Pitch Deck
AI Studio Teams
Portfolio-Based Pathways to AI-Era Careers
Stanford CREATE+AI Finals
Track 3: Augment Career Opportunities
The Experience Paradox
System Failure Detected
The Ladder is Broken.
Entry-level roles—the traditional first rung of the career ladder—are being automated away.
"You need experience to get the job... but you need the job to get experience."
Predict AI will displace fresh graduates.
Decline in entry-level tech postings (Industry Hiring Data).
Don't Give Them the Fish.
Teach Them to Fish.
Most AI training teaches prompts that expire in months. We build AI resilience through real business challenges—metacognitive skills that transfer across any AI tool, because tools change, but the way you THINK persists.
Giving Fish
"Here is a prompt for ChatGPT."
(Brittle. Expires quickly. Tool-specific.)
Teaching to Fish
"Here is how to THINK about any problem."
(Durable. Transfers everywhere. Human-centered.)
SkaFld Trailhead
The Platform for Building Adaptive AI Skills Through Project-Based Learning
Trailhead AI Coach
Guides problem decomposition through Socratic questioning—teaches thinking, not answers.
Employer Review Portal
Industry partners validate work samples—real feedback from real professionals.
Teacher Dashboard
Real-time visibility into student progress—freeing teachers to focus on relationships.
12-Week Learning Journey
Result: Portfolios that prove authentic human capability—skills AI can't replicate, validated by employers.
From Crutch to Catalyst
AI as Coach: Teaching how to think—AI guides, students discover
Four Pillars, Backed by Learning Science
Integrated into every project—building capability employers can verify.
Portfolio Over Credentials
Work samples predict job success 5x better than grades.
Schmidt & Hunter, 1998Social Learning & Mentorship
Teachers lead weekly sessions. Seniors mentor Sophomores. AI amplifies human connection.
Topping, 2005Employer Integration
Real projects with real stakes transfer better than simulation.
Lave & Wenger, 1991Responsible AI Practices
Students learn WHY ethical boundaries matter—active judgment, not just rules.
UNESCO, 2021The SkaFld Ideation Methodology
Research Wide. Validate Narrow.
1. Escape the Trap
"We know our industry."
2. Research Wide
3. Validate Narrow
Translate patterns back to the problem.
"The best solution to your problem likely exists in a field you've never explored."
El Segundo: The Perfect Pilot
Nation's densest aerospace & tech corridor. 5 schools. 3,400 students.
(8 Teams)
(Boeing, Northrop)
(Year 1 Goal)
(Employer-Rated)
Target
Universal Design for Learning
Moving beyond access to Universal Learning—portfolios based on capability, not background.
Explicit Parity Targets
- 50% Female / Male Ratio
- 40% Free/Reduced Lunch
- 30% First-Generation College
Barrier-Free Entry
No coding prerequisites
No GPA requirements
No equipment costs
Selection based on interest and commitment
The Right Team to Execute
Technology • Design • Policy
Former CTO, LA Clippers & UTA
Founder, SkaFld Studio
Board Member, El Segundo Economic Development Committee
Advisory Scholar, mediaX at Stanford
Co-chair, Joint SDG Fund Breakthrough Alliance
Managing Partner, StrategicAlignment.ai
Delegate Assembly, CA School Boards Association
COO, SkaFld Studio
Co-Founder, Lyfe AI & Defy Mortgage
Full-stack Developer & Architect
Rebuilding the Bridge to Careers
The first dollar is the hardest. This is that dollar.
The Ask: $50,000
Stanford CREATE+AI is the catalyst that proves the model and unlocks what comes next.
Sustainability: District CTE contracts and employer partners fund ongoing operations beyond Year 1.
AI Studio Teams
Teaching the Next Generation to Fish.
Human-centered · Interdisciplinary · Portfolio-proven