A new nonprofit is bringing AI training to Atlanta entrepreneurs
Beyond Code Collective, a new nonprofit focused on expanding access to technology education, is working to make sure no one is left out of the artificial intelligence boom.
For Atlanta entrepreneur Sheniya Weems, artificial intelligence isn’t about far-off technology trends. It’s about finding practical ways to grow her business.
Weems, who runs a small business selling party favors, treats and digital products, enrolled in the program hoping to learn how emerging technology could help streamline her work.
“Over the last few weeks, we have been learning different templates of how to use AI for different things like answering our emails, checking our emails and putting in prompts for our small businesses,” Weems said.
She is one of several participants in a pilot program from Beyond Code Collective, which recently launched an AI training cohort in Atlanta designed to help entrepreneurs, job seekers and aspiring technologists apply AI to real-world goals.
The six-week cohort, hosted in partnership with the city of Atlanta’s workforce development hub, brought together learners from a range of backgrounds to study AI fundamentals and build practical projects.
“The purpose was to make sure that within this climate, we’re not leaving anybody behind,” said Jihan Johnston-McGlotten, managing director of Beyond Code Centers. “No racial barriers, no economic barriers. We want to make sure we are here and partnering with the community.”
Beyond Code Collective launched earlier this year as a sister organization to Black Girls Code, the nationally recognized nonprofit that hosts summer camps in Atlanta and other cities around the country, and is focused on increasing opportunities for Black girls in technology. Johnston-McGlotten said the idea grew out of repeated community feedback.
“Parents were asking, ‘What about my son? What about me?’” Johnston-McGlotten said. “The community was asking, how do we get this programming?”
The result is an intergenerational program that serves adults, students and families, with some programs allowing parents and children to learn side by side.
The Atlanta cohort has focused on helping participants understand AI fundamentals before applying those skills to business ideas, career pathways and personal projects.
“We taught the fundamentals of what AI is and how do you leverage AI,” Johnston-McGlotten said. “The last two weeks are about building. It’s all about how do we use emergent technologies to help with advancement and economic development within the community.”
The program is starting in Atlanta, but plans are to eventually expand to other parts of the country.
“When I thought about where would it make sense to pilot our first tech hub, it only made sense to be here” in Atlanta, said Black Girls Code CEO and Beyond Code Collective founder Cristina Mancini. “Atlanta, to me, is just an incredible example of what it could look like where is all of us in these spaces.”
For Kiandra Peart, a Georgia Tech graduate and founder of startup Reinvend, the program provided new tools to strengthen an already growing business.
Peart’s company is working to modernize the vending industry by offering fresh meals from local restaurants through automated vending systems and grab-and-go kiosks. The model is designed to improve food access, particularly during hours when restaurants are closed.
“When restaurants are often closed and Atlanta becomes a food desert, people can still have access to quality food 24/7,” Peart said.
Although she already has a technical background in mechanical engineering, Peart said the program introduced her to new AI tools and workflows she now plans to incorporate into her company.
“They introduced me to different websites that I had never heard of,” Peart said. “Most of the prompts and things we use, I try to apply directly to my business.”
Weems said the program is already changing how she thinks about efficiency and growth.
“I was just trying to see how I can leverage AI and tech within my small business,” Weems said.
Instructors say hands-on application is central to the curriculum.
Jahiarra Mitchell, one of the cohort’s instructors, said the program is designed to move participants beyond basic awareness of AI and toward active participation in shaping how the technology is used.
“We can contribute to AI and be a builder and not just a consumer,” Mitchell said. “We want students to see how they can add that into their own personal endeavors and businesses.”
Mitchell, who has a background in education and talent development, said the program connects technical instruction to broader workforce opportunities and community impact.
The cohort also attracted participants exploring future careers in artificial intelligence.
John Paul Walker, who works in operations and trades stocks, said he sees AI as a defining force in the future of work.
“Those are the New-Age trades,” Walker said of AI-related careers. “This was exactly what I needed to get me through the door.”
Walker hopes to eventually use AI to launch businesses and build automated systems that can handle everyday tasks.
As Beyond Code Collective continues its Atlanta residency through August and prepares to expand nationally, Johnston-McGlotten said the goal is to show what expanded access to technology can unlock.
The cohort concludes with a demo day where participants will showcase AI-powered projects developed throughout the program.
“We want people to see what is possible when you actually have that access,” Johnston-McGlotten said.