Centri Tech Foundation

On May 18th, the Centri Tech Foundation partnered with the Black upStart and Martha's Table to host the "AI for Entrepreneurs Workshop" in Washington, D.C. This in-person event brought together 33 individuals with little to no tech or entrepreneurship experience and provided them with an immersive, daylong training to learn how to leverage generative #AI and digital tools to kickstart side hustles and advance their business ventures. The AI for Entrepreneurs Workshop was made possible with funding from Verizon’s Forward Community Enhancement Award in support of the Centri Tech Foundation's new initiative #CommunitySkillsConnect.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mario Acosta-Velez from Verizon, our partners at Digitunity, The Wilderness Technology Alliance, and the Black upStart team for their invaluable support in making this workshop a success. A special thank you to Martha's Table for graciously hosting this event. Your contributions made it all possible! #DigitalEquity #TechforGood #AI #WorkforceDevelopment

On May 18th, the Centri Tech Foundation, TheBlackUpStart, and Martha's Table hosted the "AI for Entrepreneurs Workshop" in Washington, D.C. This event provided immersive training for 33 individuals with little tech or entrepreneurship experience to leverage AI and digital tools for business ventures. To conclude the informational and inspirational day, attendees received scholarships, AI software, and refurbished laptops. CEO Tiffany Williams said, "We did more than host a tech workshop; we created a powerful space for shared learning among a community of aspiring entrepreneurs." To learn more about how you can partner with Martha's Table, visit the link below. https://lnkd.in/e_hwKsrb #partnership #AI #community

The Centri Tech Foundation joined forces with Martha's Table and the Black upStart to host the AI for Entrepreneurs Workshop in Washington, DC. The daylong event, which was oversubscribed and attended by 33 aspiring entrepreneurs from age 17 to 70+, was made possible by a Verizon Forward Community Enhancement Award in support of #CommunitySkillsConnect, a new initiative led by the Centri Tech Foundation. We're grateful for Verizon's commitment to increase economic opportunity for communities through access to technology and digital skills training.

A big thank you to Verizon for its support of the Centri Tech Foundation’s #CommunitySkillsConnect initiative, making digital skills training accessible to aspiring entrepreneurs. It was an honor to partner with Martha's Table to host the AI for Entrepreneurs Workshop on May 18th and provide 33 participants with scholarships, including tuition, digital software subscriptions, and refurbished laptops to keep. Special thanks to Digitunity and The Wilderness Technology Alliance for their generous contributions to devices.

CTF’s president Marta Urquilla was on NPR today speaking with Deepa Fernandes host of Here and Now about the shutdown of the Affordable Connectivity Program. Thanks to our colleagues, partners, and friends that have been working so hard to promote the ACP benefit to communities and to advocate for its creation and continuation, offering policy ideas and new research about the program’s benefits for millions of households. National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), John Horrigan, Hernan Galperin, Blair Levin, Colin Rhinesmith, Kate Rivera, Juliet Fink Yates, Public Knowledge, Next Century Cities, Technology Learning Collaborative, City of Philadelphia OIT, Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition, just to name a few #ACP

Listen to our Social Justice Innovation Fellow Trooper Sanders of Benefits Data Trust talk about how to regulate AI and promote its ethical and responsible use.

“There is a particular kind of beauty in the belief that freedom might begin with a book.” 2023 SJIA Fellow and Founder of Freedom Reads, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Esq. penned a powerful Op-Ed for the Washington Post. Drawing from his experiences as a teen in a Virginia prison and reflecting on his unexpected connection to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Betts weaves a narrative that underscores the transformative power of language in the face of human suffering. 📚 Read or listen to his essay here: https://lnkd.in/ejipiaq9 #socialjustice #freedomreads #SJIA #socialinnovation #oped

🎉 Congratulations to Centri Tech Foundation intern program alumna Mercedes M. for her role as Communications Intern with TechCongress. As CTF Program Analyst (2021-22), Mercedes supported the development and launch of two initiatives, the Digital Advancement Municipal Index and the Digital Integrators Pilot Program. We’re so proud of her!

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Centri Tech Foundation’s 2024 Social Justice Innovation Fellow Nashlie Sephus, Ph.D. shines a light on Black innovators in tech — a legacy she’s helping to continue both through her work as an AI researcher and as the founder of a tech innovation hub in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. Brava!