The AI Native Generation: How a 22-Year-Old is Bridging Education and Industry

As AI reshapes every industry, who better to learn from than someone who's never known work without it? Join us for a special guest edition of AGI (Advance, Grow, and Innovate with AI) featuring Kimba Evans, who as a Work-Based Learning Coordinator and Career Scholarship Manager of Career+ Pathways by Skyepack in Lafayette, Indiana, "Has ChatGPT open all day"!

Kimba represents something unprecedented: the first generation to enter the workforce alongside accessible AI tools, offering a unique perspective on rapid adaptation and human-AI collaboration. At just 22, she's had to quickly learn to integrate AI into her graduate research and professional work, making her a perfect example of how young professionals are navigating this transformation. From revolutionizing her research process to connecting high school students with tomorrow's careers, she's living proof that the future of work is less about AI replacing humans and more about humans who can rapidly adapt to work with AI.

What You'll Learn:

Practical AI integration strategies - How Kimba cut her research time by 75% and what that means for knowledge work across industries

Future workforce insights - What employers actually need from the next generation (spoiler: it's not just technical skills)

Navigating the authenticity challenge - How to distinguish real from AI-generated content in an increasingly synthetic world

Key Discussion Points:

The transformation of academic research and professional development through AI tools

Why diversity in AI development is essential for business success

How gender representation in STEM and manufacturing is evolving with AI adoption

The environmental costs of AI development and what young professionals think about it

Real-world changes in hiring processes and job applications

The future of ambient computing and seamless human-AI interaction

Generational differences in technology adoption and social media usage

Building bridges between traditional education and emerging career pathways

Kimba's work spans manufacturing, healthcare, and banking sectors, giving her a ground-level view of how AI is actually being implemented across industries.

Whether you're a business leader planning your AI strategy, an educator preparing students for an uncertain future, or a professional wondering how to stay relevant in an AI-driven world, this conversation offers invaluable insights from someone living at the intersection of education, technology, and career development.

This episode provides a refreshing perspective from the generation that will inherit our AI-transformed world, pragmatic, tech-savvy, and deeply aware of both AI's extraordinary potential and its significant challenges.

Kimba Evans

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimba-evans-a22088283/

Connect with Jason (Human in the Loop) Padgett -Human AI Collaboration Coach

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-grant-padgett/

Email: [email protected]

Phoenix Solutions Group- From insight to action, we lead the way!

https://www.phoenixsolutionsgroup.org/

Other Media:

The Silicon Heartland Today & Silicon Heartland Hoy Newsletters -  Tech news from the Midwest, in the languages that move it.

English: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/silicon-heartland-today-7286917620648357888 

Spanish: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/silicon-heartland-hoy-7324998363148361728

Affiliate Links: 

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Riverside.fm - Turn one recording into a week’s worth of content.https://riverside.sjv.io/e1xyBr