Dr. Auguste, you were an early pioneer as a Black woman in technology, especially in Artificial Intelligence. What motivated you to persist in situations where you were often the only Black engineer among your colleagues?
My mother and grandparents taught me about perseverance and tenacity through their lived experiences. Their sacrifices enabled me and my sisters to receive our education. The faith they taught me kept a lot of things in perspective, and strengthened me to persist despite obstacles.
In addition to breaking academic and professional barriers, you started your own company, Freshwater Software, that was a unicorn of success in 2001. Again, knowing that Black entrepreneurs get very little in VC funding, and successful outcomes are rare for all entrepreneurs, what insight can you share for entrepreneurs of color who aspire to be successful in their ventures?
When I was an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, the engineering curriculum taught us to be problem-solvers. But long before I went to college, I learned problem-solving from my family. I learned to be resourceful, to examine problems and see solutions. The insight I offer to Black entrepreneurs, and others who come from communities that are underrepresented in engineering, is to draw upon the resourcefulness you learned growing up. Draw upon your lived experiences and you’ll find a wealth of knowledge that complements the training you get in school and in your career. Your total problem-solving skillset is amazing and expansive, so use everything that you’ve learned.
What are your goals with Auguste Research Group?
At Auguste Research Group, we work with challenging data science problems, especially those that involve a fusion of data from various sources. We work with sensors, robots, varied energy sources, innovative models for machine learning, cool wearable technologies, and a variety of other projects that have a common thread of data science. We advocate for diversity in STEM education, to bring a wide variety of problem-solving perspectives to the challenging STEM problems that impact all of society.
You are also a generous leader and led the Leave a Little Room Foundation for over ten years. What were the goals of that foundation?
The goals of the Leave a Little Room Foundation were to share the many gifts that God has given us with those who have needs. Our teams helped to build and equip schools, medical clinics, small homes, telecommunications infrastructure, and other projects that folks who lived in the communities we served told us would have the greatest helpful impact. We listened and learned about the needs of the communities where we volunteered, and contributed solutions that were sustainable in the ways that local folks guided and designed.
You have over 20 patents. How do you think of things to invent?
Inventing is fun for me. I love creating new ideas, taking a new approach to an old problem or a new problem. I often think of things to invent when I take a break from wrangling a hard problem to do something different, like play my bass guitar or take a walk. All the engineering training prepares my mind for implementing new ideas, but the spark for the ideas comes from my creative space and my cultural background.
Finally, what do you most want to say to young people — Black and Latinx youth, leaders of color and their allies — who would like to learn from your experiences?
My advice is to learn what your source of strength is, and connect deeply to that source. The source of my strength is God, and I connect deeply with God on a daily basis. Through good times and struggles, God is my rock, my source of strength. What is your source of strength?
