AARI Systems Lab Opening Q1 2026

Building the Future of
Intelligent Systems

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit equipping Veterans, HBCU students, and Atlanta's youth with the hardware, infrastructure, and skills to build the next generation of AI.

Partner With Us Explore Mission
501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Nonprofit

Support the Future of AI Education

AARI is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible and directly funds hands-on AI and robotics training for Veterans, HBCU students, and underserved youth in Atlanta.

Make a Donation
Secure Payment via Stripe
Tax Receipt Provided
EIN: 41-2742893

Donations & Matching

Legal Name

Atlanta AI & Robotics Initiative Inc.

EIN (Tax ID)

41-2742893

Atlanta AI & Robotics Initiative Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN 41-2742893 is available for employer matching programs and donor tax records.

Employer Match Eligible
Tax-Deductible
Receipt Provided
0+
Students Impacted
0
School Partners
0+
GPU Hours Donated
0%
Volunteer Led

Current Funding Goals

Q1 2026 AARI Systems Lab $75,000 of $150,000
Student Compute Access Fund $18,500 of $25,000
Robotics Equipment Expansion $8,200 of $20,000
0
Currently Enrolled
0
Compute Hours (Q4)
0
Schools on Waitlist

About AARI & Our Mission
AI Infrastructure Physics

The Atlanta AI & Robotics Initiative, Inc. (AARI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to building the infrastructure workforce of tomorrow. We bridge the gap between advanced technology and community education by providing students in the Atlanta area with hands-on experience in AI, machine learning, and robotics infrastructure.

Our mission is rooted in the belief that the future of the digital economy depends on a diverse and highly skilled technical workforce. Through our curriculum and partnerships with industry leaders like Red Hat and Palo Alto Networks, we provide Scholars with access to enterprise-grade tools, including OpenShift, OpenStack, and bare-metal systems. By focusing on edge-to-cloud computing and accelerated hardware like NVIDIA Jetson and Raspberry Pi, we ensure our students are not just consumers of technology, but the architects of it.

AARI is doing something genuinely new. This isn't just Computer Science, Physics, or Electrical Engineering. It's the in-between space where the future is actually built. We are teaching AI Infrastructure Physics. One arc. One doctrine:

Energy → Silicon → Infrastructure → Models → Applications → Quantum

Every layer is built on the one below it. Nothing is learned in a vacuum.

Most programs teach students to talk about technology. AARI teaches students to operate it. By the time an AARI graduate walks into an interview, they've already run real infrastructure, deployed real models, and solved real problems on enterprise-grade hardware. Our pilot cohort at Morehouse College, 40 students strong, is proof this model works.

Bare Metal
Edge Computing
Energy to App
Quantum Ready
Student working on server rack
Group photo in garage lab
Students collaborating at table

Our Programs

Applied learning experiences bridging the gap between theory and reality.

AI Infrastructure

Direct access to GPU clusters. Students learn to rack servers, configure networks, and deploy models on bare metal.

Robotics & Vision

Building autonomous systems. From soldering circuits to programming computer vision for real-time navigation.

Systems Engineering

Linux administration, containerization (Docker/K8s), and GovCloud security protocols. Preparing Veterans and Students for the Defense Industrial Base.

Our Curriculum

Energy to App: How We Teach AI

Most programs teach Models → Applications. We teach Energy → Chips → Infrastructure → Models. Applications are the capstone, not the foundation. The robot isn't the goal. It's proof the pipeline works.

AARI students learn AI from the ground up, understanding the full physical and digital stack from power systems and silicon to deployed quantum-ready applications.

Layer 1

Energy

Power systems, efficiency, data center fundamentals

Layer 2

Chips

GPU architecture, edge computing, hardware acceleration

Layer 3

Infrastructure

Linux, networking, Kubernetes, cloud systems

Layer 4

Models

Machine learning, training, fine-tuning, deployment

Layer 5

Applications

Real-world AI products, robotics, automation, the capstone of the pipeline

Layer 6

Quantum

NVIDIA CUDA-Q

Quantum computing foundations using NVIDIA CUDA-Q, the frontier of compute

The robot isn't the goal. It's proof the pipeline works. Our students don't just use AI tools. They understand and build the systems that power them, from the first watt to the final deployed model.

Infrastructure Fellows Program

The AARI Pathway

Four 8-week levels. Real systems. Real uptime. Real outcomes. By graduation, Fellows have operated infrastructure, not just studied it.

Track A: Infrastructure + Cloud Track B: AI Systems + MLOps Track C: Robotics + Edge AI
0

Infrastructure Literacy (8 Weeks)

The Foundation

Linux, networking, security fundamentals, storage, and compute. The vocabulary of the physical layer.

Linux CLI TCP/IP Networking Security Basics Storage Architecture
1

Systems in Motion (8 Weeks)

The Stack

Virtualization, containers, Kubernetes, and observability. Systems that actually run.

Docker / Containers Kubernetes OpenShift Observability
2

Applied AI Systems (8 Weeks)

The Intelligence Layer

Inference pipelines, model deployment, and MLOps on real hardware. NVIDIA Jetson edge AI and GPU clusters.

Inference Pipelines MLOps NVIDIA Jetson Model Deployment
3

Capstone (8 Weeks)

Real System. Real Users. Real Uptime.

Fellows build, deploy, and maintain a production system with real users. Public demo. Employer showcase. The graduation is the job interview.

Production Systems Live Uptime SLA Public Demo Employer Showcase
32
Weeks Total
500+
Hands-On Hours
3
Career Tracks
$115K
First Graduate Salary

AARI Graduate Profile

Students who complete our program gain industry-recognized skills and real-world infrastructure experience.

Technical Competencies

  • Deploy and manage GPU clusters for AI workloads
  • Configure enterprise networking and security protocols
  • Build and deploy containerized applications at scale
  • Design autonomous robotics systems with computer vision
  • Implement GovCloud compliance and security standards

Professional Readiness

  • Collaborate effectively in team-based projects
  • Document technical solutions and system architectures
  • Present technical concepts to non-technical audiences
  • Troubleshoot and resolve complex infrastructure issues
  • Adapt to emerging technologies and frameworks

Industry Certifications

CompTIA Security+, AWS, Docker, and Kubernetes credentials

Career Placement

Direct pipeline to tech employers and defense contractors

Higher Education

Prepared for computer science and engineering programs

The AARI Difference

Operators, Not Observers

Most programs teach students to talk about technology. AARI teaches students to operate it. By the time an AARI graduate walks into an interview, they've already run real infrastructure, deployed real models, and solved real problems on enterprise-grade hardware.

Other Programs

Teach theory. Build toy projects. Graduate students who can describe systems they've never run.

AARI Fellows

Run production infrastructure. Deploy real AI. Graduate with uptime records, not just diplomas.

The Outcome

80% of CS graduates don't feel ready for IT work. AARI graduates already are.

Real Outcomes

Proof Points

This isn't a theory. It's a working model with measurable results.

$115K

First Graduate Placed

Our first AARI graduate landed a $115,000 infrastructure role before most of their peers had even started job searching.

40

First Cohort: Morehouse

Our inaugural cohort at Morehouse College enrolled 40 students. The model works. Now we scale it.

80%

The Gap We Close

80% of CS graduates report they don't feel ready for real IT work. AARI graduates have already done the work. The gap is closed on day one.

Academic Leadership

World-Class Educators

AARI's academic advisors bring together HBCU roots, elite research credentials, and a shared belief that representation in STEM changes the world.

CB

Dr. Carlotta Berry, PhD

#NoireSTEMinist · Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

A transformational force in STEM education and diversity, Dr. Berry brings both academic rigor and grassroots passion to AARI's mission. Spelman College and Georgia Tech alumna.

IEEE Teaching Award Forbes 50 Over 50 SWE Distinguished Educator Spelman & Georgia Tech Alumna
DJ

Dr. Dwayne Joseph, PhD

Morehouse College · Dual-Degree Engineering Coordinator

Dr. Joseph coordinates Morehouse College's Dual-Degree Engineering Program, bridging HBCU excellence with top-tier engineering institutions. Physics expertise rooted at FAMU.

Morehouse College Dual-Degree Engineering Physics / FAMU
Corporate Partnerships

Our Industry Partners

AARI partners with enterprise technology leaders to ensure our curriculum reflects the real world our graduates will enter.

Red Hat

Red Hat

Curriculum Sponsor

OpenShift, OpenStack, and enterprise Linux, the backbone of our systems curriculum.

Microsoft

Microsoft

Partnership Discussions

Cloud architecture and Azure ecosystem integration. Partnership in active development.

QTS Data Centers

QTS Data Centers

Data Center Partner

Enterprise data center infrastructure and colocation facilities supporting AARI's hands-on systems training.

NVIDIA

NVIDIA

GPU Grants · CUDA-Q

GPU hardware grants and CUDA-Q quantum computing curriculum powering our AI and quantum track.

ACCEPTED · 2026-27 COHORT

AWS Machine Learning University, 2026-27 Transformation Alliance

AARI has been accepted into the AWS-MLU 2026-27 Transformation Alliance cohort, a nationally competitive program recognizing organizations that are redefining how AI education is delivered. This isn't a certificate program. It's recognition that what we're building here is legitimately new.

5-Year Strategic Vision

From Atlanta to the World

We prove the model here. Then we scale it everywhere.

1

Phase 1

Current · Atlanta Pilot

Atlanta pilot running across 2 sites with 40 students. Prove the model. Document everything. Build the playbook.

2 sites, 40 students
Morehouse College cohort
AARI Systems Lab build-out
2

Phase 2

2026-2027 · 10 HBCUs

Expand to 10 HBCUs across the Southeast. Train the trainers. Reach 500 students per year. Build the national network.

10 HBCU partners
500 students/year
Train-the-trainers program
3

Phase 3

2028+ · Global Deployment

African deployment with solar-powered data centers. Building AI sovereignty on the continent where computing's next billion users live.

African deployment
Solar-powered data centers
AI sovereignty mission

Student Success Stories

Real students, real impact. See how AAIRI is shaping the next generation of tech leaders.

JT

Jaylen Thompson

Westlake High School, Junior

"Before AAIRI, I thought AI was just for people at big tech companies. Now I've trained my own computer vision model and I'm applying to Georgia Tech for CS."
Currently working on: Autonomous drone navigation system
AM

Aaliyah Mitchell

Mays High School, Senior

"Learning to rack servers and configure networks gave me skills I never knew I needed. I got an internship at a data center this summer!"
Currently working on: Kubernetes cluster management
DW

DeShawn Williams

BEST Academy, Sophomore

"The robotics program sparked something in me. I went from never coding to building a robot that can navigate mazes. This is what I want to do forever."
Currently working on: Robotic arm with computer vision

How Your Donation Works

Every dollar goes directly to empowering students with real-world tech skills.

$100

20 GPU compute hours for a student project

$1,500

One student's complete hardware kit

Linux laptop, edge device, monitor, storage & peripherals - theirs to keep

Scholarship
Funds

Support tuition, books, and fees for AUC-bound scholars

Program
Funds

Power the 10-week summer internship for David Mykel Taylor Scholars

David Mykel Taylor Scholars Program

A pilot scholarship and talent pipeline supporting high-potential APS students on their path to AUC institutions. Hardware ownership + technical training + academic support.

Learn More
501(c)(3) Verified
Tax-deductible donations
GuideStar
Charity Nav
Download Annual Report

Hardware Wishlist

Help us build the AARI Systems Lab. We accept new and gently used enterprise equipment.

NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPUs

8 of 20 donated

Dell PowerEdge Servers

2 of 5 donated

10GbE Network Switches

1 of 3 donated

UPS Battery Backups

0 of 4 donated

NVMe SSDs 2TB

12 of 30 donated

Have equipment to donate?

Contact Us to Donate

Our Partners & Supporters

Thank you to the organizations and individuals making our mission possible.

Platinum Partners

Partner Logo
Partner Logo
Your Logo Here

Gold Partners

Partner Logo
Partner Logo
Partner Logo
Your Logo Here

Silver Partners

Logo
Logo
Logo
Logo
Logo

Hardware Heroes

Special thanks to individuals and companies who have donated equipment

Anonymous Donor - 4x RTX 4090 Tech Surplus Inc. - Server Rack DataCenter Refresh - Networking Your Name Here
"Partnering with AAIRI has been incredible. Seeing students go from never touching a server to confidently managing GPU clusters shows the real impact of hands-on education."
Partner Representative
Technology Partner

Support Our Mission

Every donation powers student access to cutting-edge AI infrastructure. $1,500 sponsors one student's complete hardware kit. Scholarship funds cover tuition, books, and fees. Program funds support our 10-week summer internship.

One-time Make it monthly

$250 powers 50 hours of GPU compute time for student projects - or contribute $1,500 for a full student hardware kit

Does your employer match gifts? Contact us for matching gift info.

Contact Us Donate Hardware

AAIRI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Stay Connected

Get quarterly impact reports and updates on how your support is making a difference.

We respect your privacy and will never share your information.