Monk Inyang is on a mission to make AI more practical for underserved communties.
Within his career trajectory, Inyang has been of service to others. He has worked as an actor, investment salesperson, a researcher on Wall Street, and has also dedicated several years to executive coaching for mid-career Black and Latin professionals, which he shared on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas. This experience has positioned him to be a more effective leader in his current role as CEO and founder of 1st Street Partnerships, an organization dedicated to providing artificial intelligence (AI) education and training to businesses and communities with a strong emphasis on inclusivity and cultural relevance, its LinkedIn mentions.
“We help move people from AI anxiety to AI adoption. And that’s through really culturally resonant community-based education,” Inyang explained on the podcast.
Partnering With Kevin Hart’s Coramino Fund
1st Street Partnerships is currently working closely with Kevin Hart through his Coramino Fund — the investment arm for his tequila company Gran Coramino — which is in the process of providing $10,000 grants to small business owners, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. The purpose of the grant is to provide “cutting-edge AI technological training and hands-on learning to responsibly and effectively incorporate into their operations,” notes Fortune. 1st Street Partnerships will be responsible for providing that education.
“This year, I’m very honored that they recognize the need for AI education as the hot button pressing issue for that community and for these entrepreneurs,” Inyang mentioned. “So they brought us in as a partner to provide AI education for the grant winners that win in this current cohort. So we’re really looking forward to being able to, again, bring that anchored intelligence framework, help people understand how they are the drivers of this technology, how you can trust but verify, and how you can grow your top line, grow your bottom line in that AI education.”
He continued, “I strongly believe that these kinds of private and public partnerships — whether it is through workforce development boards or through corporations and brands that want to speak in this moment in a way that is valuable and impactful for communities — this is the way that it gets done. And providing pathways for access to high quality education is always a benefit for the society.”
Watch Full Episode
You can check out the full interview with Inyang by clicking here.