NORFOLK, Va. — A 757 native is bringing free artificial intelligence workshops to Norfolk, aiming to make sure Hampton Roads residents are not left out of conversations shaping the future of work and business.
For Reggie Prevail, founder of Prevail Group, the effort is personal. Years spent traveling the world — including time in Silicon Valley, South America and the Middle East — showed him who was and wasn't being included in discussions about emerging technology.
"Everything I know is here. So during my travels over the last five years Silicon Valley, South America, Middle East every time I heard anybody plan in the future I never seen many of us in the room," Prevail said.
Instead of accepting that reality, Prevail returned home determined to make sure Hampton Roads residents had a seat at the table.
"I want to bring this mentality this mindset from Silicon Valley to Norfolk Virginia," Prevail said.
That vision led to a partnership with Dream Machine Innovation Lab and Chime, creating free workshops designed to help residents understand how AI is changing work, business and everyday life.
Inayah Bashir, director of Dream Machine Innovation Lab, said the collaboration was built around a shared goal of keeping communities informed.
"Dream machine Innovation, lab and chime came together to this program so that we could inform people about how AI is not only changing our economy our world but also how is the changing ourselves," Bashir said.
Bashir said making those tools accessible is especially important for communities that haven't always had access to emerging technology.
"And we want to make sure that underestimated communities can really take advantage of this next economy," Bashir said.
For Prevail, success isn't measured by how much knowledge one person gains, but by how many people can benefit from it.
"I want to put my people in position to win," Prevail said.
Organizers say learning how to use AI today could create opportunities tomorrow — for students just getting started and longtime workers adapting to a changing world alike.
"You can make anything possible people are building multimillion dollar companies alone using AI so imagine what we can do when we give those tools to people who are creative and thoughtful," Bashir said.
Prevail believes the next generation of AI adoption will bring different generations together.
"The next five to ten years you see the older and younger actually come together a little bit more," Prevail said.
The workshops are free and open to Norfolk residents. Organizers say the goal is not just to gain knowledge, but to share it with friends, family and the broader community.
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