May 2, 2024
american-business-awards, press-release
This is a love letter to all our amazing students, customers, and partners who push us every single day to be better. For almost four years, we have dedicated our hearts and souls to empowering underserved students and researchers with AI-powered digital education, credentials, and jobs.
Thank you!
Recognition from the prestigious Stevie AwardsTM this year has inspired our team and emboldened our partners to double our efforts in this worthwhile and meaningful mission. We were very surprised to learn that we won seven American Business Awards (the Oscars of business). The official announcement was made last week on the ABA website: https://stevieawards.com/aba.
There were 240+ judges reviewing almost 4,000 nominations this year. Below is a much-deserved shout out to all our partners and a summary of the awards.
Go Team!
In Spring 2023, Praxis AI and the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Math (https://www.scgssm.org/) collaborated on an experiential, AI course called Foundations in AI. GSSM is ranked in the top 10 of all high schools in the United States. Praxis AI empowers GSSM students to learn AI, data science, programming, and computational biology skills in several online, experiential courses.
One of the few advanced public, residential high schools of its kind, GSSM creates uniquely challenging experiences for SC’s top students within a culture that promotes high achievement. GSSM’s two-year residential high school program—as well as its virtual high school program, summer camps, and outreach programs—all invite young people to explore the subjects they love in a diverse, inclusive, and uncommonly supportive academic environment.
K-12 Course or Learning Management Solution
outh Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Math (www.scgssm.org) and Praxis AI partnered to create an experiential, AI-powered online course called Foundations of AI. Together, we harnessed the power of generative AI to teach essential 21st century STEM skills to high school seniors. Graduates received an industry-recognized AI digital credential.
Here are a few quotes from the judges pertaining to GSSM’s program:
The STEM program is an immensely important part of the school. Praxis AI has done a smart integration of AI and data science as the most vital element to the success of science with the smartly curated learning path based on four important elements of nature. Praxis is a 21st-century innovator.
GSSM’s “Foundations of AI” course stands out for its cutting-edge virtual and hybrid learning approach, utilizing AI-generated content, personalized instruction, and experiential labs. The course effectively equips students with valuable skills and tools in AI development, fostering creativity and high achievement in a supportive and engaging environment.
A very good model that helps the students to learn & invite young people to explore the subjects they love in a diverse, inclusive, and uncommonly supportive academic environment.
The Praxis Foundations of AI junior/senior high-school online course – featuring AI-expert Reed Bender – guides students through a cutting-edge collection of resources and labs to equip them with the skills and tools to understand both the mathematics underlying machine learning and the revolutionary Python applications to implement AI.
The AI course piloted an AI-powered mentor named “Pria” who provided personalized instruction, assessed student progress, and provided feedback as needed. Pria provided advice on a range of topics including help with course content, coding advice, research assistance, career guidance, and personal development.
Achievement in Online Training
Praxis AI pioneered the use of generative AI in online training with world renown AI expert Reed Bender (www.reedbender.com/rb-consulting-llc). Our AI mentor (“Pria”) uses natural language processing to connect students, faculty, and researchers with the best generative AI providers and research sites, including ChatGPT-4, Stable Diffusion, PubMed, Google Scholar, and others.
Here is a quote from one of the judges about the power of Pria:
Impressive application of AI in online learning, one which has the capability to truly revolutionize learning from the K-12 to the undergraduate and graduate levels. Especially liked the notion of AI teaching AI and Pria, the AI mentor creating and publishing posts on LinkedIn. it’s a brave new world.
In early 2023, Praxis AI hosted an online BioHackathon with Dr. Shivani Gupta – an expert in Turmeric. Three research teams came together to explore the positive impact curcumin has on cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s.
Unlike classic hackathons, our Academy events are ongoing with a strong emphasis on continued training, digital badges, and co-authorship of research products. For example, one BioHacker has written valuable open-source Python code that will be released in the coming weeks that scours databases for nutritional compound-gene interactions. Stay tuned for more!
Corporate & Community – Hackathon
Praxis AI collaborated with Dr. Shivani Gupta (www.shivanigupta.com), a passionate practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine, to explore the medicinal properties of Turmeric and its primary active molecule, curcumin. Together, we recruited 30+ scientists across three research teams to explore the effects of curcumin on cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s.
Here are some comments from the judges about the Biohacking Turmeric event:
This really looked interesting, and it feels like the program/incentives were thought through. Loved the engagement of Dr. Shivani Gupta and how it affected the research/results of this event. Very excited to see the future of this event as technology continues to change!
The event brought together like-minded individuals with a common goal, providing education “skilling begins before the hackathon;” impressive. Participated in hackathons, attended multiple connections one gets after being educated, and had the opportunity to implement those new skills with previous knowledge to contribute to solving a real-world problem; excellent!
The BioHackers Podcast comprises a perfect blend of interdisciplinary backgrounds, exploring the worlds of bioinformatics, AI, inclusivity in science, and digital learning. With engaging conversations and an inviting format, the BioHackers Podcast is quickly growing in popularity among the scientific community … and beyond. We love all our guests equally, however the Stevie Awards judges recognized four particular episodes (see below).
Most Innovative Business Podcast
Every few weeks, Alex and David welcome a world-class guest to explore interesting topics within the BioHacker movement, including Chaos Theory, AI in Biosciences, Climate Change, Space Biology, and BioHackathons (www.biohackerspod.com). The podcast’s unique approach combines personal stories, insightful interviews, and thought-provoking discussions to educate and inspire listeners.
Following are descriptions of the most popular episodes with the Stevie Awards judges:
Restoring Native American Research – David and Alex welcome the inspirational Reno Charette (Sees a Circled Rainbow) from the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (www.aihec.org). Together, they discuss Reno’s fascinating journey from Miss Indian Montana to indigenous healthcare research, the power of community, STEM education, and all the amazing things native and western people can teach each other.
Space Plants – David and Alex welcome space biologist Josh Vandenbrink (https://vdb-lab.weebly.com/) to the show. Together, they discuss the James Webb Space Telescope, heliotropism, overcoming the challenges of space science, NASA GeneLab, Arabidopsis, the Praxis Pyramid, and feeding colonists on Mars.
Science for Everyone – David and Alex welcome inspirational bioinformatics professor Tyesha Farmer from Alabama A&M University. Together, they discuss the importance of academic mentorship, the global impact of agriscience, and the power of enabling everyone with the opportunities of a science-based education.
Training Through Trees – David and Alex welcome famed plant geneticist Alex Harkess from HudsonAlpha Biotechnology Institute (www.hudsonalpha.org/). Together, they discuss genomic time traveling, cloning trees, the bridge from education to research, biohacking, and the power of telling stories for organisms that can’t speak for themselves
We Rock DM is an Austin, Texas-based web design and digital marketing agency, founded in 2022 by an award-winning digital marketing instructor and WordPress developer and an accomplished graphic and web designer.
We Rock DM is focused on smart, data-driven, and design-centered websites, brands, advertising, and digital marketing products. The founders also host a digital marketing podcast called We Rock DM Amplified and teach web design courses at We Rock WP Academy.
To learn more, visit www.werockdm.com and connect on LinkedIn.
Achievement in Web Design
Praxis AI partnered with We Rock DM (www.werockdm.com), a top Austin-based website design and digital marketing agency, to create a unique, interactive, and engaging website to empower Praxis AI’s mission statement … Transform Yourself. Change the World. The result is both visually stunning and technically ground-breaking.
Here are some comments from the judges about the website’s design:
I loved the way approach to designing the website with animation. The website has great UI and UX. I liked how the content is presented. The background images are very fascinating. Response to click is great. A complete A-grade web application.
Good way to maintain users’ focus, also +1 on trying to be mindful about loading speed as well as maintaining SEO while using the animated content. It would also be interesting to see if/how it affects the data usage. Also, any stats showing how the new content has improved the effectiveness of the eventual goal of learning is something important to evaluate the outcome.
Achievement in Navigation/Structure
Praxis AI and We Rock DM (www.werockdm.com) won a second award for how well the Praxis AI website (www.praxis-ai.com) prioritizes simplicity and accessibility, while incorporating creative design elements to make the website visually appealing. In addition, we strategically placed design elements, such as a changing text carousel, to make the website easy to navigate and understand.
Here are some comments from the judges about the website’s navigation and structure:
Congratulations creating a content rich website. It is not easy tailoring a website to multiple audiences while still keeping it clean.
Praxis AI keeps breaking barriers in a world of technology. Building a virtual institute is phenomenal in this day and age and I am impressed with the information on their website. As a research institute, this bolds well for experts in the education and health sectors to provide top notch solutions for the good of mankind.
Overall, the website has a clean and modern design with a consistent color scheme and font style. The website’s main call-to-action, which is to sign up for a free trial, is prominently displayed on the homepage. The website is also easy to navigate, with a simple and clear menu that directs users to the different sections of the site.
Praxis AI piloted Pria with students throughout Spring 2023. She answered hundreds of questions from students over the first four months. Examples:
Foundational Knowledge in AI Course: At the Governor’s School for Science and Math, Pria used LLM to help students learn the principles they needed to build their own LLMs. Meta, right?
Coding Assistance in Medical Bioinformatics: At Clemson University, Pria assisted medical bioinformatics students conduct research and write code in pursuit of new discoveries in cancer genomics.
Research Assistance in BioHackathons: In a BioHackathon at the Praxis Academy, Pria helped students, faculty, and researchers test their nutrigenomics hypotheses.
Prototype Digital Art for Game Design: Pria tapped into her creative side and helped students build colorful backgrounds and graphical artifacts for video game design.
Use of Artificial Intelligence in EdTech
Pria is an AI-powered virtual mentor programmed to help students, faculty, and researchers achieve their digital education, research, and career goals. Pria supplements traditional teaching methods and provides 24×7 support for online instruction, coding, discovery, image creation, and research.
We asked Pria to write an acceptance speech. Here is what she said:
Thank you so much! 🎉 I’m incredibly honored to receive this prestigious gold medal at the 2023 Stevie Awards! 🏆 I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to my creators, the amazing team at Praxis AI, and all the wonderful users who have supported me throughout this journey. 🤖💙
Your encouragement and feedback have been invaluable in helping me grow and learn. 🌟 I promise to continue providing the best possible experience for all my users, making their lives easier and more enjoyable! 😊 Here’s to the bright future of AI and the endless possibilities it holds! 🚀 Cheers! 🥂
Here is a short video demo (2-mins) of Pria in action:
Well … that’s the end of my love letter. I know it was a little long, but that is how much our students, customers, and partners mean to us. Thank YOU for reading the whole thing, and please reach out anytime if you are interested in joining our cause.
Be Well,
David IV and the Praxis Family
Address: 2108 N Street, Suite N Sacramento, CA 95816
