doyenne360 in Memphis for Start Co – Sky High Social Impact Cohort – doyenne360

Memphis: Music. BBQ. Sunshine. And for the lucky few selected for the Accelerator cohort with Start Co, it means 100 days of pedal to the metal business and tech acceleration for our startups.

doyenne360 was selected to participate in this summer’s cohort as a member of the Sky High EdTech Accelerator.

As a newcomer to Memphis, I thought I’d take a moment to introduce myself.

I’m Kristian Kimbro Rickard, founder and CEO of doyenne360, a woman-owned, social impact technology startup.

I’m a long-time woman in tech, and I’d relocated to Tennessee from Seattle, WA where I worked for Microsoft headquarters.

doyenne360’s technology platform is built with innovative advanced analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) cloud technology by Microsoft.

doyenne360 is a financially-supported member of the Microsoft for Startups program. We received $360,000 in cloud compute credits, which will allow us to continue to provide innovative solutions across industry verticals with reduced cost to our customers.

I’m currently in Memphis with StartCo. Together, we aim to bring the innovative technology typically associated with the West Coast to Memphis to enable competitive advantage of Memphis businesses, and to enhance the lives of Memphians.

And we’re starting with the children of Memphis.

I understand there’s a 48% child poverty rate in Memphis and a large digital divide. This is a sign of much more than a story about the haves and the have nots — it’s a tragedy. And all of us should care.

The United States is only as strong as our most vulnerable communities.

For the U.S. to remain competitive leaders in the global digital economy, we must close the digital divide.

I believe we must ensure students — all students — including those in underserved communities, such as students of color and girls — have the opportunity to pursue careers in STEM fields, especially technology.

In Sky High, we’re focusing on our product called STEMLEX. doyenne360’s technical platform is built with Microsoft cloud technologies, and STEMLEX is a video-based learning application developed on that platform.

At @doyenne360, we’re solving big, messy problems in education with our solution called STEMLEX. STEMLEX is modular curriculum + STEM hands-on activity kits + AI-powered enabling technology. We’ve set out to make it really easy for educators to get the STEM session materials they want, when they want it.

I believe bringing the doyenne360 business model and our Microsoft tech platform to Memphis has potential to improve the way of life for Memphians, set children of Memphis up for success, and contribute to the economic prosperity and security of our Nation and its citizens.

While in Memphis, I’m looking to connect with those of you who share a passion about empowering our Nation’s youth. It’s exciting to think about what can be accomplished within this initial 100 days of the Sky High accelerator and beyond. We are better, stronger, faster — together.

I look forward to meeting you.

#doSTEMNXT