The Drone Girl recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Bronwyn Morgan, an inspiring entrepreneur and influential leader in the drone industry.
Bronwyn Morgan is the driving force behind Xeo Air, Airversity Drone Pilot Academy + Consulting, and CEO of MOUV UAM. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Iris Automation Entrepreneurship Award.
With over 30 years of experience in the tech industry, including 16 years at P&G and The Coca-Cola Company, Bronwyn has emerged as a serial entrepreneur dedicated to innovation and the empowerment of women in STEM.
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Caroline Dobrez: How did you get into the drone industry?
Bronwyn Morgan: I always wanted to work in aviation and aerospace since I was a kid. However, I ended up going into business instead and worked for some Fortune 500 companies, including P&G and Coca-Cola, focusing on strategy, sales, and innovation. I then became an innovation consultant, and when the Part 107 certification came to be, I got certified and started my companies. Now, I run Xeo Air and Airversity.
CD: How has your background at P&G and Coca-Cola influenced your work at Xeo Air and Airversity?
BM: The solid business foundation has been critical. You can have great ideas, but understanding how to manage, engage, and create protocols and processes is essential. My experience at P&G and Coca-Cola instilled a commitment to excellence and taught me how to make things unique and appealing to customers. This foundation helps me today in running my companies.
CD: Being from New Orleans, Xeo Air’s disaster response work particularly piqued my interest. Can you share a memorable operation that Xeo Air has done in disaster response?
BM: One memorable operation was during Hurricane Florence in South Carolina. We were called in to gather data on critical locations post-hurricane. Roads were washed out, and we had to work collaboratively with other aircraft and military enforcement. It was challenging, especially with no electricity and the need to upload data. My pilot had to drive far to get a Wi-Fi signal, and at one point, he was almost carjacked. Despite the challenges, we successfully gathered and delivered the requested data.
CD: That’s incredible, and such important work. You and your companies remain at the forefront of AI. How are you incorporating AI in your drone operations?
BM: We’re working on machine learning in our data modeling to provide better, more accurate assessments of customers’ assets and the impacts of weather. There are also some other innovative uses of AI that we’re exploring. The goal is to deliver predictive, prescriptive, or descriptive data to help customers understand what’s happening on-site and what they need to do to improve and reduce costs.
CD: What excites you most about AI in the drone industry?
BM: AI is exciting because it’s so new, and everyone is a novice to some extent. Building models and data sets is a long, expensive process, but it holds great potential for improving outcomes for customers. The challenge is to demonstrate that AI adds enough value for customers to be willing to pay a premium for it.
CD: There’s a lot of scary rhetoric about AI in the news lately. Are there any concerns or hesitations you have about AI?
BM: Like many, I’m cautious about the warnings from experts like Stephen Hawking and Neil deGrasse Tyson regarding AI’s potential risks. We’re still a long way from general AI, but incidents, where models create their languages, are concerning. It’s important to manage these technologies carefully to avoid unintended consequences.
CD: Shifting gears a little, along with the many companies you’ve started, you also began Black Women in STEAM, can you tell us about this?
BM: Black Women in STEAM was created to provide a network for Black women across various disciplines in science and technology. It was a place to learn, grow, network, and mentor together. Although the group has since disbanded in Atlanta, our LinkedIn page has over 15,000 members, including women and major corporations looking to recruit Black women. I hope to build this into a global platform.
CD: You are such an inspiration to many young women in STEAM, what advice do you have for women looking to join the drone industry or STEAM fields?
BM: Do your research and find mentors in the space. Volunteer or do freelance work to gain experience. Create a path for yourself, whether that involves going back to school, changing your route, or gaining additional certifications. Network with like-minded people and join organizations and clubs that support your interests. Stay persistent and never stop learning.
CD: What’s next for you and your companies? Where can people find you?
BM: You can follow me at airversity.com and zioair.com, as well as on LinkedIn. My company pages are also on Instagram and X. We have a lot of projects in the pipeline and are busy working on expanding our services and capabilities.
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