Rob is an Afro-futurist and founder of Cypher LLC, whose mission is to build data and knowledge management systems with the intention of bridging the digital divide faced by women-led and black owned businesses and communities. Programming is aimed at breaking isolation among groups and developing trust, then curiosity. Then building towards change. He owes his passion for technology and start-ups to his time at Event Farm, a startup that specializes in human connection and experience. His father, the family entrepreneur, cursed him with a bit of a disposition; he’s a pioneer too, and I see so much opportunity for good (work). Prior to founding Cypher, Rob has spent the past decade serving as a capacity builder and data storyteller, building visualizations and leading adult facilitation, specifically as it relates to knowledge management and non-profit data-driven culture development. He earned his bachelor’s from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, a master’s at Columbia in Learning Analytics, and is a Gates Millennium Scholar who continues to mentor fellow first-generation college students.