Ethọ́s Lab: Building cultural infrastructure for the age of AI

Artificial intelligence is reshaping our world at an unprecedented pace – changing how we learn, work, and solve problems in our communities. As this transformation accelerates, a critical question comes into focus: how do we ensure these advances expand opportunity, strengthen institutions, and reflect the voices of the people they impact?

Microsoft Elevate is our commitment to ensuring this transformation expands opportunity for everyone, and it comes to life through community led partnerships grounded in responsible AI and co-creation.

One Canadian organization leading the charge in this space is Ethọ́s Lab – a Vancouver-based, Black-led, not-for-profit that seeks to empower youth to become the creators, not just the consumers, of technology.

“Ethọ́s Lab’s mission is to empower youth to transform their communities and shift the culture of innovation,” shared Anthonia Ogundele, Founder and Executive Director of Ethọ́s Lab.

Their mission compliments our own, empowering youth aged 10 to 18 through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, applied arts and math) programming, and young adults aged 19 to 30 through work-integrated learning .

“As an urban planner, I know how important it is for young people to have a space in the city. And as a mom, I wanted to create a place where my young person could not just feel seen but also gain skills to prepare herself for the future,” she expressed.

In 2026, they are laser focused on AI. Cognizant of the rapid acceleration rate of emerging technologies, Anthonia recognizes this moment as a critical window for underrepresented voices to get more seats at the table.

“AI adoption doesn’t just require technical infrastructure,” articulated Anthonia. “It requires cultural infrastructure and Ethọ́s Lab sits at that intersection – we provide young people with the mentorship, skills, and culturally affirming environment they need to access the future.”

While open to all youth, the organization integrates Black culture into their workshops, courses, events, and camps. Their programming centres community through the Ubuntu Innovation Framework – a methodology of their own design that blends traditional design thinking with the African philosophy of Ubuntu: I am, because we are.

“We have a mandate of increasing the representation of marginalized groups in STEAM, and in this age of AI, we’re leaning in to ensure we’re building an inclusive future for all,” she added.

“That’s why we connected with Microsoft back in 2020,” she recalled. Through past projects like Transformation Mask, she’d observed Microsoft empower creativity with technology in ways that are accessible to diverse communities.

“Over the years, we’ve scaled our partnership in breadth and depth, always evolving to meet the moment,” shared Pamela Saunders, Microsoft Vancouver R&D Site Director. “From an online hackathon in 2020, to workshops and field trips that prioritize agency in the connections they’re making with our employees.”

Mentorship from Microsoft developers has played a central role, with volunteers leading initiatives like Solutions Studio – a multi-week program where youth cohorts explored different technical and cultural aspects of emerging technologies via community impact projects – and bringing the Black-a-thon – Ethọ́s Lab’s signature Black History Hackathon – to life annually.

“The heart of it has always been co-creation,” expressed Anthonia.

It was 2021 that Ethọ́s Lab first began introducing artificial intelligence to young people. “We’d partnered with a university professor and founder of local AI startup, Cortic Technology, on programs where youth learned about text to speech, facial recognition and the back end of large language models by experimenting with Raspberry Pi and LEGO kits,” remembered Anthonia.

Since then, the AI landscape has transformed rapidly and dramatically. “We’ve evolved our partnership with Microsoft under a shared vision of ensuring that young people are equipped to meet the realities of the AI revolution,” explained Anthonia. “And as an organization, we believe we are ready to support the families and communities looking to navigate this future.”

Ethọ́s Lab is all in and focused on putting youth in the driver’s seat.

Through The Bridge Program, a cohort-based work-integrated learning initiative, Ethọ́s Lab offers young adults aged 19 to 30 the opportunity to learn professional skills and expand their networks while developing an ‘AI Mindset.’

Participants, often post-secondary students, onboard as Program Support Associates (PSAs).

“We go to different schools and deliver Ethọ́s Lab programming to elementary and secondary  students,” explained Peter-John (PJ) Muhigi, Ethọ́s Lab PSA and fourth year student at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

The program leverages a train-the-trainer model. Part One involves strengthening their own AI fluency, pairing Microsoft volunteers – serving as AI Mindset coaches – with PSAs to explore AI concepts, tools, and ethics through mentorship and hands-on learning. Throughout, they engage with some of Microsoft Elevate’s AI Fluency training material on LinkedIn Learning.

“Everyone my age knows AI is a really big thing,” noted PJ. “But these skills are not something every student gets the chance to learn. So, when I heard that we’d be learning about AI and using it hands on with a mentor, I was really excited.”

So was Karl Harriau, Senior Product Manager on the SharePoint AI team here in Vancouver and PJ’s AI Mindset Coach. “I’m a big learner. That’s what I love about Microsoft – we learn every day about the latest technology available.” As a newcomer to Canada, this was the right opportunity for him to create impact while setting new roots.

“Karl made it easy for me to understand,” shared PJ, who appreciated the inside look at his mentor’s day-to-day with AI. The exposure empowered him to develop unique ways of implementing tools like Microsoft Copilot into his own workflows.

“We started off by learning about prompt engineering,” recalled PJ.  “And by the end, PJ actually coded custom agents using natural language designed to help him with both his studies and his work at Ethọ́s,” continued Karl.

In addition to working with their Microsoft Mentors, participants learn the ins and out of the Ubuntu Framework. Armed with increased AI literacy synthesized with organizational knowledge, PSAs are better equipped to deliver Ethọ́s Lab’s AI-forward programming to younger students.

“Seeing PJ’s evolution with artificial intelligence has been phenomenal,” gushed Anthonia. “He led our youth AI working group and workshops introducing young people to AI, while simultaneously facilitating conversations with staff and youth exploring ethics and bias within this rapidly evolving technology.”

“That’s when I felt like an AI champion for real,” admitted PJ, who is now one of Ethọ́s Lab’s AI Ambassadors. “He stresses the importance of understanding what this technology is, and how youth can leverage it for good,” remarked Anthonia.

When the program wraps, each participant walks away fortified with the skills, network and perspective required to pursue careers in British Columbia’s innovation ecosystem.

“Artificial Intelligence is one of the biggest innovations of our time, and it’s important that all young people have access to this technology and to this learning,” affirmed Anthonia.

While The Bridge Program goes deep, Ethọ́s Lab has also refined this year’s Black-a-thon – their signature Black History Hackathon – in more broad service of the same mission.

The event brings over one hundred youth from across the region to Microsoft’s downtown Vancouver office for a day of problem solving focused on community development, with a particular emphasis on Black innovation.

At the end of last year’s hack, Anthonia challenged her team to face artificial intelligence head on and leverage these globally relevant tools to craft homegrown solutions.

“This year, we’re leveraging the power of generative AI to create a vision for the future of Hogan’s Valley,” she explained.

Once known as the “Harlem of the North,” Hogan’s Alley was home to Vancouver’s Black diaspora community. Famously a touchdown for touring musicians like Ezra Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole, it hosted hotspot venues like “Vie’s Chicken and Steak House” that welcomed locals and travelers from all walks of life.

In the 1970s, the neighbourhood was destroyed to make way for the construction of the Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts, which the City of Vancouver has committed to removing by the end of this decade. Hogan’s Alley Society (HAS) – another local not-for-profit – is leading redevelopment of Hogan’s Alley, and they are eager for youth input.

To bring the hackathon to life, more than twenty volunteer mentors from across Microsoft Vancouver’s product teams and dev roles stepped up. Each guided a team of youth as they leveraged Microsoft Copilot and other generative AI tools to work through Ethọ́s Lab’s Ubuntu Innovation Framework.

Like all of Ethọ́s Lab’s programming, this flagship event encourages youth to honour the past while building for the future. The end goal? To design a venue for the new Hogan’s Alley, one inspired by Vie’s legacy – where they see themselves reflected and everyone is welcome.

Responsible AI learning objectives addressing important concepts like bias, environmental sustainability and accountability were gamified in every step of the process, empowering teams to learn best practices in prompt engineering while strengthening critical thinking.

By the end of the day, teams pitched to judges, each including a record of their workflows, visuals to represent look, feel and vibe, and a minute-long video showcasing their proposed venue in action.

“It’s amazing to know that these things actually happen around us,” shared Black-a-thon 2026 participant, Chibueze. “Having the opportunity to design something that impacts our community in such a positive way is very empowering for me, and we have a lot of amazing tools to work with.”

“Microsoft Copilot is a critical part of the Ethọ́s Lab Black-a-Thon,” expressed Anthonia. “Because Copilot is a big part of the technical fabric of our school systems and communities.”

Every year, once the main event wraps, Ethọ́s Lab staff repackage the experience for PSAs to deliver directly to thousands of students in classrooms across Vancouver, Surrey, Coquitlam, and West Vancouver school districts, all of whom leverage Microsoft tools for operations and in the classroom.

“Things are changing quickly, and the impacts are across all sectors,” noted Pamela. “The Black-a-thon and Bridge programs complement each other, one building momentum and the other depth.”

“Through our partnership with Microsoft, we’re supporting youth in strengthening their agency by building AI fluency and skills,” stated .

“There’s so much strength in co-creation,” expressed Pamela, reflecting on the different ways we’ve teamed up with Ethọ́s Lab to empower youth and educators with AI. “And for our employees, these projects are meaningful opportunities for them to apply their expertise as innovators in service of Microsoft’s mission.”

“I’ve been lucky to work at Microsoft for many years,” agreed Karl Harriau. “I want to transmit my knowledge to others so they can access similar opportunities in the future.”

Through local partnerships with organizations like Ethọ́s Lab and global commitments like Elevate, we’re working to equip people and organizations with the AI skills, tools, and guidance they need to thrive in an AI‑powered economy – putting people first and ensuring AI serves everyone.

“Ethọ́s has taken these building blocks and made them theirs,” commented Pamela.

And that’s not all. Next year, the team is taking Black-a-thon national, expanding to run in both Vancouver and Toronto. And in Spring 2026, Ethọ́s Lab is growing their headquarters at 177 East 3^rd Avenue in central Vancouver to include a 4000 square foot production space stocked with creative tools from 3D printers to biomechanics machinery to a vlog space.

“Young people need a space to experiment, ask questions, and understand the ethics behind developing these future skills,” shared Anthonia. “We believe this model of community-based skill building is critical in the age of AI.”

Just a few blocks from the Hogan’s Alley site, they’ll be co-locating with the HAS team as well as UBC Geering Up, working with the latter to jointly offer expanded STEAM education pathways.

“It’s a vision realized,” furthered Anthonia. “A physical place where young people can explore and create with access to mentors, tools, resources, and the supportive community and culturally affirming learning environment that empowers them to gain future ready skills.”

With an expanded footprint and a national Black-a-thon on the horizon, Ethọ́s Lab is rising to meet the moment. “The spirit of Ubuntu is alive here, and we believe this model serves as an important prototype for what AI adoption could look like nationally,” stated Anthonia.

“That’s what we’re doing here at Ethọ́s Lab,” she affirmed. “In partnership with organizations like Microsoft, we’re creating solutions that keep people at the center. We cannot have a future for all if we’re not creating it with all of us.”