About this Event
The Test Tribe 2nd Washington Meetup – Designing a Modern QA Organization: Structure, Skills, and Shared Ownership
AI is accelerating software delivery at an unprecedented pace-but speed without structure introduces serious risk. In today’s landscape, the traditional “testing bottleneck” isn’t just a delay-it’s a business liability.
This session explores how Quality Engineering must evolve from a siloed function into a strategic, distributed capability-one that balances rapid AI adoption with strong human oversight. Moving beyond basic automation, this talk introduces the concept of Distributed Quality Governance, where quality becomes a shared responsibility across engineering, product, and leadership.
Expect a practical, leadership-focused discussion that cuts through AI hype and addresses the real challenges of testing complex, AI-assisted systems-while ensuring accountability, trust, and long-term resilience.
Event Details
- Date: 21st January 2026 (Wednesday)
- Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT
- Location: 1501 Langston Blvd. Arlington, Virginia
Session: Designing a Modern QA Organization: Structure, Skills, and Shared Ownership
Speaker: Alekhya Guduri
About the Session
In an era where AI-generated code is accelerating delivery, quality can no longer be treated as a final checkpoint. Instead, it must be embedded, intentional, and governed.
In this session, Alekhya Guduri presents a blueprint for building a modern QA organization that operates as a strategic business function. You’ll learn how to shift from centralized testing teams to shared ownership models, while introducing guardrails that ensure responsible AI use across the delivery pipeline.
From defining a Materiality Matrix to identify where AI risks are too high to ignore, to implementing Human-in-the-Loop frameworks, this talk provides actionable guidance for leaders navigating AI-driven engineering environments.
Key Takeaways
- The Materiality Matrix: How to objectively prioritize AI risks based on business impact and technical complexity
- Distributed Governance: Transitioning from centralized QA to shared ownership in AI-driven CI/CD pipelines
- Responsible AI Guardrails: Practical Human-in-the-Loop frameworks to prevent bias, hallucinations, and silent failures
- Strategic Automation: A realistic view of what AI can automate today-and where human intuition remains critical
About the Speaker
Alekhya Guduri is a seasoned technology leader whose career sits at the intersection of engineering execution, operational excellence, and innovation.
As Director of Engineering at Indeed, she focuses on building high-performing organizations that treat quality as a strategic advantage, not a last-mile activity. With deep experience scaling complex systems and leading cross-functional teams, Alekhya works at the forefront of shaping how AI and human judgment coexist within modern software delivery.
She is a strong advocate for distributed governance, responsible AI practices, and the evolution of Quality Engineering into a trusted business partnership.
Why You Should Attend
- Learn how to design QA organizations for AI-driven delivery
- Understand how to balance speed with responsibility in modern pipelines
- Gain leadership frameworks for shared ownership of quality
- Move beyond AI hype to practical, defensible testing strategies
- Connect with Washington-area QA, engineering, and tech leaders
About The Test Tribe
The Test Tribe is the world’s largest software testing community, empowering testers globally since 2018. With 700+ events and 150K+ members across 130+ countries, we bring testers together to learn, grow, and connect through meetups, conferences, cohorts, masterclasses, and more.
By RSVPing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and consent to be contacted by The Test Tribe and our event partners.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
1501 Langston Blvd., 1501 Langston Boulevard, Arlington, United States
USD 0.00
