Highlights

Welcome! This page highlights various stuff and thangs I’ve been working on or involved in. I try to keep it updated, so it’s a good place to check in if you’re curious about what I’ve been up to.

Ongoing Stuff

• Discovery Days: A recurring field trip program I founded in 2022 that brings local students to Microsoft Charlotte for hands-on STEM learning and career exploration, learn more here.

• Charlotte Third Places: An open-source directory that helps Charlotte residents discover “third places”, which are welcoming community spaces beyond home and work. The project began as a personal list on my phone while I explored the city and worked from different spots, and features personally curated listings with details like size, Wi-Fi availability, parking situations, fun facts, and most importantly, whether they have cinnamon rolls.

• Carolina Youth Coalition: I serve on their Young Professionals Board and volunteer as a writing coach helping students craft college essays and win scholarships. I also mentor students interested in tech careers. Working directly with students gives me unfiltered feedback on how CYC impacts their lives, and it’s all positive. I’ve watched first-generation kids like me go from nothing to college degrees and careers that transform their families. CYC changes lives, and I encourage everyone to get involved!

Also be sure to connect with me on LinkedIn and check out my GitHub for more of what I’ve been up to lately.

Year by Year

Scroll through to see what I’ve been up to as the world spins madly on.

2025

• I was named to the Charlotte Business Journal 40 Under 40 list, which included a profile on their website that’s unsurprisingly behind a paywall, so I published the full unedited version on my blog, in addition to sharing the news on LinkedIn.

• I was featured in Microsoft’s 50th anniversary video as a Charlotte campus ambassador.

• Spoke at the Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) Tech Developer Conference in New York on AI Engineering. Check out the companion article, LinkedIn recap by SEO, LinkedIn recap by me, and LinkedIn recap by a student.

• Hosted a Discovery Day with the Carolina Youth Coalition and CrossRoads Corporation. Delivered my How to Train Your AI workshop alongside activity stations featuring the Petoi ‘Bittle X’ robot dog. See the LinkedIn recap by Microsoft, LinkedIn recap by CYC, LinkedIn recap by me, and LinkedIn highlight by Petoi.

• My AI Engineering workshop that makes use of their ‘Bittle X’ robot dog was featured on Petoi’s LinkedIn.

• My workshop, Three Levels of Programming with the Petoi ‘Bittle X’ Robot Dog, was featured on Petoi’s blog as a resource for educators making use of their products.

• I spoke at the Project Management Institute of the Carolinas kickoff event, delivering a version of my How to Train Your AI workshop geared towards professionals. Check out the event page, LinkedIn promo and LinkedIn recap by PMI Carolinas.

• I delivered my Prompt Engineering workshop featuring Microsoft Designer at the NSBE Charlotte STEM Fair, which utilizes a companion website I created available at aka.ms/msdw. Check out a LinkedIn recap of the event.

• Hosted a Discovery Day with Independence High School delivering the student version of my How to Train Your AI workshop which includes hands-on coding activities. Check out a LinkedIn recap by Microsoft, LinkedIn recap by me, and LinkedIn recap by a teacher.

• Helped organize and delivered my How to Train Your AI workshop to professionals interested in tech careers through the nonprofit Techsgiving. Check out a LinkedIn recap by Techsgiving.

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2024

• I authored an article for Microsoft’s Inside Track blog about simplifying nonprofit volunteering with Power Automate. In addition to the article, check out my LinkedIn recap of how it came to be.

• An iteration of my Discovery Day program, this time with Bailey Middle School, in partnership with the Dottie Rose Foundation, was featured in a WCNC news segment. Check out my LinkedIn recap and one by another volunteer. Also, shout out to photographer Kevin Young for the awesome photos and videos of the event!

• I joined the Carolina Youth Coalition Young Professionals Board, a team of early career professionals lending their talents to support CYC’s mission and increase community engagement in Charlotte.

• I led the Charlotte edition of the BAM (Black at Microsoft) Summer Mentorship program, a 4-6 week experience where students get the full spectrum of in-person learning, remote work, and professional networking. I launched the inaugural Charlotte edition in 2023, bringing the program here after it had previously only run in New York. Check out reflections shared on LinkedIn by a student, another student, and a mentor with the program.

• Hosted a Discovery Day with the Future Fellows (9th graders) of the Carolina Youth Coalition. Check out a LinkedIn recap by CYC.

• Led Microsoft’s involvement in Olympic High School’s STEM Fest, a full-day career expo featuring hands-on learning and engagement. I coordinated a team of volunteers, training them to deliver my Prompt Engineering workshop using the companion website. We also showcased the Petoi ‘Bittle X’ robot dogs with an adapted version of my Three Levels of Programming workshop focused on prompt engineering. Check out a LinkedIn recap by a volunteer.

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2023

• Led Microsoft’s annual BAM (Black at Microsoft) Minority Student Day in Charlotte, bringing 400 students and 50 educators together for a full day of STEM learning and career exploration. I managed all logistics, finances, programming, and communications, leading a team of 20 planning volunteers and coordinating 100+ day-of volunteers. I also created the main workshop, Exploring Generative and Responsible AI through Music with Suno, where students learned how AI works and responsible usage through hands-on music generation. Check out Microsoft’s LinkedIn recap.

• Hosted a Discovery Day with Dorothy J Vaughan Academy of Technology, partnering with Queen City Robotics who demonstrated how students can build robots by combining software and hardware skills to compete in the First Tech Challenge. Check out a LinkedIn recap by a volunteer.

• Hosted a Discovery Day with Cato Middle College High School, specifically their Motivated Men’s Movement program with whom I have an ongoing mentorship relationship. Check out a LinkedIn recap.

• Participated in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Computer Science Education Week at McClintock Middle School. I helped set up the event, networked with students, led a coding activity using Microsoft MakeCode, ran Q&A sessions, and helped read and distribute STEM education books to CMS students. Check out a LinkedIn recap by Microsoft.

• Helped launch the inaugural Charlotte edition of the BAM (Black at Microsoft) Summer Mentorship program, bringing a transformative 4-6 week experience to the Queen City after it had previously only run in New York. The program gives high school students the full spectrum of STEM education through in-person learning, remote work, and professional networking. Check out a LinkedIn recap by one of the co-leads.

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2022

• I volunteered at the City of Charlotte Mayor’s Youth Employment Program Engage event, introducing 400+ high school students to STEM and technology careers at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC). Check out a recap in this LinkedIn post.

• I launched my Discovery Day program with the first ever edition at Microsoft Charlotte with the Carolina Youth Coalition. You can check out what went down in this recap photo. I’ve since opted for LinkedIn recaps, but that was the first, you live and learn!

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