Most people in Greater Richmond did not choose to have AI arrive in their work. It showed up in a software update, a hiring conversation, or a headline about their industry. The question is no longer whether it matters. The question is who gets to be ready for it.
AI Ready RVA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to make Greater Richmond the most AI-ready region in the country. We do that through three lines of work: community programs, education, and workforce development.
Community programs are built around practitioner-led cohorts. Each one is organized by industry, including healthcare, K-12 education, human resources, marketing and creative work, finance, nonprofit operations, product, and AI governance, plus cohorts for women in AI and for veterans and first responders. Sessions are led by people who use these tools in their own jobs, which keeps the conversation close to real problems. Cohorts also produce our public programming: the Power of Possibility conference, hackathons, the R Prize, a podcast, workshops, and community happy hours.
Education work runs through partnerships with schools and colleges. We hold a Memorandum of Understanding with Virginia Commonwealth University signed at the Provost level, we run teacher summits and workshops for K-12 educators, and we deliver AI bootcamps for high school students.
Workforce development is where readiness becomes economic. We build training aligned to the U.S. Department of Labor's AI Literacy Framework, map how existing skills transfer into changing roles, and work with employers on what they actually need from the people they hire.
None of this requires a technical background. Most of the people in our rooms do not have one. Data scientists, engineers, CIOs, and founders attend regularly, and so do teachers, small business owners, career changers, and retirees.
Start wherever makes sense. Take the free AI Readiness Check, come to an event, join a cohort, or become a member.