CHARGING FORWARD IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

Can you believe it has only been two months since the AI Summit?  A time when we were ex

cited to have over 1000 people in one room! The entire day was an inspiration that is almost unthinkable two months later. As Jacky Wright (pictured below), Microsoft's Chief Digital Officer, said in her keynote, "As more businesses adopt AI technology, we must think about the impact they are having on our society and our communities." 

Jacky Wright, Chief Digital Officer, Microsoft US

30 day upskilling challenge

Jacky's keynote and focus on community impact resonates with us in these uncertain and difficult times.  When COVID-19 hit, our world, like everyone else's, was rocked to the core.  And then we realized that THIS is the future of work.  With everyone staying at home, we saw an opportunity for people to think about learning a new skill.  With that in mind, and in collaboration with some other like-minded folks at Microsoft, Humana, General Assembly, LouForward, LHCC, and University of Louisville, we launched the COVID-19 Upskilling Initiative, providing access to no-cost certifications and badges for learning a new technology skill.  As part of the upskilling challenge, we have been raffling off one laptop per day and we still have three weeks left!  In order to be entered in the raffle, participants must earn at least one badge or certification in a technology field through free programming provided by Microsoft, General Assembly, IBM, and others.  Each day at 5pm we will announce the winners on Twitter and on LinkedIn. Click here for more details! Meanwhile, stay safe! -Fleur

AND THE WINNER IS...

We caught up with one of our first week winners of a brand new laptop!  Monique LaVertu completed Explore what Power BI Can Do for You, Analyze data with Power BI, Cloud Concepts- Principles of Cloud Computing,Consume data with Power BI,Introduction to Power Platform, Introduction to PowerApps, Introduction to Microsoft Business Applications, Get Started with Configuration and Personalization in Finance and Operations Apps.   - Tell us about yourself I am a physical therapist assistant working in a skilled nursing facility in Louisville Kentucky. I have been providing my services for 33 years. I love serving my patients and community. As you can imagine my current job is emotionally and physically draining.   - How did you hear about the upskilling challenge? During this covid-19 pandemic I have been following each afternoon and evening our mayor and governor as they give updates. Mayor Greg Fischer announced this work initiative /up skill challenge and it sparked my interest to diversify my skill set. I  I eagerly begin to search the list of IT trainings that were offered by these amazing companies. - Why did you do these trainings? I thought it was too good to be true to have access to free up skill services. I would absolutely take advantage of learning as much as I could. Of course this is out of my norm of skills, so I chose to start with introduction  to BI. I am so excited to have access to amazing companies: Microsoft Learn, General Assembly, IBM, Google Analytics, and Cognitive Class. - Any message for other people thinking about doing this training? I have been telling my coworkers and friends and family to jump into this work initiative. It is a rare opportunity and I am so very grateful to have it available. Thank you, Monique! Be sure to visit www.futurelou.com to find out more!.

DATA HERO

This week we are spotlighting a new tech company founded in 2018.  "untitled." provides services to help companies make better decisions through objective data.   Click here to hear about this company as its founder, Connor Gaffney, sits down with Louisville Leap to talk data and startups.  

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

KentuckianaWorks, a non-profit workforce organization, is looking for volunteer mentors for both the Tech Louisville and Code Louisville programs. These two programs bring tech training to adult career seekers at no cost to the participant. Participants complete an online curriculum each week while attending class in the evenings, facilitated by volunteer mentors. Mentors are experienced IT professionals that give 2 hours in the evening to guide students through the curriculum and help them obtain jobs in the IT industry. Tech Louisville focuses on IT support skills such as networking, systems administration, desktop support, and security. Code Louisville focuses on modern software development languages such as HTML, CSS, C#, JavaScript, Python, and more. Volunteers for either program only need a few months of professional experience to be able to contribute to the program and should contact the program director, Brian Luerman, at brian@codelouisville.org or (502)213-4062.

Until next time, stay safe, keep social distancing, and keep upskilling!

-Fleur

fleur@futurelou.com