Draft:Micah Berkley

Micah Berkley (born 1986) is an American AI expert, solutions architect, and entrepreneur known for his work in AI accessibility and empowering underrepresented communities in the tech industry. Featured on the front page of the Miami Herald as a "Black Entrepreneur Blazes a Path in AI" in December 2023, Berkley has established himself as a leader in the AI space. He combines his educational background with experience in digital marketing, lead generation, and cloud technologies to develop solutions for businesses in various sectors. Berkley has developed solutions in the digital and performance marketing space, particularly in Voice AI. He has created AI-powered voice reply engines that integrate with email campaigns, aiming to enhance customer engagement strategies. His solutions utilize large language models and prompting techniques to generate personalized phone calls in response to email replies. His AI-driven marketing techniques have also been used to connect homeowners affected by natural disasters with service providers. In addition to his technical work, Berkley aims to use AI for social good. One example involves a woman from Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, who reached out to him after learning about his work teaching youth in Miami to use AI for creating restaurant menu imagery. She practiced using AI tools and started offering her services to restaurants in the UK through the platform Just Eat Takeaway.com. Her income increased from $150 per month to over $3,200 in a year.

Early life and education
Born in 1986 in the Bronx, New York, Berkley faced early challenges, growing up in group homes and foster care. He was emancipated at the age of 13 and later adopted by Pastor Charles Berkley and Michele Berkley, both ministers in Providence, Rhode Island and alumni of Brown University. Despite the obstacles, Berkley demonstrated an early aptitude for technology, becoming one of the youngest people to receive the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification at the age of 13. He later attended Brown University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science with a focus on Human Behavior Integration.

Career
Berkley's career began with several notable positions, including:

Global Marketing Data Scientist at Fashion Nova (2019-2021): Berkley revolutionized the company's marketing approach by integrating big data and AI technologies, resulting in reduced ad spend and millions in revenue. Site Reliability Manager/Admin and Azure Cloud Architect at BMW of North America, LLC (2018-2021): Berkley implemented Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) practices within BMW's DevOps teams, improving service reliability and consumer Net Promoter Scores (NPS) by 2x. He also managed BMW's Azure cloud infrastructure, ensuring seamless integration with on-premises and vehicle systems while enhancing performance and efficiency. Google Cloud Architect and Site Reliability Engineer at Google (2016-2018): Berkley worked to ensure the reliability and uptime of Google Cloud services by implementing proactive monitoring systems and fault-tolerant solutions. He developed and executed disaster recovery plans, led incident response efforts, and collaborated closely with Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) teams to resolve critical issues promptly. Global Network Operations Center Architect / Manager at Hyatt Hotels Corporation (2016-2017): Berkley expanded the scope of the multi-tier GNOC & Escalation team, saving millions annually through consolidation and cloud integration.

In March 2023, Berkley founded AI Success Partners, where he serves as the AI Strategy and Implementation Architect. Leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies, he works to optimize business processes, drive operational efficiency, and accelerate revenue growth for clients across various industries. Berkley is also a founder of Biscayne AI, which focuses on AI-powered solutions for lead generation and business growth.

Personal life
Berkley, a father of identical twin girls born in 2019, moved to Chicago in 2014 and later relocated to Miami in 2022. He is actively involved in the Miami tech community, collaborating with fellow innovators and mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs. Berkley is passionate about making AI accessible and profitable for all, particularly for underserved communities.

Speaking engagements and workshops
Berkley has been invited to speak at various tech events and conferences, including BITE-CON Week, where he participated as a panelist on the topic "How can AI diversify and expand the talent pool and workforce of BIPOC professionals and experts?". He also conducts workshops on AI-powered automation for businesses and delivers sessions on practical applications of AI.

Recognition and Awards
Featured on the front page of the Miami Herald as a "Black Entrepreneur Blazes a Path in AI" (December 2023) Named an "AI Change Maker" by Adobe (January 2024) Received the "Chicago Disruptor Award" at the Momentum Awards (December 2017) Named in "Black Enterprise Top 10 Under 35 in Tech" by Black Enterprise magazine (November 2017) Awarded "Top 30 Under 30" by Providence Business News (June 2012)