“There is one magical engine of economic growth. It is invention – the process by which the human mind creates new ideas with practical consequences.”
— Ida Byrd-Hill, CEO
BATTLE CREEK, MI, UNITED STATES, August 19, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Since inventing Fluke – the wealth-building game based on accidental inventions in 2010 to introduce underserved young people to exciting scientific research, crazy inventions, stock market explosions, gigantic wealth and litigation – Ida Byrd-Hill, CEO of Automation Workz, dreamed of building a research and development lab in an underserved community.
Automation Workz is a Detroit technical certification training and assessment startup focused on training low-income front-liners in AI and data analytics, cybersecurity ops, network engineering, and technical project management. Ranked on Intelligent.com’s list of the top 10 cybersecurity bootcamps in the U.S. for 2022 and 2023, Automation Workz is known for its graduation rate and high graduate salaries. Automation Workz’s graduation rate for participants is 75% compared to the average of 15%, and the average graduate salary is $67,250 compared to $31,500. The top graduate earned $166,000 after 3 years of employment, with 30% of graduates earning over $48 per hour.
“There is one magic engine of economic growth. It is invention – the process by which the human mind creates new ideas with practical consequences. Invention, and its weaker cousin, innovation, are ultimately the source of all wealth and luxury.” (Myhrvold, 2011) Research and development is the formal process of invention, which is rarely found in underserved communities, although “a great deal of creative potential remains untapped in so-called lower-class communities.” The music and sports industries build on this premise as they target and develop billionaire talent in these communities. (Florida, 2002)
Automation Workz has officially received notification that its proposal for the West Michigan HUSTLE & TECHknow Advanced Computing Lab (HTACL) has been accepted for the 10-year, $160 million NSF Regional Innovation Engine grant competition. Located in the West Michigan Titanium Triangle, in Battle Creek, 20 miles from the Blue Oval Marshall Battery Park, the HUSTLE & TECHknow Advanced Computing Lab (HTACL) will initially focus on these advanced computing topics:
1. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are about creating algorithms that can learn from data and make predictions.
2. Big data analytics is the process of analyzing large data sets to discover hidden patterns, correlations and insights.
3. Cloud computing provides computing resources over the Internet, allowing companies to leverage powerful computing capabilities without investing in physical hardware.
4. Cybersecurity uses advanced algorithms and computer techniques to protect data and systems from cyber threats.
5. Edge computing processes data closer to the source of data generation on IoT devices, reducing latency, bandwidth usage and cyber threats.
Advanced computing is driving innovation in aerospace, automotive, defense, education, entertainment, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail. (National Academies Press, 2012) It is also driving workforce training, high-paying job creation, startups, and an explosion of wealth creation for underserved populations. Poverty and crime will be a relic of the past. “I am excited to open the HUSTLE & TECHknow Advanced Computing Lab (HTACL) in Battle Creek, the birthplace of WK Kellogg and Kellanova. While the game Fluke has been discontinued, his wild, wild world of intellectual property spirit will live on in real life,” explains Ida Byrd-Hill.
National Academies Press. (2012). The new global ecosystem in advanced computing: implications for U.S. competitiveness and national security. National Academies Press.
Florida, R. (2002). The rise of the creative class: And how it is transforming work, leisure, community, and everyday life. Perseus Group.
Myhrvold, N. (2011, 12 19). Inventions are the mother of economic growth: Bloomberg.
Ida Byrd-Hill is CEO of Automation Workz. She serves on the board of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, CEO Talent Council, Chair of the West Michigan African American/Hispanic Tech Readiness Collaboratives, which produced its first economic report West Michigan Titanium Triangle – Shifting African Americans into High-Tech Drive. Ida is the creator of the tech skills coaching app Life Culture Audit, based on 15 years of behavioral economics research. She is a member of the Society of Automotive Analysts and the Society Human Resources Management (SHRM). Ida holds a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and an MBA in Strategy/Human Resources Management from the Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University. She is the author of 8 books including Invisible Talent Market-Solving the Talent Shortage Without Outsourcing and Visas. https://www.autoworkz.org
Ida Byrd Hill
Automationworkz
+1 313-444-4885
[email protected]
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Other
