Alelo was selected from 90+ submissions as one of three finalists to participate in a mini-shark tank event at ASU+GSVbeing held August 9-11, 2021.

The largest ed-tech market is corporate learning. It is also less regulated than K12 or Higher Ed. Since the market has been largely ignored by ed-tech entrepreneurs in the past, the 2021 CLO Shark Tank event brought together 25 esteemed Chief Learning Officers (CLOs) and Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) to identify leading ed-tech that can transform corporate learning. The panel selected the finalists – of which Alelo was one – and will also pick the winner of the competition following the live pitch at the event being held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. 

The ASU+GSV Summit is an annual event hosted by Arizona State University (ASU) and Global Silicon Valley (GSV) Ventures connecting leading minds focused on transforming society and business around learning and work. The 2020 virtual Summit welcomed over 15,000 attendees from more than 135 countries, including leading educators, innovators, investors, strategists, foundation leaders, media, and policymakers across the “Pre-K to Gray” global education and skills sectors. 

CLO Shark Tank from ASU+GSV is the second global competition to recognize Alelo’s patented learning technology for the corporate sector. In November 2020, Alelo was selected as one of ten Qualifying Teams in the XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling Sponsored by New Profit competition. The XPRIZE competition spans over two years, and the final winner will be selected in January of 2023.

Dr. Kinga Petrovai of “The Art and Science of Learning” podcast articulates that one of the greatest challenges in learning new skills is putting them to practice in real scenarios. In this podcast, Dr. Lewis Johnson, CEO of Alelo, discusses how avatar-based artificial intelligence (AI) not only allows learners to practice what they learn in real scenarios while learning competencies, but also eliminates the risks associated with traditional on-the-job training.

In the 45-minute podcast you’ll learn how:

·       Avatar-based AI speeds situational learning and reduces mistakes made in the field

·       Simulations build confidence in employees while real-world on-the job training can lead to insecurities

·       AI assesses employee competencies and delivers personalized instruction

·       AI-driven avatars differ from chat bots

·       Alelo helps underserved communities with its technology

·       Industries use Alelo’s Enskill® technology

You can listen to the podcast here: https://www.theartandscienceoflearning.com/season-5/s5-e8-how-ai-avatars-can-transform-workplace-training

Alelo was a runner-up in the 2021 International E-Learning Awards and is a qualified team in the XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling competition.

Alelo CEO Dr. Lewis Johnson will be speaking at Ideagen’s Acceleration Summit sponsored by Microsoft on July 28th - 30th alongside influential leaders of social change including Dr. Angela Jackson of the venture philanthropy organization New Profit, and Jane Oates of the national not-for-profit campaign Working Nation. Together with Christina Brooks of the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and Andy Dwonch of Career Path Services, they will discuss the challenges facing a modern workforce and how technology can get people back to work fast. 

The Ideagen “Connecting the Globe by 2030” series puts the spotlight on individuals and organizations from numerous cities and countries across the globe that can help develop awareness to achieving UN Global Goals by 2030. Dr. Johnson and the other speakers will represent the Washington DC community. They were selected due to their work in the Future of Work Grand Challenge which seeks to rapidly reskill 25,000 workers into higher-wage jobs. 

Dr. Johnson will explain how Alelo’s avatar-based AI technology is retraining workers in public health in half the time to address emerging needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.

Tune in to watch the discussion on July 28th.  http://ow.ly/wbnB50Fxx7t 

Alelo was one of fifteen companies from a pool of 1200 in 26 countries selected to participate in the Future of Work Grand Challenge through the XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling Sponsored by New Profit competition. 

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As you might know, Alelo has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Alelo be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.

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As a global thought leader in the artificial intelligence space for learning, Alelo CEO Dr. Lewis Johnson was invited to speak at The Learning Ideas Conference 2021. 

For highlights from the conference talk, including how Alelo has used its AI technology during COVID-19 to solve teaching problems, how teachers should approach the use of educational technology post-COVID, and what excites Dr. Johnson most about the possibilities for ed tech in the future, listen to this 13-minute podcast starting at time stamp 32:45. A follow-up full-length podcast with more detail will be published on July 28.

The conference is sponsored by iELA which just named Alelo runner-up in the 2021 International E-Learning Awards. 

Dr. Johnson is internationally recognized in the area of artificial intelligence in education and is the recipient of multiple awards, including the prestigious AAMAS Influential Paper Award for groundbreaking research on animated pedagogical agents.

Here are some of Dr. Lewis’s publications:

Johnson, W.L. (2019). Data-driven development and evaluation of Enskill English. Int. Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education 29(3), 425-457.

Johnson, W.L. and Lester, J.C. (2018). Pedagogical Agents: Back to the Future. AI Magazine 39(2), 33-43.

Johnson, W.L. and Lester, J.C. (2016). Face-to-Face Interaction with Pedagogical Agents, Twenty Years Later. Int. J. AI in Education 26(1), 25-36.

Johnson, W.L. (2015). Constructing Virtual Role-Play Simulations. in R Sottilare, A. Graesser, X. Hu, K. Brawner (Eds,), Design Recommendations for Adaptive Intelligent Tutoring Systems: Authoring Tools (Volume 3), 211-226. US Army Research Laboratory, Orlando.

Johnson, W.L. (2012). The art and science of developing intercultural competence. In P.J. Durlach & A.M. Lesgold (Eds.), Adaptive Technologies for Training and Education. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Johnson, W.L. (2010). Serious use of a serious game for language learning. Int. J. of Artificial Intelligence in Ed. 20.

[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].

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As you might know, Alelo has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Alelo be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.

This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.

Thanks for funding the future.

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Alelo’s Enskill® platform with its avatar-based artificial intelligence learning wins an International E-Learning Award from the International E-Learning Association (IELA) for educational soundness, effectiveness, usability, and overall significance. We were in good company, second only to Microsoft Corporation. 

Using cutting-edge natural language processing and speech recognition, Enskill personalizes online learning by allowing learners to engage in interactive conversations with avatars in real settings. Their performance with the avatars leads to personalized exercises for improvement. Rather than just acquire knowledge, learners learn by doing in these realistic simulations. It’s as close as one can get to real on-the-job training, but with outcomes that can be assessed, measured, and improved. It’s particularly effective for jobs that require face-to-face communication skills like patient communications, customer service, sales, and managers.

The IELA advances the research and practice of e-learning in the classroom and the workplace. Members from every continent include professionals, researchers, and students in business, industry, government and academia. The International E-Learning Awards are given each year for the best work in e-learning, mobile learning, and blended learning. 

Alelo is dedicated to using advanced technology to deliver high-quality, personalized learning at scale. We’re proud to receive this recognition by IELA for our efforts.

In March 2021 the US economy added 916,000 jobs but only 7,000 went to workers with high school diplomas but no college degree. Alelo’s technology has the potential to change that, rapidly building new skills that lead to higher paying jobs with upward career potential.

On May 10^th Alelo launched its technology-driven reskilling course to a pilot group of unemployed and underemployed individuals without a college degree in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The trainees will reskill over eight weeks for a job as a Community Health Worker (CHW) by role-playing online with AI-driven avatars. 

“Role-playing with avatars in realistic settings allows candidates to apply real-world skills without leaving a desk. When encountering real-world scenarios, trainees are confident and adept,” says Alelo CEO, Dr. W. Lewis Johnson. “The artificial intelligence adapts role-playing simulations to each trainee, concentrating on only areas of need. Role-playing combined with personalized learning is how we cut training that traditionally takes over a year to just eight weeks,” adds Johnson. 

CHWs work in the community to promote public health and help patients gain access to healthcare and social services. They played critical roles in every phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to play important roles in promoting vaccinations, helping patients with chronic care needs, and responding to new outbreaks of infectious disease. They are important members of healthcare and public health teams. CHWs often go on to pursue a variety of careers in healthcare and public health.

In partnership with the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, Alelo will offer the eight-week CHW course every Monday to small cohorts of up to thirty eligible Hampton Roads candidates at no cost. The first cohort completes training on July 2nd, at which time the Workforce Council and Alelo will arrange interviews with local healthcare employers. 

One candidate from the first cohort explains, “I decided to sign up because I am trying to transition from a career in the shipyard to one in healthcare. I have already successfully passed my PCA classes and feel this class would help broaden my opportunities in the healthcare field. I'm hopeful that entering the healthcare field with more than a PCA certificate will also help me to enter the field with a more rewarding salary that will allow me to continue to support my children without pulling us down further into poverty.”

Initial funding for the training and placement came from the XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling competition sponsored by New Profit, which paired Alelo and the Workforce Council. Alelo is looking for partners to expand the training to other high-needs cities. Once Alelo training receives state certification additional candidates will be trained using Federal workforce innovation funds. 

The product will also be customized and sold to healthcare providers looking to upskill or improve patient communication skills in existing employees. 

Alelo welcomes two additions to our new reskilling product team. Both team members will help roll out reskilling solutions to the corporate market, specifically our new Community Health Worker training course and placement program to healthcare providers and employers.

Katie Robinson, Community Health Worker Instructor

Katie leads the class instruction for our new Community Health Worker course. Trainees in the course role-play online with artificially intelligent avatars in realistic workplace scenarios to learn vital on-the-job skills. The AI-driven simulations deliver personalized exercises in only areas of improvement. Katie hosts weekly webinars introducing each topic to be practiced with an avatar. She then monitors role-playing performance through a dashboard to identify trainees who may be struggling. This makes it possible for Katie to support a large number of trainees, focusing on only those who need help. After the avatar-led course, Katie will validate that trainees have mastered competencies and are ready for the field.

Katie has been board certified in hospice and palliative nursing since 2011. She obtained a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in executive nurse leadership in 2018, followed by a Ph.D. in Nursing with a research specialty in palliative and end of life care in 2020. Katie began teaching at San Diego City College in 2018 and is currently an Assistant Professor and Community Health Course Lead at California State University, San Marcos. Katie takes pride in building a career outside the four walls of a hospital, meeting clients and families wherever they call home.

Ashley Carreira, Community Health Worker Program Navigator

Ashley helps find, vet, and onboard candidates for the Community Health Worker course. She makes sure candidates have a smooth online experience with our technology and arranges peer exercises with other trainees. At course completion, Ashley works with employers to place candidates in jobs and follows candidates for 90 days after hire to ensure success in the new position.

Ashley has nine years of work experience in various public health sectors and has served as a community health educator, a case manager, and a care coordinator. Her career focus has been on community education and prevention efforts, and she has worked on the COVID-19 pandemic response. She received her Bachelors of Science in Public Health followed by a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Southern Connecticut State University.