Hi friends,
Over the past three months, we’ve been co-creating something special with DC Public Library—with our friend, Chelsea Kirkland, the Library’s Digital Inclusion Coordinator.
Together, we launched the pilot of the AI Upskilling Cohort: a public experiment in how professionals learn, adapt, and build community around emerging technology.
On paper, it was about AI.
In practice, it was about something deeper—building trust, agency, and collaboration inside one of our city’s most accessible spaces.
For twelve Tuesdays in a row, fifty participants, many transitioning out of federal roles, gathered at MLK Jr. Library to tackle real civic challenges across public health, education, workforce transition, and transportation. More than projects emerged—hope did too. Hope in a future of learning that is public, collective, and active.
During DC Startup & Tech Week last week, the program culminated in a showcase that filled the Library with energy:
A keynote from Rep. Don Beyer and Chike Aguh on the public sector’s role in guiding the AI era
Live demos from cohort teams building tools for better health, mobility, and education
A panel with DC founders on why place itself can be a strategic advantage
The cohort’s most consistent takeaway? The community was the whole point.
While the pilot with DC Public Library ended this week, that spirit is continuing. With some light scaffolding from us at Levy, participants are spinning out their own independent civic-learning network: The Upskilling Labs. It’s where professionals from every field—and anyone that is AI-curious—can keep experimenting, sharing, and building together.
Their first self-organized meetup is this Tuesday at the Northeast Public Library. If you care about how innovation can strengthen communities, not just markets, you’ll want to be in the room.
RSVP here: The Upskilling Labs Meetup
Warmly,
Brendan & Ann Marie
