Breakfast with Benefits - AI and Small Businesses

Speaker: Dr. G. Raymond Brown and Diane Brown, Houston Community College

Topic: Houston Community College has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) Associate of Applied Science degree program, making it the first community college in Texas to have such a program. Dr. Brown will speak about the impact Artificial Intelligence (AI) has on the small business community. Joining Dr. Brown will be Diane Brown. 

Dr. G. Raymond Brown Biography
Dr. G. Raymond Brown leads the development and implementation of cutting-edge programs at Houston Community College (HCC). He and his team at the Digital and Information Technologies Center of Excellence established the first Artificial Intelligence Associate of Applied Science (AAS) program in Texas, which launched in August 2020. Dr. Brown has also been a key member of the team that helped HCC become the nation’s first community college in 2023 to have launched a bachelor’s degree program in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.

With over 25 years of experience in academia, Dr. Brown has taught physics, computer science, and artificial intelligence at various colleges and universities. In addition to his extensive teaching career, he has spent 17 years in industry as an atmospheric scientist, meteorologist, consultant, software engineer, and manager.

Dr. Brown holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Duke University. He is an active member of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), X-Labs, and several Developer Network Programs. He is a longtime developer with Wolfram Research and participates in various developer groups within the AI industry.

Diane Brown Biography
Diane Brown is a founding member of X-Labs.org (formerly Houston Robotics), a non-profit developer network partnered with Houston Community College to support and develop AI and Robotics programs.

X-Labs is a "Super Tech" nonprofit dedicated to community service and the best practices of intelligence-based technologies for schools, municipalities, organizations, and industry. Its mission is to assist in the dissemination, know-how, and implementation of these new technologies securely and efficiently. The majority of X-Labs members are senior to mid-level technologists working across various industries, driven by two main motivations: to give back and their passion for research and development.

Diane's professional journey began in marketing and advertising with major companies including The Coca-Cola Company and IBM. With a Liberal Arts background and a strong affinity for technology, she quickly transitioned to the computer industry, diving into the manufacture of computer motherboards and software development as personal computing emerged.

Known for her expertise in custom development from a hardware/software engineering perspective, Diane has built a reputation for handling specialized technical projects. She has honed a unique set of skills, enabling her to contribute significantly to the advancement of AI and related technologies.