Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome RVA to Inspire AI, where we spotlight companies and individuals in the region who are pioneering the development and use of artificial intelligence. I'm Jason McGinty from AI Ready RVA. At AI Ready RVA, our mission is to cultivate AI literacy in the greater Richmond region through awareness, community engagement, education and advocacy. And thanks to our listeners for tuning in today. If you or your company would like to be featured in an Inspire AI Richmond episode, please drop us a message. Don't forget to like, share or follow our content and stay up to date on the latest events. For AI Ready RVA, today's episode is made possible by Modern Ancients driving innovation with purpose. Modern Ancients uses AI and strategic insight to help businesses create lasting, positive change with their unique journey consulting practice. Find out more about how your business can grow at modernancientscom Today on Inspire AI, we are thrilled to welcome a visionary leader in the field of organizational transformation and brand marketing strategy Alexander Whiteway.

Speaker 1: 1:22

Alexander is the founder, managing partner and CEO of Modern Ancients, a consulting firm based in Richmond, virginia, that specializes in lifestyle development, brand management and analytics. With a rich background in arts and business, alexander has successfully integrated creative innovation and strategic insights to help organizations navigate the complexities of today's business landscape. In addition to his role at Modern Ancients, alexander is the funding chair of AI Ready RVA, where he is dedicated to advancing AI literacy and fostering a tech-savvy community in the greater Richmond region. His commitment to preserving the intrinsic value of ideas and inspiring collaboration makes him a dynamic force in both the consulting and AI communities. Join us as we delve into Alexander's journey, his vision of the future of AI and automation, and the transformative impact of his work on the Richmond community and beyond. Welcome.

Speaker 2: 2:25

Alexander, thank you for having me Happy to be here.

Speaker 1: 2:30

And thank you for joining us today. I'd like to kick this off by asking you can you tell us a little bit about your role and how you've integrated AI into your daily operations?

Speaker 2: 2:41

Yep At Modern Ancients. My responsibilities encompass synthesizing technological innovation, human-centered design principles and cultural intelligence to construct strategic narrative pathways. Ai constitutes an integral component of this process. It's deployed not only for operational efficiency, but as an analytical lens to interrogate the complexities and opportunities inherent in dynamic business ecosystems. Through our recently developed CoreFlow program, we methodically facilitate growth by leveraging AI to forecast prototype products, refine business models and conduct comprehensive market and stakeholder analyses. Generally speaking, it enables us to expedite informed decision-making while preserving our commitments to engaging meaningfully with the communities and stakeholders we serve.

Speaker 1: 3:43

Wow, that is a lot to take in. Sounds like a very creative approach to strategic opportunities within your industry. It's really interesting to hear about your role at Modern Ancients, how you've successfully merged technological innovation, human-centered design and cultural intelligence to create strategic narratives. It's clear AI is crucial for operational efficiency and analyzing complex business ecosystems, and it sounds like your Core Flow program is driving meaningful engagement within communities Super cool. Can you just put a fine point on what the industry is that you're supporting?

Speaker 2: 4:30

We're a generalist, I would say holistic well-being consulting practice, and so my background in brand management and creativity really has led to this interest in understanding cross-functionally, across sectors, the opportunities that exist to improve different systems, processes and techniques, and so we've worked most recently with environmental services here at AI, radio, rva, as well as a number of other nonprofits, and are continuing to expand into the next year 2025, into health and wellness and travel and hospitality, and so, broadly speaking, we're aiming to diversify and improve cross-functional communications in the industries we serve.

Speaker 1: 5:26

Outstanding. Well, thank you for clarifying that for me. So what is your take on how AI is helping workers be more efficient and effective, rather than replacing them, and how have they improved your workflow or your business processes?

Speaker 2: 5:42

I strongly believe that AI should be a function as an augmentative force to human intelligence. I think that whole narrative is really just a fear mongering. To really deepen engagement through media, to improve an understanding of what really is going on. And so at Modern Ancients, we conceptualize AI as a tool that fosters equilibrium, enabling teams to channel their efforts into creative problem solving. For instance, we have a program through Common House called the Think Tank for Emergent Ideas that employs AI-driven analytics to discern patterns and elucidate market trends during live workshops focused on attendees' current business challenges.

Speaker 2: 6:32

And so we're facilitating researcher, entrepreneur and entrepreneur pathways towards uncovering latent growth opportunities and architecting impactful strategic initiatives around that. Opportunities and architecting impactful strategic initiatives around that. By automating repetitive tasks, ai liberates our cohorts to focus on nuanced problem solving and collaborative stakeholder engagements. It harmonizes with our broader objective to leverage AI not only for operational excellence, but also meaningful societal contributions. So we say that AI is not a replacement, it is a reorientation and, above all, it ensures humanity's expression remains a central consideration to every solution defined, developed and deployed.

Speaker 1: 7:19

Yes, well, it sounds like you've put a lot of thought into that, and I love the fact that you have such a deep perspective on it, that you're also bridging between what you do with your business and how you integrate those beliefs into AI Ready RBA. It's exciting stuff. Can you share a success story where AI has significantly impacted your business outcomes?

Speaker 2: 7:45

Share a success story where AI has significantly impacted your business outcomes.

Speaker 2: 7:51

Yeah, I want to take this opportunity to share the beginnings of one of our most salient achievements, I believe, which is a co-creation of a technology we're calling ResInnovate, which it's a tool designed to streamline navigation towards innovation within emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems. So we've got the Silicon Valleys, the New Yorks, the larger hubs right that entrepreneurship in the last 50 years has really thrived. Being that I'm from Richmond, virginia, and wanting to connect with some of those smaller markets that are merging, it's been important for me to understand what the current state of the entrepreneurial ecosystem is and how we can improve it. And so, with this technology, leveraging AI and blockchain, the platform transparently identifies actionable insights that illuminate market white spaces and catalyzes strategic growth. So the aim is to revolutionize the methodologies by which startups and innovation hubs identify prospective investors and synergistic partnerships through advanced selective reasoning. A recent milestone that we have is having joined Norfolk based 757 CoLab's startup studio, which exemplifies our unwavering dedication to devising solutions that are both technologically sophisticated and profoundly attuned to human organizational imperatives.

Speaker 1: 9:16

So we're really aiming there to develop a partnership with one of those ecosystem innovation hubs, and our priority remains creating tools that resonate with humanity and our planet Making a difference with the technologies that you have, building marketable solutions for entrepreneurs in the Richmond area and bridging them with the larger ecosystem and the ideologies that drive innovation across the globe is truly inspiring. I mean, I'm inspired, alexander, thank you. Thank you All right, alexander, tell me because it sounds like you're dealing in some very complex situations and could be risky in and of itself, to leverage these technologies in your work and supporting these growing businesses in their startup phases Can you tell us what risk concerns you might have come across and how did you consider dealing with them as you've developed this strategy?

Speaker 2: 10:26

Certainly yes. Data privacy and ethical considerations are cornerstones of our operational framework and so, given the sensitivity of the data we manage for our clients, we implement robust measures to mitigate potential risks while remaining action oriented. To mitigate potential risks while remaining action-oriented. So these include adherences to rigorous ethical AI frameworks, which AI Ready RVA certainly has supported, developing a broad United States and beyond awareness of, as well as performance evaluations and transparent governance of data utilization practices. And so we believe, by fostering a culture of trust and sustainability, we ensure that our AI-enabled solutions align with the expectations of our clients and the communities. We serve a vision which underscores our commitment to shaping an ethical and inclusive AI-driven future.

Speaker 1: 11:24

Very cool. Can I ask you a little bit about your take on transparency with all of that? Yeah, how do you make these technologies transparently understood by your clientele?

Speaker 2: 12:12

At the earliest stage of any engagement. We will begin with a sort of discovery session that presents the frameworks that we're utilizing and unpacks the. The awareness of the systems, processes and techniques that you're moving the organization through and with uh is key, and continuing to develop those feedback loops along the way. So you've got your best practice, you've got your developing understanding, and bringing those together in real time is what I believe transparency is.

Speaker 1: 12:40

A hundred percent agree, awesome. So how do you see the role of AI evolving in your industry over the next few years?

Speaker 2: 12:50

Well, I've certainly got a nuanced view, but I believe that AI is poised to serve as a foundational pillar in the construction of regenerative and sustainable ecosystems. We envision a AI transcending automation, which has really been at the forefront in our eyes recently, to encompass more predictive analytics, personalized solutions for navigating complexity and community-centric intelligence to improve awareness. And so, in these contexts, ai is not merely just a tool, but it's an epistemological guide that fosters ethical decision-making and organizational resilience. So expanding knowledge bases, creating transparency and the knowledge basics that exist that are the underlying foundations of the way that organizations operate In the future. I see us tapping into that and really having more capability to navigate seamlessly at different stages of our lives, and so that's really overarching improving, I believe, the career journey. So we're strategically positioning ourselves as a pioneer of this paradigm shift. Through each of our initiatives, and by aligning AI with our ethos of holistic well-being, we aim to co-create recalibrations of key industry hubs toward prioritizing empathy and sustainability. Ultimately, this ensures that technology serves the collective aspirations of humanity.

Speaker 1: 14:35

That's an inspiring vision for the future of AI. Alexander. Your foresight into AI's role in creating regenerative and sustainable ecosystems is remarkable. The commitment to aligning AI and holistic well-being, empathy and sustainability that's a pioneering example for the industry. Keep up the good work. So what advice would you give to other businesses considering implementing AI solutions?

Speaker 2: 15:01

The integration of AI should really begin with intentionality and a commitment to enhancing the human capabilities of the organization, rather than substituting them At Modern Ancient. We counsel organizations to adopt AI with a clearly defined vision that's firmly rooted in their core values and societal impact objectives. It's an imperative to design AI systems that empower both internal teams and external stakeholders, while fostering that collaborative and inclusive environment through every engagement.

Speaker 1: 15:40

Yep, that's what I would have said, but seriously designing AI systems that empower teams and stakeholders, fostering collaboration and inclusivity while emphasizing intentionality and enhancing human capabilities. That's key. What inspired you to start working in the field of AI and what drives your passion for the technologies?

Speaker 2: 16:09

Love sharing this story.

Speaker 2: 16:10

My enthusiasm for AI originates from its potential to amalgamate technological innovation with human insights, thereby driving systemic transformation across diverse sectors.

Speaker 2: 16:25

My formative engagement with AI occurred during the completion of my master's of science and business degree, with a specialization in brand management at the VCU Brand Center. In the last six months, during my capstone thesis, which I partnered with Adobe on, they have a program internally called Adobe Sensei. That's the branding of their machine learning and artificial intelligence platform Involved the development of a comprehensive campaign called Transform with Sensei Wellbeing Across All Dimensions. This initiative sought to enhance AI literacy and promote well-being within the Adobe ecosystem and Modern Agents, was actually introduced during the presentation to the team at Adobe in San Francisco as a partner in digital transformation, where I explained AI as a connective tissue bridging industries, communities and historical narratives through real-time synergies, much like the body's fascial matrix, which I was also studying at the time during compassion yoga training, and, funny enough, it was finally defined by science the fascial matrix as one of the body's systems in 2016, which was the same year that the branding for Adobe Sensei went public.

Speaker 1: 17:50

Wow, so your master's program seems to have been pivotal in shaping your approach to AI. Can you share a bit more about your engagement with Adobe and how it impacted your perspective on on AI and innovation?

Speaker 2: 18:08

The master's program began in 2017 till 2019. So this was just before COVID-19. It really was fascinating because during the program I honestly don't even know like for some reason, there was this thought that I would be a great fit for engaging Adobe and artificial intelligence. I didn't know why at the time, um, but it really evolved into this deep research and understanding of the world's information systems and sort of profound communications and media that really lead to this misunderstanding, and so one of the core challenges societally that I noticed was the bias that's being embedded in these systems, being that it's an early development, that it is very complex, and so there's only so many researchers who are actually developing the technology, and then there's layers upon layers of information systems for every organization that brings that together, and so it's definitely a complex space. But that's what fascinates me about it, and I want to be an advocate for developing positive narratives around its use cases.

Speaker 1: 19:36

Yes, it's definitely a challenging field, but very rewarding. Thank you, so tell me about what types of AI technologies or solutions you're building, and what problems are they designed to solve.

Speaker 2: 19:53

Well being that we are a consulting firm and have been for the last five years.

Speaker 2: 19:58

We've really been focused on client side, developing AI solutions that advance community intelligence, fostering innovation and catalyzing ecosystem wide collaboration. Fostering innovation and catalyzing ecosystem-wide collaboration. Even more so now with our soon-to-be-released flagship technology platform we're calling Resinovate, which utilizes AI to discover opportunities in emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems, as I said before, really aligning those startup journeys with resources by disseminating impactful narratives. A lot of the times, with the work that we've done with the startups, the startups that we've supported, you know you're in the weeds, you got a lot on your you're wearing, you know, 20 different hats and just a few willing individuals, and so improving the reporting of that process at the early stages of development is really key, and so not only do we look at how those narratives develop, but also how can they be aligned to the portfolio interests of investors to support investments sooner and there's a lot of complexity and market analysis to understand the positioning of a good idea and the viability of that idea growing and thriving, and so using artificial intelligence improves the outcomes of the decision-making processes throughout all of that.

Speaker 1: 21:32

Just out of curiosity when do you see or at what point in the future of AI evolution, do you expect the AI technologies to be doing the research on their own?

Speaker 2: 22:03

We are seeing agents today and the ability for these agents to operate on our desktops, and more and more organizations are becoming interested in an understanding, not just organization wide but for each individual in the organization how they might be able to improve redundant processes by allowing these agents to to to roll out the research. You know, I think research when we think of research it's kind of overlooking just the day-to-day reality of researching getting on your computer and reconnecting with different humans and diving into your folders where you've got, you know, a myriad of different information systems there, and so I've always wanted to find a way to get off of the computer sooner rather than later, and so I think this is definitely an opportunity for that, and there needs to be some more iterations and testing in that space to really hash out the early sort of rockiness of that process as we continue to improve the systems.

Speaker 1: 23:20

Yeah, what would you do with all the extra free time? Just curious.

Speaker 2: 23:25

I would host more events and bring people together and do that to a wider audience. Um, yeah, I think when, once all the research is said and done, it comes down to communicating with your community, with your community and being around people to really deepen an understanding of what's true now versus what was true that we're learning from and you know, the whole modern ancients name in and of itself is this sort of exploration of the world we were born into and the world we were born to live, and so being a part of that transformative process by improving these systems and hopefully one day having less time on the computers, is key.

Speaker 1: 24:23

That's incredibly profound and thought provoking. I share the same desire to live in a world that I was meant to live a purpose driven life. It's cool you have embraced this mindset. I believe it leads to richly transformative experiences. So, finally, I want to ask Alexander what trends do you foresee in AI development and how is your company positioning itself to stay ahead?

Speaker 2: 24:52

We see the trajectory of AI development increasingly intersecting with the imperatives to build regenerative systems that address global challenges such as climate resilience and equitable innovation. Modern Agents is strategically positioned to be a leader in this evolution. By championing AI solutions that emphasize cultural and human connections Through platforms like Resinnovate and strategic collaborations with pioneering organizations like AI Ready, rva, we are cultivating an AI paradigm that enhances interconnectedness and augments community impact.

Speaker 1: 25:31

I love your forward-thinking perspective on AI development, focusing on building regenerative systems to tackle global challenges like climate resilience and equitable innovation. That's truly commendable, and it's great to see how Modern Ancients is positioning itself as a leader by championing AI solutions that prioritize culture and human connections. Well done. One final question for you, alexander. I really like to wrap up these conversations with a lighthearted one, thinking about you know, tell us a little bit about yourself by answering this question. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Speaker 2: 26:18

The superpower to inspire collective action and progress towards positive societal change really encapsulates my professional aspirations. It aligns with Modern Ancient's mission to embody transformative outcomes through collaboration and shared purpose, and it's a reflection of my conviction in the power of possibility when impact is community-driven to shape a more equitable and sustainable future.

Speaker 1: 26:50

Yeah, that answer doesn't surprise me at all. Thank you so much for your time today, alexander. It's been a real pleasure listening and learning from you, and I really hope that we'll have another opportunity to meet on this show again in the future. After I've gotten to know your business a little bit more and your work at AI Ready RVA. I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about in 2025. So if we could set up another time, I would love to have you back on.

Speaker 2: 27:20

Looking forward to it.

Speaker 1: 27:22

Thank you and thanks to our listeners for tuning in today. If you or your company would like to be featured in the Inspire AI Richmond episode, please drop us a message. Don't forget to like, share or follow our content and stay up to date on the latest events for AI Ready RVA. Thank you again and see you next time.