One Unit of Magic How Danae Shell is redefining legaltech - and leadership Itself

In a sector often dominated by legacy systems and opaque processes, Danae Shell is building something radically different. As CEO and co-founder of Valla, a workplace dispute resolution platform, Shell is not just tackling legaltech's inefficiencies - she's rewriting the rules of leadership, innovation, and who gets to be in the room.

"I wish more women knew that they can start a business in tech," Shell says. "Many women I've met assume that they need deep technical knowledge to start a tech business, and with Generative AI lowering technical barriers every day, this has never been more untrue."

It's a belief that sits at the core of Valla's origin story. Shell didn't arrive in the legal space with a background in law or AI - but she knew the problems were systemic, and the opportunity was real. For many founders, the technical challenge is the barrier. For Shell, it was the invitation.

"The tech industry needs [women's] deep expertise in their own fields," she adds. "The technology part is getting easier and easier every day."

Betting on a "Unit of Magic"
Valla's most significant pivot came in 2023, as Generative AI surged into mainstream consciousness. Where others hesitated, Shell moved decisively. "I decided to go all-in on AI and set the team the goal of delivering 'one unit of magic' using AI," she says. "The tech was so new that we didn't even know what it could and couldn't do yet."

What followed was a company-wide transformation - Valla became an AI R&D lab overnight. That decision unlocked tangible value across the business, and many of those early experiments now underpin the platform's most used features. In an industry slow to change, Shell saw the moment coming—and acted.

But innovation isn't always about the tech. For Shell, the real challenge of leadership came from somewhere more human. "I used to think that the hardest part of being a leader would be the pace and the demands of the work itself—in fact, that's the easy part," she admits. "The hardest challenge I've found is one I never anticipated: managing myself and making consistently good decisions even under high uncertainty and stressful situations."

In a space where founders are expected to move fast and break things, Shell suggests a more nuanced, thoughtful model - one rooted in self-awareness, and a willingness to be challenged. "It's a tough mix of trusting your gut and staying open to challenge, especially when things are moving faster and faster."

Shell's clarity comes, in part, from experience - and from the women who made space for her along the way. "I remember one well-known entrepreneur I had never met called me in the few minutes before a flight to give me some critical advice," she recalls. "It was exactly what I needed at the time."

Now, she's returning the favour. Whether through her work with AccelerateHer and Pathways Forward, or a message of encouragement to another woman just getting started, Shell is helping reshape the pipeline.

"Other women have messaged me out of the blue to tell me that they've seen what I'm working on... and to give their words of encouragement," she says. "I try to follow their examples."

In a landscape where both tech and leadership are being rewritten in real time, Shell's voice is clear: it's not about knowing everything - it's about starting anyway.