Lavonne Roberts

About Lavonne Roberts

Author and speaker LaVonne Roberts is the CEO of The Scott-Morgan Foundation USA, spearheading a revolutionary approach to AI-powered assistive technology for people with severe disabilities, particularly ALS/MND. Leveraging her diverse background in technology, entrepreneurship, and journalism, LaVonne leads the foundation\'s efforts to develop scalable solutions that give voice to the voiceless and restore independence to millions worldwide. Under her leadership, the foundation has forged partnerships with Lenovo, ElevenLabs, D-ID, and other startups, integrating cutting-edge AI technologies, including RAG, LLMs, hyper-realistic avatars, and personalized synthetic voices.LaVonne\'s vision extends beyond creating tools; she\'s pioneering a new era of inclusive innovation that challenges societal perceptions of disability. A frequent speaker and advocate, she addresses the transformative potential of AI in healthcare and accessibility while championing ethical AI development and diverse representation. Her work emphasizes the foundation\'s commitment to human-centric design and the global impact of technology in improving lives.Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes, TIME, CNN, Wired, and more. Her latest book,\"Applied VR in Healthcare,\" explores VR\'s transformative power in healthcare, including its intersection with AI technologies. She holds an MFA from The New School.LaVonne ensures that innovative solutions are developed and deployed responsibly. She has recruited and reported on Forbes Under 30 entrepreneurs, highlighting groundbreaking innovations across various sectors.Before her current roles, LaVonne was best known for her role in forming XOOM (XMCM). XOOM pioneered online communities in the 90s Internet revolution, eventually merging with GE\'s NBC Internet assets to form NBC Internet. One of the first online communities of the Internet 1.0 revolution, XOOM was a global top 10 website and the 12th most trafficked in She subsequently co-founded F-1 Ventures, a family investment office.LaVonne has managed investments and advised startups, with a growing focus on AI-driven enterprises. Her extensive experience in identifying and investing in transformative innovations led to her role as a partner in a hedge fund focused on emerging technologies. An advocate for startups and underrepresented voices, she judges startup pitch competitions.LaVonne\'s work exemplifies her commitment to harnessing cutting-edge innovation for societal good, paving the way for a more inclusive and accessible future for all.

Experience

1. Forbes 30 under 30 Contributor Editor

   Forbes

   Jan 2022 — Present · New York, NY, US

Education

• The New School

  Master of Fine Arts - MFA Nonfiction Writing, Health, Tech, and Science

• Bard College

  BA Written Arts, Creative Writing

• Gotham Writing School

  Advanced Creative Writing, Public Relations, Food, Essay and Opinion, Non Fiction, Memoir writing

  2008 — 2013

• Texas Christian University

  TBRI TCU Institute of Child Development Certification, Advanced Child Development- Trust Based Relational Intervention

  2013 — 2014

• The New School

  MFA Creative Writing , Creative Writing

  2018 — 2020

• Bard College

  Bachelor's degree, Written Arts, Mind, Brain, and Behavior (MBB) concentration, Environmental Science

• Austin Community College

  Grants Writing Certificate, Non Profit management

  2013 — 2014