Katanforoosh posted thisExcited to be back in Tokyo this week to meet with our local partners and clients! I love this city and its growing AI ecosystem. 🇯🇵
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Kian Katanforoosh shared thisExcited to speak on THE FORCE stage at ASU+GSV Summit this year alongside Patrick E. from Boston Consulting Group (BCG). We're focusing the conversation on these questions: - What is the HR and L&D stack of the future for enterprises? - What's new in AI and skills measurement? - How does AI workforce transformation work in practice? We'll also debunk some myths... As there are a LOT out there!
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Kian Katanforoosh shared thisThis is one of the most sophisticated AI workforce transformation program in the world. Brian Conaway is a visionary People Science leader at ServiceNow, and in this video he explains how they’re approaching this, not just rolling out AI tools, but making sure their teams can actually use them, build with them, and lead with them. It’s a good example of what it takes to make change real inside a large organization.
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Kian Katanforoosh liked thisKian Katanforoosh liked thisUsing AI every day doesn't mean you're good at it. Here's the difference that actually matters. Kian Katanforoosh — CEO of Workera, Stanford lecturer, co-founder of deeplearning.ai with Andrew Ng — draws a sharp line between adoption and proficiency, and argues that most people are quietly falling behind precisely because they confuse the two. The key shift in how to think about AI and jobs: AI doesn't replace professions overnight — it automates specific tasks within them, which means the real question isn't "will my job disappear" but "which parts of my work are being automated first, and am I moving above that level." What actually separates strong AI users from average ones: → Average users give AI a question and read the answer → Strong users give AI context — company guidelines, past decisions, domain documents, brand rules — and that's when the model stops acting like a search engine and starts acting like a trained colleague The skills AI is making more valuable, not obsolete: → Agency — the ability to initiate, direct, and take ownership of outcomes → Critical thinking and the ability to evaluate AI output, not just consume it → Problem-solving at a systems level → Coding — not for syntax, but for understanding logic and catching errors fast His three actions for 2026: → Build real foundational knowledge of how AI works, not just how to prompt it → Honestly assess your actual skill level, because daily use is not the same as mastery → Build a consistent learning habit, because compounding understanding now creates an advantage that becomes very hard to close later The future isn't taken by the AI tool. It's taken by the gap between people who built a system for adapting and people who stayed at the level of casual use.
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Kian Katanforoosh liked thisExcited for the conversations ahead around skills, assessment, AI, and where I-O can keep pushing things forward. Big thanks to the Workera team for a strong presence at #SIOP2026 and for making this such a meaningful week. Taylor Sullivan, Ph.D. Kinjal Chheda, M.S., ABD Sara SilvaKian Katanforoosh liked thisTeam Workera is coming in hot at #SIOP2026 this week! Come say hi! Dream team unite! Marian Pitel-Wali, PhD Kinjal Chheda, M.S., ABD, Sara Silva 🦸♀️ 🦸♀️ 🦸♀️ 🦸♀️
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Kian Katanforoosh liked thisI had the pleasure of visiting our office in Sydney last month where I enjoyed a ringside view of our growing franchise supported by our determined and dedicated teams. I’d like to thank Nicolas, David and all our colleagues there for their warm welcome, rich and constructive discussions, and also, a delightful Aussie BBQ!Kian Katanforoosh liked thisIt was a pleasure to welcome Jai Sheth, our APAC Chief Operating Officer, to Sydney last month, to spend time with our teams. Jai’s visit was a valuable opportunity to connect our regional and local priorities, with a strong focus on how we continue to deliver for our clients through operational excellence, innovation and resilience. From engaging with our leadership team to meeting our rising talents, the conversations were thoughtful, forward-looking and energising. A highlight was the Fireside Chat where Jai shared valuable insights on our strategy, the evolving role of AI, and the importance of enabling career mobility across our organisation. Thank you to our moderators Boya Kong and Ruby Shang. Special thanks also to David Goyon and Sonia Cheng for their efforts in organising the details of this important visit. The Fireside Chat was followed by a special Australian BBQ lunch, full of great food and great conversation. These moments of open dialogue are critical as we continue to strengthen collaboration across the region. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the visit so impactful - and for the warm welcome extended to Jai throughout his time here. Together, we’re continuing to build a resilient, customer-focused future for our clients and communities across APAC. #Leadership #APAC #Teamwork #Innovation #Culture #Resilience #FutureReady
Experience
Education
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Stanford University
Master of Science, Management Science & Engineering (Computer Science track)
Activities and Societies: Stanford Men's Club Soccer, Persian Student Association
Advisors: Andrew Ng and Amin Saberi
Teaching Assistant for:
CS251 : Bitcoin & Cryptocurrencies with Professors Dan Boneh and Joseph Bonneau
CS255 : Cryptography with Professor Dan Boneh (head TA)
CS229 : Machine Learning with Professors Andrew Ng and John Duchi
CME104 : Linear Algebra and Partial Differential Equations for Engineers with Professor Vadim Khayms
CME106 : Probabilities and Statistics for Engineers with Professor Vadim Khayms -
CentraleSupelec
Master's degree Mathematics and Computer Science
Activities and Societies: Centrale Football Club, Raid Centrale Paris, Astronomy Club.
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Licenses & Certifications
Skills
Projects
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Exodus - Hacking for Diplomacy
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Refugees are not getting the information they need and they do not have a trusted source of information that is easily accessible. To help them, we have built and delivered a chat-based virtual assistant to the UNHCR’s information unit.
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Project : "Fuel cell integration in the upper stage of a space launcher"
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Together with 4 other students from Ecole Centrale Paris, we had the opportunity to lead this project for Snecma (Safran Group) on the integration of a fuel cell in the upper stage of the future space launcher : Ariane 6.
Third price of the Jury of the Ecole Centrale Paris out of more than 100 projects.Other creators -
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Thermic control system
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Thermoelectrical system providing a constant temperature thanks to a Peltier effect module, using an electronic thermic control loop.
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Honors & Awards
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Technology Pioneer (2025)
World Economic Forum
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Forbes 30 Under 30 All-Star Alumni
Forbes
In August 2021, Katanforoosh's workplace skills assessment startup, Workera, raised an additional $16 million. It's raised a total of more than $21 million.
Link: https://www.forbes.com/30-under-30/2022/education -
Forbes 30 Under 30
Forbes
Katanforoosh's idea for Workera grew out of his Stanford graduate work in artificial intelligence with AI guru and Coursera co-founder Andrew Ng. After cofounding deeplearning.ai with Ng in 2017 to create high-quality online courses, in January 2020 he and Ng released Workera. The startup is signing up customers, including one of the world's largest medical device makers, who need to ramp up their employees' AI capabilities. Workera provides skills assessments, tells employers what training…
Katanforoosh's idea for Workera grew out of his Stanford graduate work in artificial intelligence with AI guru and Coursera co-founder Andrew Ng. After cofounding deeplearning.ai with Ng in 2017 to create high-quality online courses, in January 2020 he and Ng released Workera. The startup is signing up customers, including one of the world's largest medical device makers, who need to ramp up their employees' AI capabilities. Workera provides skills assessments, tells employers what training their employees need, guides employees to courses and advises on hiring. The son of Iranian immigrants to France, he grew up outside Paris and came to the U.S. to attend Stanford where he is a computer science lecturer.
Link: https://www.forbes.com/profile/kian-katanforoosh/?sh=52f7e09f72a7 -
Walter J. Gores Award
Stanford University
The Gores Award is the University's highest award for excellence in teaching. The Walter J. Gores Awards recognize undergraduate and graduate teaching excellence. As the University's highest award for teaching, the Gores Award celebrates achievement in educational activities that include lecturing, tutoring, advising, and discussion leading…
The Gores Award is the University's highest award for excellence in teaching. The Walter J. Gores Awards recognize undergraduate and graduate teaching excellence. As the University's highest award for teaching, the Gores Award celebrates achievement in educational activities that include lecturing, tutoring, advising, and discussion leading.
http://news.stanford.edu/2017/06/08/stanfords-2017-cuthbertson-dinkelspiel-gores-awards-honor-faculty-staff-students/
https://registrar.stanford.edu/everyone/university-awards/walter-j-gores-awards -
Centennial Teaching Award
Stanford University - School of Engineering
The annual Centennial Teaching Assistant (CTA) Awards recognizes outstanding teaching assistants (TAs) for their tremendous service and dedication in providing excellent classroom instruction for Stanford students. Administered by the Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning (VPTL), the recipients of the award are selected from a wide range of individuals throughout the Schools of Humanities and Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Engineering. VPTL provides orientation, training, and…
The annual Centennial Teaching Assistant (CTA) Awards recognizes outstanding teaching assistants (TAs) for their tremendous service and dedication in providing excellent classroom instruction for Stanford students. Administered by the Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning (VPTL), the recipients of the award are selected from a wide range of individuals throughout the Schools of Humanities and Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Engineering. VPTL provides orientation, training, and mentorship to teaching assistants in their capacity as instructors and now hosts the annual awards ceremony in June, where deans of the three participating schools present awardees with a $500 stipend and a certificate recognizing their accomplishment.
https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/grants-awards/teaching-awards/centennial-teaching-assistant-awards -
Centrale Talents Laureate
Board of Ecole Centrale Paris
Prize given to students who have led remarkable accomplishments during their studies among all the students according to the Jury of Ecole Centrale Paris.
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Par le dispositif Centrale Talents, dans une démarche constante d’encourager l’excellence et l’engagement, l’École souhaite valoriser les réussites des étudiants qui se distinguent par un parcours académique hors du commun, une démarche exceptionnelle dans le cadre associatif, une création entrepreneuriale ou scientifique…Prize given to students who have led remarkable accomplishments during their studies among all the students according to the Jury of Ecole Centrale Paris.
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Par le dispositif Centrale Talents, dans une démarche constante d’encourager l’excellence et l’engagement, l’École souhaite valoriser les réussites des étudiants qui se distinguent par un parcours académique hors du commun, une démarche exceptionnelle dans le cadre associatif, une création entrepreneuriale ou scientifique marquante.
Link: http://www.centralesupelec.fr/fr/centrale-talents-les-laureats-2015 -
Graine de Boss, French Entrepreneur Contest, Laureate
Graine de Boss
Asker’s team led in France by Eymard Houdeville, Florian Barral and Jeremy Guiselin at that time, was granted the Graine de Boss Award in 2015 among more than a 1000 start-ups. Graine de Boss is a start-up contest associated with a mentoring program proposed in partnership with M6 (French TV Chanel).
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Ecole Centrale Excellence Scholarship
Association des Centraliens
Prize given to the 15 most representative students among the 1000 finishing in 2015 and 2016. The criteria of selection were the average grade and the contribution to the universities' associations and life in the campus.
Languages
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French
Native or bilingual proficiency
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Persian
Native or bilingual proficiency
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English
Full professional proficiency
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Chinese
Elementary proficiency
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Spanish
Limited working proficiency
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