What does it look like for HBCUs to embrace artificial intelligence without losing the very things that make our institutions distinct?

For this special episode of The Learning Ground, we’re taking you beyond the studio and into UNCF UNITE 2026, where we presented Embedding AI in HBCU Strategy Without Losing SOUL.

This conversation isn’t really about AI tools. It’s about institutional identity, culture, strategy, and people.

As AI continues to reshape higher education, HBCUs have an opportunity to do more than respond to technological change. We can decide what innovation looks like when it is grounded in our missions, informed by our communities, and designed around the people we serve.

In this special presentation, we explore how HBCUs can approach AI with intention while asking the questions that matter:

What should technology help us do better? What must we refuse to lose along the way? Whose voices are shaping the strategy? And as institutions evolve, who are we keeping in the room?

Because the goal isn’t simply to become more technologically advanced.

It’s to move forward without losing our SOUL.

🎙️ The Learning Ground Hosted by Dr. Paul Massy and Dr. Valora Richardson

Conversations about learning, innovation, and keeping humans at the center.

Episode 4: How Do We Keep People in the Room?

Innovation isn't just about adopting new technology. It's about ensuring people don't get left behind in the process. In this episode, we explore what it really means to build trust, create belonging, and make decisions that invite people into the future instead of pushing them out. From leadership to AI to everyday change, we ask one simple but powerful question:

Who are we keeping in the room?

Join us for a conversation about human-centered innovation, practical leadership, and why the best solutions don't just transform organizations. They strengthen the people within them.

What does it take to make better decisions about AI, education, and innovation?

In this episode, Dr. Paul Massy and Dr. Valora Richardson introduce The G.R.O.U.N.D. Framework™—a practical approach to evaluating innovation with purpose, people, and long-term impact in mind.

Rather than asking, "Can we do this?" they explore a more important question: "Should we?"

Together, they unpack the six elements of The G.R.O.U.N.D. Framework™:

• Grounded Purpose – Start with the problem, not the technology.
• Relational Context – Consider who is impacted and who needs a voice.
• Outcomes That Matter – Define success beyond efficiency.
• Use of Technology – Ensure technology serves the mission.
• Narrative & Culture – Understand how innovation shapes people and organizations.
• Durability & Care – Think beyond implementation to sustainability and long-term responsibility.

Through real-world examples and thoughtful conversation, this episode offers a practical lens for leaders, educators, instructional designers, and anyone navigating change in the age of AI.

Whether you're making decisions in the classroom, the workplace, or your community, The G.R.O.U.N.D. Framework™ will help you keep humans at the center of innovation.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why purpose should always come before technology
• How to evaluate AI and innovation through a human-centered lens
• The six principles of The G.R.O.U.N.D. Framework™
• Practical questions you can use to make more thoughtful, sustainable decisions

Join us as we explore how better questions lead to better decisions—and how staying grounded helps us build innovation that truly lasts.