Colaberry Work of the Future Ecosystem

Your bio:

Ram Dhan Yadav Katamaraja is a tech entrepreneur committed to leverage technology and education in preparing the workforce of the future. In 2012, he founded Colaberry while on a mission to help U.S. veterans transition into rewarding civilian careers. Under his leadership, Colaberry grew into a company that now serves individuals from all backgrounds in pursuit of data-driven careers as well as enterprises in need of data talent and reskilling/upskilling workforce solutions. Colaberry has helped over 10,000 individuals from over 45 countries to transition into data analytics and data science jobs. 

Ram holds a Master of Arts from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Technology from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. He regularly presents at work of the future events, and has spoken at the United Nations, World Bank, Harvard Business School, and MIT.

Project name:

Colaberry Work of the Future Ecosystem

One-line project summary:

Our inclusive career development ecosystem provides direct pathways to good jobs in the workplace of tomorrow.

Present your project.

Amongst the most pressing issues facing many countries across the globe is access of working-class adults to good jobs and availability of skilled talent. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the number of displaced workers in need of innovative training solutions. Existing education and training programs are often ineffective: they are not nimble enough to respond timely to market shifts and needs. Consequently, millions of people are left behind while the lack of skilled workforce stunts business growth and inhibits economic development. 

Colaberry offers a unique ecosystem of people, processes, and technology to develop in-demand skills for the future of work. We aim to radically transform outdated educational models through skill-based learning to provide a more direct pathway between education and employment.

Submit a video.

What specific problem are you solving?

“By 2030 as many as 375 million workers - or roughly 14 percent of the global workforce - may need to switch occupational categories as digitization, automation, and advances in artificial intelligence disrupt the world of work.” (The McKinsey Global Institute)

The unfolding COVID-19 crisis is accelerating this anticipated pace of technological disruption around the world. An increasing number of mundane jobs is becoming automated, workers are being displaced. Although new roles are being created, this transition is a world-wide challenge and poses a huge threat to the success of companies and employees if not executed correctly. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will impact every industry and profession across the world. The emergence of these technologies will increase productivity, customer satisfaction, and economic growth. However, it will also transform the workplace and redefine the roles and skills needed. This requires businesses to restructure their processes and reevaluate their talent, strategies, and workforce needs. The key challenge here is putting in place effective training programs to help millions of their workers gain in-demand skills quickly so they can shift to new occupational categories as new technologies are being adopted in the workplace at an increasing rate.

What is your project?

Colaberry Work of the Future ecosystem provides in-demand skills training programs with critical wraparound services to enable successful career transition. Our solution caters to any skill level and provides the pillars of support needed to grasp not only key data and tech skills, but also develop critical human skills such as communication, collaboration, confidence, critical thinking, perseverance, and time management.

We offer instructor-led and self-paced training in data analytics, data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Colaberry courses are designed from the ground-up to focus on the latest tools and approaches to working with data, and on developing integral human skills to assure long-term professional success in the field. 

Our learners have access to a highly curated support system to ensure career success, and  are supported by industry-seasoned mentors who provide interview practice sessions and personalized job coaching. Additional wrap-around services include job placement assistance and professional development opportunities. All supports continue for 12 months after program completion and are provided by staff and Colaberry alumni volunteers. Different models of career entry are embedded into the program, such as internships, externships and virtual apprenticeships.

Who does your project serve, and in what ways is the project impacting their lives?

Our inclusive learning and career development ecosystem provides concrete solutions to individuals in need of market-relevant skills. Our video assignments, facial recognition, real-time feedback, and ongoing mentor support promote effective communication for success in the workplace. 

We serve mostly working-class, mid-career workers, emerging students without market relevant skills, workers without degrees, workers in failing industries, and low-skilled and/or frontline workers - those who are at the highest risk for displacement and restricted from career growth and earning higher wages.  

Our community of learners is a highly diverse population hailing from 45 different countries, and different ethnicities, races, religions, genders, education, and income brackets. We have impacted over 10,000 individuals. Many of our learners have transitioned successfully from low-paying jobs to promising, high-paying, data-driven careers within 12 months. Up-to-date, Colaberry has generated a $100M wage gain.

Which dimension of The Elevate Prize does your project most closely address?

Explain how your project relates to The Elevate Prize and your selected dimension.

Colaberry is committed to building a world of data thinkers who embrace technology, and ensuring that both individuals and organizations are prepared to succeed in the future workplace. Our career development ecosystem democratizes data education by enabling everyone regardless of age, race, education, income, or current occupation to have a sustainable, rewarding and successful career in a world powered by technology and AI. Our career development ecosystem is positioned to play a vital role in bridging the opportunity and skill gap to meet new industry needs and the evolving market demand. 

How did you come up with your project?

I founded Colaberry in 2012 with a small group of dedicated and passionate technologists, committed to serving our community. At the heart of our mission was the desire to honor US military veterans by equipping them with skills and knowledge to pursue rewarding civilian careers-all for free.

The first cohort of five veterans was an instant success. Soon, we had others knocking on our doors. In 2012, the growing demand for our program led us to turn our part-time passion project into a full-time operation, known now as Colaberry. We expanded our mission to serve individuals from all backgrounds and have been transforming lives ever since.

Why are you passionate about your project?

I firmly believe that innovation and technology should bring people together; it should not create larger divides and opportunity gaps. We intend to be a catalyst that fosters employer-led movements to expand economic and career advancement opportunities for workers. 

Nothing exists today that resembles Colaberry’s reskilling and career transition ecosystem needed to promote success in the future of work - one that facilitates seamless movements in and out of learning and work. We are on a mission to serve as the learning ecosystem of the future, teaching people how to translate key skills from one industry to another. Individuals will overcome AI-induced adversity by gaining future-ready skills and gainful employment – constantly retooling themselves for the future. 

Our ecosystem is built on the foundation of inclusivity, empathy and a dedication to use technological innovations as a force for good and to ensure that everyone —regardless of age, race, income, skill level or current occupation—has the opportunity to thrive in an AI-driven world. Our solution aims to bridge the existing opportunity and skill gaps, helping individuals overcome adversity and organizations overcome disruption.

Why are you well-positioned to deliver this project?

We are forward-thinking, mission-driven technologists and data scientists with unique perspectives and backgrounds that have enabled the development of a dynamic and innovative future of work ecosystem. Every individual has the chance to succeed if given the opportunity has led to the ongoing success of our programs. 

Our solution offers a unique ecosystem of people, processes and technology to develop in-demand skills for the future of work. We aim to radically transform outdated educational models through skill-based learning to provide a more direct pathway between education and employment.

Colaberry's proven impact has been recognized as a scalable solution to address the global future of work challenge. In 2018, MIT Solve selected our talent training platform, Refactored, as the "Most Promising Work of the Future" solution from over 1,100 global submissions. Notably, Refactored also received General Motors' Prize for Advanced Technologies, McGovern Foundation's AI for the Betterment of Humanity Prize, and MIT Solve's Community Favorite Award. Most recently, our solution was selected by JFF Labs supported by Schmidt Futures as a finalist for the $1 Billion Wage Gain Challenge out of over 90 submissions. 

Provide an example of your ability to overcome adversity.

We train many individuals from marginalized populations, who cope with low self-esteem. Those students often do not believe they can succeed. We have gone through many failures and successes to come up with the right approach to empower those students to believe in their own abilities. 

For example, one of our learners, Kodjovi, an immigrant from Togo, was suffering from speech impairment. Despite holding a Masters degree  in Information Systems, his severe stutter held him back. He ended up working as a TV technician because he did not believe in himself and his ability to overcome his stuttering. My team and I were at first struggling to effectively help Kodjovi overcome his speech impairment that was holding him back. After much brainstorming and numerous iterations, we created a program and built a tool for Kodjovi and others to develop their communication skills. Kodjovi successfully completed our training program and has been climbing the career ladder ever since. He is currently a Data Services IT Manager. 

Describe a past experience that demonstrates your leadership ability.

Our ecosystem creates and nurtures an active community of students, instructors and mentors. We ask graduates to become mentors and help the next generation of students. These mentors function as role models because they have similar backgrounds and have gone through the program successfully. 70% of our students are underserved minorities. Most of them are not even sure what exactly they will be learning. They trust us to show them the path to success and to bring them into a community that supports them without judgement. 

Last year, I worked with my team to organize our first-ever alumni day on our campus in Texas to highlight the power of our community. It was a great success. Many of the alumni shared their inspirational stories of our training’s impact on their personal and professional lives. At Colaberry, we build a community that does not judge individuals based on their past, but encourages people to succeed moving forward.

How long have you been working on your project?

Colaberry beginnings go back to 2012.

Where are you headquartered?

What type of organization is your project?