The science of applied artificial intelligence doesn't get the same kinds of headlines as the pure research efforts of Google or Facebook or others. Mostly that's because what gets built by companies is obfuscated by those same companies, either for proprietary reasons or because the companies actually have nothing much to speak of.

In the race to the top with technology adoption, the industry has reached an inflection point where businesses are arguably becoming too obsessed with their technology prowess. However, in the rush to innovate, the industry may have missed a step in translating technology investments into true business impact.

On Monday, in more than 40 cities nationwide, thousands of women who understand the value of networking and who hope to make connections to advance their careers will come together for discussion and to share business insights. Ahead of those on-site conversations, we asked a lineup of executives and entrepreneurs from across the country what advice they would offer to a mentor. The women we spoke with represent the likes of Deloitte, the Sofia Fund and Cognizant.

The complex nature of apparel and footwear product manufacturing processes has resulted in a lack of trust along the supply chain. Consumers are increasingly seeking transparency about the origin of their products. Their buying decisions are now influenced by factors such as how and where items are produced, under what working conditions, and whether components are ethically sourced.

The National Broadcast Network has been a hot talking point across the corporate and technology sectors for more than a decade, with everything from timing and logistics to the underlying technology and rollout drawing a lot of attention.