Kala Fleming

Kala Fleming Civic Innovation & Strategy. Helping government and countries on their digital transformation journey. New York, New York Connect More actions City of San José University of Wisconsin-Madison University of Wisconsin-Madison See contact info See contact info See connections (500+) 500+ connections Dr. Kala Fleming is co-founder of Diaspora AI, a product development and advisory firm that connects resource constrained communities to emerging digital technologies. She works with government, corporations, and startups to launch new digital services that improve connectivity and quality of life for citizens and communities. As a consultant to the City of San Jose, she is shaping the future of digital inclusion and equitable broadband access for the capital of Silicon Valley. Previously, she held strategy and research roles at IBM, working with clients to establish differentiated market positions through the use of emerging technologies such as IoT, AI and blockchain. Her work across Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean fuels her passion to ensure that debates the future of work and AI consider a broader set of perspectives. Kala holds a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a frequent speaker at entrepreneurship, govtech and innovation-related events. Show less Show less of Kala’s summary Articles 1,124 followers Nurturing & Rewarding Curiosity To Spark Innovation Kala’s profile photo Kala Fleming Published on LinkedIn Last week, I watched as participants in BlueHack Atlanta burned the midnight oil to ensure they could code then pitch their ideas to win the friendly innovation competition. The experience reminded me of some of the timeless stories of challenge, perseverance and reward that have inspired me. There is Socrates, the renowned Greek philosopher who grew up in a time where demonstrating good debating skills was rewarded - not with money, but with the respect and reverence of peers. In “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, we learn about Okonkwo and how he made a name for his village by winning a wrestling match against an undefeatable opponent. “As a young man of eighteen he had brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the cat” said the village chiefs. In the culture of the Igbo people, wrestling matches connected the prowess of the individual to pride and honor for the individual and the village. Across the novel, the idea is established that reputation and respect can be earned by doing anything well. The reward system of the day that made robust debate in Greece or wrestling in Igboland the thing to aspire to, is an essential element that needs to be inculcated now as emerging economies with limited budgets ponder how they will build their engines of innovation. In ancient Greece, young men gathered at town centers, going hours without breaks, debating with hopes of bringing new narratives to topics. In the case of Socrates, his ideas have ingrained the notion that educated individuals must be grounded with strong critical thinking skills. Similarly, in Igboland Nigeria, young men from different villages wrestled from sunrise to dusk just to throw a competitor. Okonkwo, by winning his matches, brought the positive elements of physical might to his peers. This was all possible because a sense of curiosity was created around seemingly insignificant events. For Socrates, it was perhaps a simple curiosity of what might happen if he changed the narrative of the topic. Will my culture fare better? Just as in Okonkwo’s case he also might have wondered what it would feel like to bring honor to his village. In Atlanta, we brought more than 100 students from several historically black colleges and universities together. The intensity of a 24-hour innovation marathon elicited the range of emotions - from anxiety to curiosity. Winning teams, however, were able to channel the stress of the unfamiliar in three critical ways: They used their experiences to make the unfamiliar, familiar. After learning more about the domains they were poised to address, successful teams built a story around the problem in a way that connected their experiences to a larger narrative. This allowed the casual observer to also believe that with more time, there was important work to be done and that IBM's next generation technologies were well-suited to address these problems. They were voracious consumers of new information, eager to enrich their understanding of the domains their new product would address and the suite of next generation technologies that would underpin their solutions. Sleep, for them, was a huge nuisance. They prioritized understanding the “game” and were able to hone the story and showmanship around the final pitch to sell their ideas. IBM’s BlueHack series of innovation marathons serve as a vehicle for inculcating curiosity. In a very short period of time, new technologies and ideas are infused and reward systems are enmeshed. Many took the opportunity to network and have personal conversations with very senior executives who were engaged and ready to help support their ideas. And some will become new IBM employees while others might continue to build out prototypes, forming new startups. As we look toward BlueHack Jamaica, I ponder if enough is being done to reward talent and ability in the Caribbean and if enough is being done to inject curiosity. This thinking is driving IBM Caribbean to double down on its efforts to serve as vehicle for delivering innovation that permeates the masses. As we work with government and our private sector clients, we see a mutually beneficial opportunity to support Jamaica and the wider Caribbean as they look to build innovation pipelines. Increasingly, digital skills have become the new English required to access opportunity. Those with tech skills, or those looking for an entry point, need to believe there is value in being a part of the tech set. They need avenues where they can exercise pushing the envelope. Can artificial intelligence be unleashed to improve education in Jamaica? We don’t know, but let’s see what ideas there are. Can blockchain really simplify financial transactions to reduce fraud and increase access to loans? We don’t know, but we surely want to foster a culture where experimentation is the name of the game. One where everyone realizes that there is no fixed path per say to success and that remaining flexible and open allows you to seize opportunity as it presents itself. The unfamiliar, the unknown and unusual can create at once feelings of anxiety, feelings of curiosity or some mix of both. To ease these tensions, if the unfamiliar is matched with reward systems coupled with a soft landing for failure (or not winning the first time) there is a greater likelihood of ensuring a series of successful and inspiring outcomes. 23 Likes Like Comment Share See all Experience City of San José Executive Advisor Company NameCity of San José Dates EmployedSep 2018 – Present Employment Duration4 mos San Jose is the capital of Silicon Valley. Working with the Assistant City Manager ($480 Million annual operating budget) on digital inclusion and building out the city's broadband strategy. Embedded as a FUSE Fellow leveraging an extensive body of work across workforce development, government transformation and social justice. FUSE Corps FUSE FELLOW Company NameFUSE Corps Dates EmployedSep 2018 – Present Employment Duration4 mos Diaspora AI Founder Company NameDiaspora AI Dates EmployedJul 2018 – Present Employment Duration6 mos IBM Company NameIBM Total Duration5 yrs 3 mos TitleCorporate Strategy Innovation Manager Dates EmployedOct 2016 – Sep 2018 Employment Duration2 yrs LocationGreater New York City Area Embedded in IBM’s flagship Corporate Strategy unit. Led innovation projects that helped IBM’s largest clients maintain their competitive edge by making bets on emerging technologies such as blockchain and AI. Range of activities included: + due diligence investigations on the technical, financial and marketing aspects ... See more TitleWater, Agriculture & Healthcare Manager @ IBM Research Africa Dates EmployedJul 2013 – Oct 2016 Employment Duration3 yrs 4 mos LocationNairobi, Kenya + Water, Ag, Healthcare Manager | August 2015 to October 2016 + Research Scientist | July 2013 to August 2015 The FHW Group Principal Company NameThe FHW Group Dates EmployedApr 2010 – Jun 2013 Employment Duration3 yrs 3 mos Campbell Soup Company Sustainability Manager Company NameCampbell Soup Company Dates EmployedOct 2008 – Sep 2010 Employment Duration2 yrs American Water Environmental Engineer Company NameAmerican Water Dates EmployedOct 2004 – Oct 2008 Employment Duration4 yrs 1 mo Show fewer experiences Education University of Wisconsin-Madison University of Wisconsin-Madison Degree NamePhD Field Of StudyEnvironmental Engineering, Computer Science minor Dates attended or expected graduation 1998 – 2004 University of the Virgin Islands University of the Virgin Islands Degree NameBS Field Of StudyChemistry w/Physics Dates attended or expected graduation 1995 – 1998