AI for Growth Marketing: What Actually Works in 2026

Manu Jayawardana is an AI founder and systems builder focused on helping companies apply AI in the real world.

He previously built and exited Rise AI, a fintech platform used by 35,000+ investors, and is the co-founder of Snapdrum, an AI consultancy helping organizations deploy AI across growth, operations, and product workflows.

Through Snapdrum programs and courses, Manu and his team have trained 5,000+ professionals worldwide in practical AI systems, automation, and AI-driven growth.

Manu’s work focuses on turning AI from experimentation into real systems that drive revenue, efficiency, and competitive advantage.

Currently, Manu is the Co-Founder & CEO of Krybe, an AI voice agent startup in London transforming how businesses automate customer interactions. His experience spans fundraising,

Aki Wijesundara is an AI leader with a PhD in Machine Learning and extensive experience mentoring startups at Google’s AI Accelerator. With a career spanning both research and applied AI, Aki has taught 5,000+ students worldwide how to design and deploy production-ready AI systems.

He has worked across cutting-edge areas of applied AI, from LangChain and RAG pipelines to observability and large-scale deployment. As a researcher and educator, Aki bridges the gap between theory and practice, making complex systems approachable and actionable for engineers, founders, and product leaders.

Aki is also a frequent speaker and advisor to organizations adopting AI, helping them transition from experimentation to production at scale.

Career Highlights

• Ex–Google AI Accelerator researcher focused on respo