FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Refactored.ai Awarded MIT SOLVE’S 2018 Most Promising ‘Work of the Future Solution
New York, NY, September 24, 2018 – World Bank, International Labor Organization, General Motors, CitiGroup, PepsiCo, the McGovern Foundation, Belcorp Foundation, Ernst & Young – among other global industry titans – sat front row as judges at Sunday’s MIT SOLVE Finals. Over 1,100 solutions from 110 countries were submitted to address four global challenges, but only 60 were selected as finalists.
These solutions crossed disciplines and pushed boundaries, and all had one outcome in mind: to drive global, transformational change. Topics ranged across challenges; from tackling global epidemics on the Frontlines of Health, re-growing Oyster Reefs for Coastal Communities, enabling students with disabilities to communicate and learn through software for Teachers & Educators, all the way to Colaberry’s winning solution to keep workforce skills current and relevant in the midst of rapid technological advancement for the Work of the Future.
The day was full of emotional energy; a combination of hope, nerves, excitement, and determination. Teams grappled together, limited to a three-minute pitch and three-minute Q&A with judges – who were tasked with selecting only the most promising set of solutions. One persuasive pitch after the next, judges intently listened to the sea of complex solutions slated for the world’s greatest problems.
The stakes were incredibly high.
“How can those most affected by the technology-driven transformations of work create productive and prosperous livelihoods for themselves?” For Ram Dhan Yadav Katamaraja, Founder and CEO of Colaberry, the answer to this ‘Work of the Future’ challenge was clear.
Refactored.ai is the answer to this global challenge.
Ram began his pitch by painting a bleak picture of what the future of work will look like. “Over 800 million jobs will be automated by 2030” (The Mckinsey Global Institute). Colaberry’s Refactored.ai platform addresses this looming concern by providing training to reskill and upskill today’s workforce for tomorrow’s most substantial challenges. It also prepares ordinary, hardworking individuals whose jobs are most at-risk for automation to be successful in an AI-driven world.
The judges seemed inspired, but next up came the live Q&A to make or break their victory.
Each question that was raised came with an equally in-depth and succinct response to judges. Many teams brought together hard data, with Colaberry focusing on the human impact along with proven results to back up its solution. That is the power of the human story and the power of Refactored.ai – it is transforming thousands of lives every day and has a goal of impacting 1 million people within the next three years. Refactored.ai emerged as a powerful favorite poised to win the challenge. Ram still waited with shallow breaths wondering if he did everything he could have to present his life-changing solution in the best possible way.
The judges gave his team the nod – four times. Colaberry Honored with Four Prizes – Stands Ready to Partner & Take on Broader Challenges.
Abigail Jones and Ram Dhan Yadav Katamaraja, Colaberry Inc.,
2018 MIT SOLVE Work of the Future
Click here to view Refactored.ai’s solution and learn more about Refactored.ai’s awards below:
1.) MIT SOLVE Work of the Future Solver
Automation, artificial intelligence, and the Cloud are all dramatically changing the nature of work. The MIT Work of the Future Solver Global Challenge award was given to Colaberry Inc. and its innovative Refactored.ai solution as it presents a scalable solution to improving the lives of today’s unskilled and underrepresented workers in all parts of the globe.
2.) General Motors Prize for Advanced Technologies
The GM Prize for Advanced Technologies honors companies who deploy advanced technologies to address Solve’s ‘Work of the Future’ and ‘Teachers & Educators’ Challenges. “General Motors is committed to preparing today’s students–and tomorrow’s workers—to address the world’s most pressing problems,” said Ken Kelzer, Vice President of global Vehicle Components and Subsystems, at General Motors.
3.) Artificial Intelligence for the Betterment of Humanity prize
The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation provides funding for solutions that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the human condition. Refactored.ai was selected due to its dedication to improving the lives of individuals and our global community through information technology and data.
4.) Community Favorite Award
The Community Favorite Award honors the team that the public believes presents the most compelling and favorable solution to the world’s greatest problems.
In closing. Colaberry is thankful to the community and poised to take on new challenges and build new partnerships and relationships so that, together, we can save the world’s toughest problems and continue to improve the lives of millions across the globe.
About Refactored.ai:
Refactored.ai’s interactive, on-demand data training platform provides a scalable solution to keep workforce skills current and relevant amid rapid technological advancement. The platform offers unlimited opportunities to develop agile, adaptable talent and data-thinkers, grasp AI concepts and skills, and build high-performing data science teams. Refactored.ai also offers the critical transitional steps required to seamlessly convert to an AI-powered organization. As a team of passionate data, scientists committed to making a social impact, we firmly believe that innovation and technology should bring people together; it should not create larger divides and opportunity gaps. Refactored.ai will ensure that everyone has the opportunity to succeed – regardless of age, race, education, income, or skill level.
About Solve:
Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that advances lasting solutions from tech entrepreneurs to address the world’s most pressing problems. Solve issues four Challenges each year to find the most promising Solver class to drive transformational change. Solve then deploys its global community of private, public, and nonprofit leaders to form partnerships these Solver teams need to scale their impact. This year, Solve received more than 1,150 solutions from 110 countries tackling its four Global Challenges: (1) Work of the Future, (2) Frontlines of Health, (3) Coastal Communities, and (4) Teachers & Educators.