Inaugural Emerging Tech Impact Cohort culminates with students presenting technology-driven solutions to real-world challenges.
The College of Staten Island’s Innovation Hub celebrated the successful completion of its inaugural Verizon-sponsored Emerging Tech Impact Cohort on Thursday, June 11, as Staten Island high school students presented innovative technology-driven solutions to real-world community challenges.
Over seven weeks, students explored artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, design thinking, and emerging technologies before applying those skills to develop technology-driven solutions to real-world challenges. The program culminated in a Tech Showcase where students pitched their solutions, demonstrating the skills they developed throughout the seven-week program.
Working in teams, students tackled issues ranging from healthcare access and financial literacy to childhood education.
Team Purple presented MediWait, an application designed to help older adults locate physical therapy providers with real-time appointment availability. Team Technites developed HustleStack, a platform that helps teenagers discover employment opportunities while managing work schedules, tracking income, and building financial literacy skills. The Fantastic 3 introduced LitQuest, a gamified educational platform designed to encourage children to build stronger reading habits through interactive learning experiences.
The program was led by Seyi Fakoya, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Gamr, whose experience in technology entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence provided students with practical insight into emerging technologies and product development. Throughout the program, participants were also mentored by College of Staten Island students from the Computer Science and Nursing programs, creating a near-peer learning experience that strengthened both their projects and presentation skills.
Seyi shared, “We started this program with students who were curious about AI, curious about entrepreneurship, and curious about solving real problems. Over five weeks, they went from zero to understanding how to actually build a product, problem identification, customer discovery, market size, go-to-market strategy and how to think like entrepreneurs, not just for Staten Island, but for New York State as a whole. They used AI to build their prototypes, including their own websites. It was an incredible program, and watching these students grow so quickly was genuinely inspiring.”
“Artificial intelligence is changing the way we learn, work, and solve problems,” said Jasmine Cardona, Executive Director of the College of Staten Island’s Division of Economic Development and Community Partnerships. “Our responsibility isn’t simply to introduce students to new technologies. It’s to help them develop curiosity, critical thinking, and confidence to use those technologies to solve meaningful problems and navigate the future of work. That’s exactly what this program was designed to do.”
The showcase concluded with awards recognizing outstanding achievement in innovation, business planning, and community impact, while CSI student mentors were recognized for the guidance and encouragement they provided throughout the seven-week program.
The Emerging Tech Impact Cohort reflects a shared commitment between Verizon and the College of Staten Island to expand access to frontier technology education and create meaningful opportunities for young people to explore future careers in technology and innovation.
“At Verizon, we’re committed to digital inclusion, which is why we proudly sponsored the Emerging Tech Impact Cohort to expand equitable tech access to high-demand fields like AI, VR/AR, coding, and cybersecurity. Seeing these students collaborate in teams to design innovative solutions for real community challenges demonstrate exactly how technology can drive meaningful social and economic impact right here on Staten Island,” said Ashley Greenspan of Verizon’s State and Local Government Affairs team.
Programs like the Emerging Tech Impact Cohort are part of the CSI Innovation Hub’s growing portfolio of initiatives that connect education, industry, and frontier technologies to help students and the community navigate the future of work.
