Ep 54 - Access is Destiny: Opening Doors To AI With Mark Cuban Foundation And AI Ready RVA

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Curiosity beats credentials. We head to Richmond, Virginia, to share how a free, hands-on AI bootcamp turns nervous high schoolers into confident creators and how a local nonprofit, AI Ready RVA, keeps the doors open long after the weekend ends. Guided by industry mentors and anchored in real-world problems, students explore core AI concepts, question ethics and bias, and build capstone projects they can cite on college essays and internship applications. Along the way, a quiet sophomore finds her voice with a practical idea to cut household food waste—and a new sense of what’s possible.

We unpack the design that makes this model work: project-first learning, zero prerequisites, and a clear invitation that says AI is for everyone. You’ll hear how AI Ready RVA recruits students, supports families, trains mentors, and connects graduates to next steps like online courses, internships, and community events. We also zoom out to the big picture: why AI literacy now matters across healthcare, energy, finance, public policy, and nonprofits; how access shapes opportunity; and what it takes to build a pipeline of diverse, local talent with the courage to solve real problems.

By the end, you’ll have a playbook to bring similar programs to your city: partner with schools, center ethics, recruit relatable mentors, and root projects in local needs. Parents, educators, business leaders, and students will find simple, concrete steps to get started today. If this story moves you, subscribe, share it with someone who needs the nudge, and leave a quick review so more people can discover it. Your support helps young innovators hear the words that change everything: you belong here.

Want to join a community of AI learners and enthusiasts? AI Ready RVA is leading the conversation and is rapidly rising as a hub for AI in the Richmond Region. Become a member and support our AI literacy initiatives.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome back to Inspire AI, the podcast where we
explore how artificialintelligence is reshaping
creativity, work, and the worldaround us, and where we shine a
light on the innovators makingAI more accessible, more
equitable, and more human.
I'm your host, Jason McGinsey.

(00:20):
And today, we're taking you toRichmond, Virginia, where
something powerful is happening.
Something that shows what canunfold when you put opportunity
in the hands of young people andsimply ask them, What will you
create with AI?
This episode dives into the MarkCuban Foundation AI Bootcamp and

(00:43):
the local nonprofit championhelping bring it to life, AI
Ready RVA, and all of itswonderful volunteers and
leaders.
Together, they're not justteaching skills, they're opening
the doors, shifting minds, andbuilding future innovators.

(01:04):
So let's jump in.
Picture this.
It's a crisp Saturday morning indowntown Richmond.
The doors open at the CoastarEvent Center.
A group of high schoolers walkin, some excited, many nervous,
some not totally sure whatthey've signed up for.
Most of them have never writtena line of code.

(01:27):
A few whisper to each other, Idon't know if I'm techie enough
for this, but by the end of theday, these same students will be
building real AI projects,asking big questions, sketching
solutions, and seeing forthemselves, maybe for the first
time, the possibility ofthemselves in the tech future.

(01:49):
This isn't a high pressurehackathon.
It's not even a competition.
And it's not a you must alreadyknow AI kind of deal.
It's an invitation.
And that is the heart behind theMark Cuban Foundation AI boot
camp, a free, hands-onintroduction to AI for high
school students designed todemystify the field and show

(02:15):
them that AI isn't just forSilicon Valley, it's for them.
And here in Richmond, oneorganization proudly stepped
forward to make it happenlocally.
AI Ready RVA.
So what does this boot camp looklike anyway?
It's a 20-hour experience spreadacross weekends.

(02:35):
Students learn AI concepts in away that's interactive, visual,
and real.
Not textbook heavy, not lectureheavy, project heavy.
They explore what AI actuallyis, how machine learning models
work, why ethics matter, how AIaffects communities, and how to

(02:58):
design solutions to realproblems.
They also build a capstoneproject, something tangible,
something they can talk about incollege essays, sponsorship
applications, or futureinterviews.
They're coached by industrymentors.
They work in teams, they getguidance, not just in how to

(03:22):
build, but in why to build.
And unlike many tech programs,there is no cost, no
prerequisites, and no experiencerequired, just curiosity.
But even with the nationalprogram in place, every city
needs local champions to bringit to life.
And that's where Richmond's ownAI Ready RVA enters the story.

(03:46):
AI Ready RVA is a five hundredone C three nonprofit with a
clear vision.
Prepare Richmond students andcommunities to thrive in an AI
powered world.
They are the bridge betweennational programs and local
students, between industrymentors and classrooms, between

(04:07):
opportunity and access.
AI Ready RVA's team recruitsstudents, supports families,
organizes mentors, hosts events,and importantly, continues to
support students long after theboot camp ends.
Because building a future in AIisn't about a single weekend.

(04:27):
It's about momentum.
And that's where their workshines.
Many students who participate inthe boot camp go on to one,
pursue additional learningbecause it's fascinating.
Two, test new project ideasbecause that's where the fun is.
Three, get paired with mentorsbecause everyone needs support.

(04:52):
Four, explore internshipsbecause structured programs
really do help.
And finally, simply stay curiouslong enough to try something
they never thought they coulddo.
And that is where passionbegins.
AI Ready RVA understandssomething many communities are

(05:12):
just beginning to realize.
Access to AI education is accessto future opportunity.
And when you make local accesspossible, you change the
trajectory of students who mighthave never imagined themselves
in that world.
So let me share a moment thatreally captures this.
There was a student, let's callher Jasmine, a sophomore in high

(05:37):
school.
Quiet, brilliant.
She didn't quite see it inherself.
On day one, she sat toward theedge of the room.
She listened more than shetalked.
When the coaches asked the room,what would you create if you
could build anything with AI?
Jasmine didn't raise her hand.
Fast forward to day three,capstone day.

(05:59):
Jasmine stands in front of hergroup explaining a prototype app
idea, an AI tool that helpsreduce food waste by predicting
what foods in a home are at riskof expiring, helping families
plan meals around them.
She talked about her family, shetalked about our neighborhood,
and she talked about the impactit could make.

(06:22):
And when she finished, one ofthe mentors said, Have you ever
considered studying computerscience or entrepreneurship?
She smiled and said, I neverthought I could.
But maybe.
And that maybe is everything.
That maybe is why this workmatters.
So I'd like to zoom out for amoment.

(06:44):
AI will be part of everyindustry, energy, healthcare,
finance, public policy,nonprofits, entrepreneurship,
not just coding, not justengineering.
Programs like Mark CubanFoundation Bootcamp and
organizations like AI Ready RVAare doing way more than teaching

(07:04):
technical skills.
They're building confidence,they're expanding access,
they're creating pipelines fordiverse future talent, they're
connecting students to mentorsand role models, and they are
helping communities reimaginewhat technology careers look
like.
And here's the truth.
If we want AI to benefitsociety, we need more voices

(07:27):
shaping it, not fewer.
Young voices, local voices,underrepresented voices,
students who understand thechallenges inside their own
communities and want to buildthe solutions for them.
That's what makes thispartnership powerful.
It's not about creating the nextgeneration of engineers,

(07:47):
although some will go thatroute.
It's about helping young peoplesee themselves as creators,
thinkers, and problem solvers inan AI-enabled world.
So, what can you take from thisstory?
If you're a parent, encourageyour child to explore.
They don't have to be great atmath.
They just need curiosity.

(08:09):
If you're an educator, look forprograms like this.
Bring them to your school.
Partner with nonprofits,champions that make change.
If you're a business orcommunity leader, consider
supporting mentorship, hostingworkshops, or funding
scholarships.

(08:29):
If you're a student listening,understand this deeply.
You don't need permission tostart learning AI.
You don't need to be the topstudent.
You don't need a techbackground.
You just need to take the firststep.
And if you're in Virginia oranywhere really, organizations
like AI Ready RVA are here towalk alongside you.

(08:52):
The future isn't just beingbuilt by big tech.
It's being built by younginnovators in cities like
Richmond.
Innovators who simply neededsomeone to say, you belong here.
So thank you for joining me onthis journey with Inspire AI.
A huge shout out to the MarkCuban Foundation, AI Bootcamp,

(09:14):
and the dedicated team at AIReadyRVA for opening doors and
inspiring the next generation ofcreators.
And if you enjoyed thisconversation, be sure to
subscribe, share this episode,and leave a review.
It helps more people discoverstories like this.
Until next time, stay curious,stay inspired, and keep

(09:37):
imagining what's possible whenAI becomes a tool for everyone.