11:11 Philosopher's Group

Category: Announcement

  • Introducing AI Leaders, and Why WordPress Matters

    Today, I’m launching AI Leaders.

    AI Leaders is a virtual AI Literacy course that gives 80 students the opportunity to earn living-wage WordPress jobs.

    WordPress is an amazing economic engine.

    When I was 17, I started using WordPress because I was tired of writing manual HTML to update sites. That shift changed my life. Over the next decade, I made a career building WordPress sites, but the real value wasn’t just money. WordPress allowed me to travel, experiment with art, and build new businesses.

    WordPress now powers over 40% of the internet and fuels a $590 billion economy. It isn’t just a blogging tool; it is a critical piece of global infrastructure.

    WordPress offers great new AI potential.

    WordPress projects like the Abilities API and MCP adapter add integration with Claude or ChatGPT, while the WordPress Playground makes way for Vibe Coding opportunities.

    Those projects are just a start.

    I’m sure a new generation of coders will make WordPress more efficient, easier to use, and feature rich with AI.

    To accelerate WordPress’ AI Future, I’ve teamed up with the WordPress Foundation, UIC, Louisiana Tech, and the Louisiana Educate Program to build AI Leaders.

    We are inviting 80 individuals from Illinois and Louisiana to turn their interest in AI into paid WordPress work. Participants will collaborate with mentors — including myself, Mary Hubbard (Executive Director of WordPress), and Stefin Pasternak — to build projects that demonstrate WordPress remains the most efficient tool for creative expression.

    Apply to AI Leaders

    WordPress has been good to me. By attracting and training new talent, WP can remain an economic engine for generations to come.

  • LaLeadsAI.org – AI Literacy Campaign

    LaLeadsAI.org – AI Literacy Campaign

    Happy to announce our AI Literacy campaign, LaLeadsAI.org, is now live. 

    I believe AI allows for more than just technical innovation. We can use AI to help societies, like Louisiana, pull up their bootstraps and lead. 

    Join us!

  • Reimagined Philanthropy: Take Action Now, Not Later

    Reimagined Philanthropy: Take Action Now, Not Later

    With 11:11 Philosopher’s Group (“1111”), I aim to build a public charity in the BRAC model. I work with domain experts to rapidly scale social impact ventures.

    By building bold ideas today, we can create a sustainable cycle of innovation that benefits communities in the long term.

    My first project was Equalify, an Open Source web accessibility platform. The project is now part of the University of Illinois Chicago (more info).

    With 1111, I’ve also launched NOAI, a festival to push innovation in New Orleans, a great city with a decreasing population. That festival is on track to reach sustainability by 2026.

    My next venture is AI Leaders, an Open Source GenAI learning platform. I am working with great partners from LSU, Tulane, WordPress, the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), and many others.

    I will be announcing more on AI Leaders soon, and I invite you to contact me for more information.

    My superpower is bringing together people to create change. I’m always looking for new collaborators.

    Email Blake

    PS: You can check out our 1111 Notion with more info about the work that led us to this point – lots of coffee shop convos!