We didn't start as a software company. We started with a bet on human potential.
From an income share bootcamp to a Michigan-licensed vocational school to a research think tank — every chapter was building toward the same question:
what does it actually take for someone to succeed in the technology economy?
$
0
M
Venture debt raised on a non-traditional talent thesis
%
SenseiiWyze capability prediction accuracy across 5 tech tracks
1500
+
Individuals trained across Automation Workz programs
Our journey
Chapter 1
Betting on the underestimated
We launched as an income share agreement bootcamp targeting liberal arts graduates — people with intellectual horsepower and no clear on-ramp into tech. We believed their cross-disciplinary thinking was an asset, not a liability. The market agreed: we secured $10 million in venture debt from Blair, a signal that betting on non-traditional talent was a fundable thesis.
Chapter 2
A Michigan-licensed workforce development engine
We scaled our mission into a Department of Labor–funded vocational school, earning our vocational license from the State of Michigan. This chapter sharpened our understanding of how people learn under pressure — and what separates completers from those who leave. The answer was never just aptitude. It was readiness.
“Our completion rate for this population climbed from 7.83% to 75% in 2022 and has settled at a sustained 58% in 2025 — even after serving a large cohort of long-term unemployed front-liners who represent the most challenging population in workforce development. Average salaries moved from $31,200 ($15/hr) to an average graduating salary of $67,250 ($32.33/hr).”
— Automation Workz Workforce Outcomes
Validation — past & current partners include DHS, FEMA, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Michigan Works!, Ford House, and Kellogg Community College. SenseiiWyze demonstrated 87% capability prediction accuracy.
Chapter 3
Turning pattern recognition into science
Thousands of learners across two institutions gave us something rare: longitudinal behavioral data. We built a research division to interrogate it. Which personality profiles thrived in cybersecurity versus data analytics? What cognitive patterns correlated with persistence in machine learning? The think tank formalized what practitioners had intuited — readiness is measurable.
We completed feasibility studies for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, producing two landmark reports: West Michigan Titanium Triangle: Shifting African Americans into High-Tech Drive and West Michigan Titanium Triangle: Shifting Hispanic Americans into High-Tech Drive — mapping pathways for underrepresented communities into anchor employers.
WMTT Report — African Americans into High-Tech Drive
WMTT Report — Hispanic Americans into High-Tech Drive
Now
The insight becomes the product
Everything we learned became SenseiiWyze — a behavioral intelligence engine that predicts who is ready to weaponize speed in AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, IoT/sensor systems, and network engineering. Unmanned Autonomous Systems require an operator to have understanding of all 5 technology areas to operate under pressure.Not who has the degree. Not who has the pedigree. Who has the readiness.
SenseiiWyze was tested with the DOL-funded vocational school over 4 years and proven to be 87% accurate in predicting the readiness and capability of long-term unemployed and underemployed residents to master AI/Machine Learning, Cybersecurity Ops, Data Analytics, IoT/Sensor Systems, and Network Engineering.
SenseiiWyze was tested in the community to reduce friction and determine readiness for tech economic growth. Let SenseiiWyze increase tech mission readiness,TODAY!!!
Tech tracks assessed
AI / ML
Machine learning
Cybersecurity
Threat & defense
Data analytics
Insight & modeling
IoT / Sensors
Systems integration
Net engineering
Infrastructure
Five critical domains measured
Vision
Grit
Logic
Algorithm building
Problem-solving
Our founders
Ida Byrd-Hill
CEO · Behavioral Economist
Ida built a $620M financial services firm on her ability to understand the inner, hidden motivations of people. She has trained over 17,000 individuals across her career. Her work at Automation Workz applies behavioral economics directly to talent prediction. She holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor and an MBA from Strayer University.
Kevin Hill
CTO · Software Engineer
Kevin has led development teams building scalable, high-volume AI data and IoT systems. He studied information systems at Rochester Institute of Technology, where he built his first Ethereum platform. At Automation Workz, he architects the behavioral data infrastructure that powers SenseiiWyze’s predictive engine.
Automation Workz is redefining how organizations predict, discover, and develop talent.
WE MEASURE READINESS. WE WEAPONIZE SPEED
What SenseiiWyze does
- Predicts who can become mission-ready in AI, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Sensor Systems, and Network Engineering — all elements of Drone Operations.
- Uncovers hidden motivations and behavioral drivers most assessments miss.
- Helps organizations reduce hiring risk and build stronger, future-ready teams.
This isn't guesswork. It's behavioral intelligence at scale.
If you are a Department of War decision-maker or a Defense Industrial Base employer — SenseiiWyze gives you the edge in predicting the mission readiness of talent before a dollar is spent on training.
Ready to see SenseiiWyze in action?
Built for enterprise teams, workforce agencies, and defense organizations that can’t afford to guess.