Media and Highlights
Readi Named a Finalist at Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance Startup Awards
February 24 2023 | Article
Readi named a finalist at the Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance (GIPA) Startup Awards amongst three other candidates. GIPA is dedicated to honoring and promising early-stage startups and raising IP awareness in the community.
Virtual Reality Career Exploration
May 1 2023 | Article
Readi Consulting, LLC is developing workforce training workshops to provide underserved youth with a virtual reality experience in career exploration. Each session will include assessments, surveys, onboarding students to the Oculus, evaluating data, and creating reports on the experience. These workshops are tuition-free and aim to prepare youth to enter the workforce, ultimately reducing the number of young adults who are unemployed but require training to qualify for open jobs.
Reskilling: Readi Is Gamifying Workforce Training Through VR
July 12, 2023 | Article
For two educators entering the innovation and entrepreneurship space, Elissa and Timesha are rapidly gaining traction. They won the Audience Choice prize at the 2023 OPENminds Innovator Showcase (their luggage for the trip pictured below), proving that READI has the potential to speak to a multitude of people. “I’m going to push this business idea because I know the world needs it, and I know that it is a viable business and service,” Elissa said.
Venturewell Shines Light on Readi in LinkedIn Article
March 27, 2023 | Article
According to a report by Generation Unlimited, PwC, and UNICEF, young people struggle to 1) identify and 2) access skills needed for employment opportunities. Elissa Russell and Timesha Brooks are working to change that. They’re leveraging their background as former educators to launch Readi Consulting, LLC—a virtual reality platform that provides entry-level workforce skills and certificate training for the unemployed and underemployed.
Readi Wins 2023 OPENminds Innovator Showcase
March 24, 2023 | Article
Every year, the OPEN conference concludes with a signature event celebrating the work of VentureWell E-Team Program grantees. Each student team presents their innovation and practices their pitch with hundreds of OPEN attendees from across the U.S. innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Readi Consulting from Georgia State University won the $5,000 Audience Choice Prize.
Dr. Chelsea Clinton of Vanderbilt University Interviews Readi
March 4, 2023 | Video
Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. How can student leaders and entrepreneurs not only prepare themselves to meet the needs of an evolving workforce but also increase pathways of opportunity for all?
Readi Featured on the Atlanta Startup Podcast
January 31, 2023 | Podcast Episode
Welcome back to the Atlanta Startup Podcast. My name is Mecca Tartt and I am your host. I am the Executive Director of Startup Runway, the leading nonprofit connecting underrepresented founders to their first investors as well as the nondilutive capital. Today, I have our three winners here with me live, and we’re excited to have them.
Center for Civic Innovation Presents Elissa Russell and Readi
August 13, 2022 | Video
Workforce development programs for unemployed or under-employed residents of Atlanta can sometimes become an obstacle. Elissa has dedicated her career to building life and literacy skills for people. Through READI Consulting, she is piloting a program using VR technology to make access to training and support more reachable.
Readi Wins Verizon’s Forward for Good Challenge
July 6, 2022 | Article
After receiving more than $285K total in grant funding, selected teams took part in VentureWell’s Pioneer Early-Stage Innovator Training Program.
Readi Bio by the Main Street Entrepreneurs Seed Fund
October 21, 2021 | Article
The Main Street Entrepreneurs Seed Fund supports Georgia State student entrepreneurs, recent alumni, and Georgia State community entrepreneurs with seed funding and mentorship to start and grow new ventures.
Business RadioX Presents Elissa Russell from READI
July 9, 2021 | Video
Elissa Russell applies expert knowledge, industry experience, and relentless energy to her passions. A graduate of Spelman College (BA in Political Science, 2001) and Georgia State University (Masters of Education in Literacy with a focus on Families, Communities, & Culture, 2020), Elissa began her professional career overseas working with international companies such as Nvidia and Sparkle.
Readi Wins Grant from WEI
July 2, 2021 | Article
Russell’s Readi Consulting, a tech-enabled workforce readiness solution that upskills and reskills entry-level workers, received a $5,000 award from the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI).
Readi Wins Award From ICSB: International Women’s Day
March 12, 2021 | Article
This film festival focuses on short stories, webinars, and clips of women entrepreneurs from around the world. Winners were announced on March 8, appropriately marking this proud and monumental achievement on International Women's Day.
Readi Introduction with Elissa Russell
February 26, 2021 | Video
Who is Readi Consulting? What is upskilling? Readi creates and delivers industry-specific training for low-level employees. What that means is that we're in the business of upskilling employees who perform entry-level jobs.
GSU: Helping Upskill workers to be Readi
May 19, 2020 | Article
ENI had the pleasure of interviewing Elissa Russell (M.Ed. ‘20), the founder of Readi Consulting. Readi upskills undereducated and underemployed low-literate workers by providing contextualized training to improve their reading, numeracy, digital, or writing abilities.
Elissa Russell of Readi joins GSU’s Business Radio X
March 4, 2020 | Podcast Episode
Recognizing the language literacy gap for international students, Elissa began to explore gaps in literacy for other learners, which led her to adult education within the non-profit sector. After nearly three years as Director of Programming at Literacy Action, Elissa launched Readi in an effort to close the gap in access to necessary literacy training for underemployed adults.