In this episode of *Breaking Down Barriers*, host David sits down with LeSean Shaw, co-founder of Empowered AI and Actual Reality Technologies, and a Toledo, Ohio native on a mission to make artificial intelligence accessible, equitable, and community-centered.
LeSean shares the powerful "bean in a bowl of rice" lesson passed down from his great-grandmother—a metaphor that shaped his drive to create safe spaces for underserved communities in tech. A self-made entrepreneur, LeSean brings a grounded, honest perspective on what it actually takes to build something meaningful from the ground up.
**In this conversation, LeSean and David explore:**
- Why LeSean left a corporate path to build AI education nonprofits in his hometown
- How AI can unlock a "creative renaissance" for communities that have long had the talent but not the opportunity
- The difference between AI fluency and AI transformation, and why meeting people where they are matters more than buzzwords
- The brain drain problem facing Midwest "flyover cities" like Toledo, and how to stop losing homegrown talent to coastal cities
- How LeSean pulled off the largest AI conference in the Midwest—**Great Lakes AI Week—**with 2,300+ attendees, 150+ speakers, and guests from Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Wendy's, and the White House
- The role of MADD Poets Society, a literary arts nonprofit, in building confidence and oratory skills in the community
- His message to the next generation: *"Those who stay ready don't have to get ready."*
**Connect with LeSean Shaw & his work:**
- Empowered AI
- Actual Reality Technologies
- Great Lakes AI Week
