Why I Launched the AI Workforce Portal—and Why It Matters Now - The place Gwinnett residents trust to explain what’s happening

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Smart Cities Need AI-Ready Workforces

By Audrey Bell-Kearney

Creator Of The AI Workforce Portal
President, Gwinnett Women’s Chamber of Commerce
AI Workforce Strategist

I launched the AI Workforce Portal because I could see what was coming long before the headlines caught up.

Working closely with small businesses—mostly women-owned—I watched incredibly capable people struggle, not because they lacked talent or work ethic, but because the pace of artificial intelligence was accelerating faster than the support systems around them. Too many entrepreneurs, workers, and job seekers were quietly at risk of being left behind in the AI age.

At the same time, I understood the reality of local government. Cities and counties are focused on running communities—public safety, infrastructure, housing, and economic development at scale. AI readiness for small businesses, while critically important, isn’t always at the top of the agenda.

So I made a decision.

If I had the skills, the experience, and the ability to translate AI into something practical and usable, then it was my responsibility as a community leader to step in.

That’s how the AI Workforce Portal was born.

From Concern to Action

I didn’t want to create another platform that talked about AI. I wanted to build something that showed people how to use it—clearly, confidently, and without needing a technical background.

As an AI Workforce strategist, my focus is simple:
help people and businesses adapt, upskill, and thrive in a changing economy.

The AI Workforce Portal is designed to do exactly that by offering:

Hands-on AI labs that can be taught in 90 minutes
No-code AI tools and web apps people can actually build and use
Workforce-ready skills for job seekers
Business-ready automation for entrepreneurs
Practical use cases that solve real problems

This isn’t theory. It’s application.

Why a Platform Like This Is Necessary

AI is not a future issue—it’s a present one. Businesses are already using it to streamline operations, reduce costs, and make faster decisions. Workers are being asked to do more, faster, with fewer resources.

Without access to practical AI education, the gap widens:

Between large corporations and small businesses
Between tech-savvy workers and everyone else
Between communities that adapt early and those that struggle to catch up

The AI Workforce Portal exists to close that gap.

Built Local, Designed for the World

While my work is deeply rooted in Gwinnett County, I intentionally built the AI Workforce Portal so it could be used by community leaders anywhere in the world. Chambers of commerce, workforce boards, libraries, nonprofits, and educators can all use the platform as a model for AI workforce development.

The challenges we’re facing locally are not unique—and neither are the solutions.

The Power of the Data

One of the most powerful aspects of the AI Workforce Portal is the data it can generate. As people engage with the platform, it reveals:

Which AI skills are most in demand
Where businesses are struggling or succeeding
How workforce readiness is changing over time
What tools and training actually move the needle

That data becomes insight—and insight becomes smarter decisions, better programs, and stronger communities.

A Personal Commitment to Small Businesses

While local government handles the big-picture responsibilities, I’ve chosen to use my talents, skills, and expertise to support small businesses directly—because I want to see them thrive, not just survive.

The AI Workforce Portal is my way of making sure opportunity doesn’t belong only to the biggest companies or the most technical people. It’s a declaration that AI should work for communities, not against them.

And this is just the beginning.

Audrey Bell-Kearney is an AI Workforce Strategist and national voice on rebuilding the American middle class in the age of artificial intelligence. Through her books The AI Middle Class Blueprint and Family Economics, she equips cities, chambers, and everyday families with practical AI strategies to create opportunity, resilience, and generational wealth. More at https://amzn.to/4k27iky.