The Drone Woman not too long ago had the pleasure of sitting down with Bronwyn Morgan, an inspiring entrepreneur and influential chief within the drone trade.
Bronwyn Morgan is the driving pressure behind Xeo Air, Airversity Drone Pilot Academy + Consulting, and CEO of MOUV UAM. She can be the recipient of the celebrated Iris Automation Entrepreneurship Award.
With over 30 years of expertise within the tech trade, together with 16 years at P&G and The Coca-Cola Firm, Bronwyn has emerged as a serial entrepreneur devoted to innovation and the empowerment of girls in STEM.
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Caroline Dobrez: How did you get into the drone trade?
Bronwyn Morgan: I all the time wished to work in aviation and aerospace since I used to be a child. Nevertheless, I ended up going into enterprise as an alternative and labored for some Fortune 500 firms, together with P&G and Coca-Cola, specializing in technique, gross sales, and innovation. I then turned an innovation guide, and when the Half 107 certification got here to be, I bought licensed and began my firms. Now, I run Xeo Air and Airversity.
CD: How has your background at P&G and Coca-Cola influenced your work at Xeo Air and Airversity?
BM: The strong enterprise basis has been important. You’ll be able to have nice concepts, however understanding the right way to handle, interact, and create protocols and processes is important. My expertise at P&G and Coca-Cola instilled a dedication to excellence and taught me the right way to make issues distinctive and interesting to prospects. This basis helps me at this time in working my firms.
CD: Being from New Orleans, Xeo Air’s catastrophe response work notably piqued my curiosity. Are you able to share a memorable operation that Xeo Air has finished in catastrophe response?
BM: One memorable operation was throughout Hurricane Florence in South Carolina. We had been referred to as in to assemble knowledge on important areas post-hurricane. Roads had been washed out, and we needed to work collaboratively with different plane and navy enforcement. It was difficult, particularly with no electrical energy and the necessity to add knowledge. My pilot needed to drive far to get a Wi-Fi sign, and at one level, he was virtually carjacked. Regardless of the challenges, we efficiently gathered and delivered the requested knowledge.
CD: That’s unimaginable, and such necessary work. You and your firms stay on the forefront of AI. How are you incorporating AI in your drone operations?
BM: We’re engaged on machine studying in our knowledge modeling to offer higher, extra correct assessments of shoppers’ belongings and the impacts of climate. There are additionally another modern makes use of of AI that we’re exploring. The purpose is to ship predictive, prescriptive, or descriptive knowledge to assist prospects perceive what’s occurring on-site and what they should do to enhance and cut back prices.
CD: What excites you most about AI within the drone trade?
BM: AI is thrilling as a result of it’s so new, and everyone seems to be a novice to some extent. Constructing fashions and knowledge units is an extended, costly course of, but it surely holds nice potential for bettering outcomes for patrons. The problem is to exhibit that AI provides sufficient worth for patrons to be prepared to pay a premium for it.
CD: There’s quite a lot of scary rhetoric about AI within the information recently. Are there any considerations or hesitations you might have about AI?
BM: Like many, I’m cautious concerning the warnings from consultants like Stephen Hawking and Neil deGrasse Tyson relating to AI’s potential dangers. We’re nonetheless a good distance from basic AI, however incidents, the place fashions create their languages, are regarding. It’s necessary to handle these applied sciences fastidiously to keep away from unintended penalties.
CD: Shifting gears a bit of, together with the various firms you’ve began, you additionally started Black Girls in STEAM, are you able to inform us about this?
BM: Black Girls in STEAM was created to offer a community for Black girls throughout varied disciplines in science and know-how. It was a spot to be taught, develop, community, and mentor collectively. Though the group has since disbanded in Atlanta, our LinkedIn web page has over 15,000 members, together with girls and main companies seeking to recruit Black girls. I hope to construct this into a worldwide platform.
CD: You’re such an inspiration to many younger girls in STEAM, what recommendation do you might have for ladies seeking to be a part of the drone trade or STEAM fields?
BM: Do your analysis and discover mentors within the area. Volunteer or do freelance work to realize expertise. Create a path for your self, whether or not that includes going again to highschool, altering your route, or gaining further certifications. Community with like-minded folks and be a part of organizations and golf equipment that assist your pursuits. Keep persistent and by no means cease studying.
CD: What’s subsequent for you and your firms? The place can folks discover you?
BM: You’ll be able to observe me at airversity.com and zioair.com, in addition to on LinkedIn. My firm pages are additionally on Instagram and X. We’ve quite a lot of tasks within the pipeline and are busy engaged on increasing our companies and capabilities.
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