Nashlie Sephus & Creston Burse // Bean Path
Closing the tech divide and cultivating innovation in Jackson, MS.
About the Founders
Dr. Nashlie Sephus is a principal scientist in artificial intelligence and machine learning focusing on fairness and identifying biases. She formerly was CTO of AI startup Partpic based in Atlanta which was acquired by the Amazon Visual Search team. After then joining Amazon as an Applied Scientist she led many product launches including visual search for replacement parts on the Amazon Shopping app in June 2018. Also in 2018, Dr. Sephus became the founder and CEO of The Bean Path non-profit organization based in Jackson, MS assisting individuals and startups with technical expertise and guidance. In September of 2020, she became the owner and developer of the Jackson Tech District — 21-acres of mixed-use commercial real-estate in downtown Jackson — to bring tech training and workforce/economic development to the area.
Creston serves as the Deputy Director at the Bean Path. He possesses a diverse technology background, with a reputation for dedicated teamwork, high-energy work ethic, and total commitment to customer service and satisfaction. He holds a broad range of federal, private & corporate IT experience, coupled with management and hands-on knowledge in a comprehensive variety of technological platforms. He uses strategic foresight tools to help with every aspect of organizational improvement, assessment and development. Strategic foresight focuses on the intricacies of organizational change and how to lead strategic initiatives.
About the Venture
Bean Path is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Jackson, MS, focusing on tech upskilling in the community, and it was founded by native, tech entrepreneur, Dr. Nashlie Sephus. Our vision is to close the tech divide and cultivate the innovation talent in Mississippi starting with Jackson by providing access to the tools, knowledge, network, and spaces to educate, innovate, and strengthen the tech ecosystem built on collaboration and inclusion. Bean Path is leading the redemptive development for downtown Jackson’s first tech district: over 21 acres of land and 8 buildings that are being transformed into a “live, work, play” innovation district.
Redemptive Opportunity
As a nonprofit based in Jackson, MS, that provides technical advice and upskilling to vulnerable populations and small businesses in the community, where there are many social/economical challenges. The centering theme of globalization is technology and how we interact with it in our personal and professional lives. We cannot escape technology, and yet there are places where technology continues to be underdeveloped. Without an organization like Bean Path addressing these issues, the local community is left with a lack of economic and personal growth for all. Bean Path is blazing a grassroots trail to solve the technology divide in Jackson and surrounding areas, resulting in better social, economic, cultural, and environmental advancement.
