A business, marketing, and technology consulting firm in Washington, DC that advises startups and legal-technology companies. (Now part of @TheSiliconHill.)
Last week, the nonprofit @refractioninc had the privilege of hosting the Innopolis K-Startup Showcase, bringing together Korean founders and regional ecosystem partners to explore US market opportunities.
A special thank-you to @LucequeGlobal, the Korea Innovation Foundation (Innopolis), the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT, and the @FairfaxEDA for making this program possible and for inviting Refraction Chairman James Quigley to share lessons learned from building and scaling GoCanvas.
We are grateful to have played a role in connecting founders, sharing experiences, and strengthening ties between innovation ecosystems.
And, of course, thank you to the participating startup teams. We look forward to following your progress in the months and years ahead!
#TheCenterOfInNOVAtion
๐ ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ฒ-๐ฆ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฝ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ป!
There were some exceptionally interesting app prototypes and startup ideas that came out of those two sessions โ so I cannot wait to see what comes next!
* * *
๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฝ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ, ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ผ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ?
Then stop by the nonprofit @refractioninc on any Tuesday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm for our FREE Community Tuesdays program, and let one of our in-house advisors help you with the next steps: https://t.co/e6YdkBa9cJ
#AIExchange
#CommunityTuesdays
#TheCenterOfInNOVAtion
Yesterday offered an important reminder of why @refractioninc hosts Community Tuesdays in the first place.
Throughout the day, a steady stream of job seekers, founders, and aspiring entrepreneurs stopped by for help with resumes, business plans, and next steps โ many of them using Refraction's AI-powered tools built in house to move forward faster and with more confidence.
And the week is just getting started:
โถ๏ธ Tomorrow is the Refraction AI Exchange, our FREE monthly open-house day for AI collaboration, innovation, and connection.
โถ๏ธ At lunch, we will host the Byte-Sized Lunch Lab, where participants will build a working prototype using AI and no-code tools.
โถ๏ธ That evening, we will host the Startup Sprint Hackathon (Student Edition), where participants will move from a startup idea to a business plan, functional prototype, and pitch deck in just two hours. While designed with high school and college students in mind, the program is open to innovators and entrepreneurs of all ages.
๐ Register here: https://t.co/372WEP0EHc
โถ๏ธ Also tomorrow evening, Refraction will host the Innopolis K-Startup Showcase, featuring seven Korean startups exploring US market entry and partnership opportunities. Only a handful of tickets remain available, so register now: https://t.co/6IGhidg3Em
If you are looking to build, learn, connect, or simply explore what AI can help you accomplish today, then I do hope that you will consider joining us at Refraction!
#AIExchange
#TheCenterOfInnovation
#CommunityTuesdays
๐ก ๐๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐น ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ป๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐?
Tell them that this month's FREE, NO-CODE "Startup Sprint Hackathon" at @refractioninc's AI Exchange is designed specifically for students.
โก๏ธ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ > Go from zero coding experience to developing a real business idea and working prototype in only two hours.
โก๏ธ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ > Get expert-led insight into today's top AI tools.
Details below โคต๏ธ
#DCtech
Despite partially losing my voice while talking about the nonprofit @refractioninc โ and, in particular, our free #CommunityTuesdays and #AIExchange programs โ I was grateful to have been given a few minutes on the stage yesterday at Valo Park in Tysons to share more about Refraction's remarkable member companies and our ever-expanding team of in-house startup and scale-up advisors.
A heartfelt thanks to @tienwong and the @Connectpreneur team for giving so many of us across the DMV innovation ecosystem these regular opportunities to connect with and support one another! #DCtech
๐จ Join us for the Refraction AI Exchange:
โถ๏ธ FREE all-day access for AI founders, operators, innovators, and ecosystem builders
โถ๏ธ Byte-Sized Lunch Lab (12โ1pm)
โถ๏ธ Startup Sprint Hackathon (6โ8pm)
๐๏ธ June 11 | 9amโ8pm
๐ Tysons, VA
๐ Register: https://t.co/4QDlY7T2Gr
This morning, it seems like everyone in DC is still talking about yesterday's AI executive order: https://t.co/laheqr1OMh
Have thoughts? Share them with us in the replies below ๐ฝ
#DCtech
๐ก If you are looking for a new job or considering a career change, and you are not receiving the interview requests you expected, then ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐บ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐น๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ.
But before you spend hundreds โ or even thousands โ of dollars on a professional resume rewrite, consider speaking with one of Refraction Innovation Hub Innovation Hubโs Community Tuesday resume experts for FREE.
Today, more than 90% of employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen candidates, and the difference between receiving an interview request and receiving no response at all often comes down to how your resume is interpreted by those systems.
The challenge? The reasons a resume is accepted or rejected are rarely intuitive.
And having ChatGPT quickly align your resume with a job description does not always help.
If you cannot join us in person for our weekly Community Tuesday open-house day, you can still access ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ปโ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐-๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ด๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, which includes:
โก๏ธ An overview of ATS platforms and proven strategies for getting your resume into the hands of a human reviewer.
โก๏ธ A carefully curated list of often-overlooked job boards filled with promising opportunities.
โก๏ธ Additional tools, tips, and resources to help accelerate your search and your next job offer.
๐ Download a copy for yourself โ or share it with a friend: https://t.co/ZIZvO4Aq0p
#CommunityTuesdays
๐ก A recent study by researchers from the University of Maryland, University of Singapore, and Ohio State University confirms something that I have told the hundreds of job seekers I have advised at Refraction Innovation Hub's "Community Tuesday" career days over the past year:
๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป โ ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐บ๐ฒ.
In this study on algorithmic hiring, titled "AI Self-Preferencing in Algorithmic Hiring," which the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) published late last year, researchers found that large language models (LLMs) used to evaluate resumes often prefer resumes written in their own stylistic โdialectโ โ even when the underlying candidate is equally qualified.
In direct comparisons, several of the larger models chose their own rewritten resumes more than 90% of the time. In simulated hiring pipelines, candidates using the same AI as the evaluator were 23% to 60% more likely to be shortlisted. For the full findings, visit: https://t.co/nJ3ZHUhDEJ
That is not meritocracy. That is algorithmic self-preference.
It is also one of the many reasons Refraction opens its doors for FREE each week through its Community Tuesdays program: To help job seekers stress-test and revise their resumes, understand how AI screening tools may interpret them, and avoid being filtered out for the wrong reasons.
And it is why, in my free time, I built Resumait โย an AI-powered resume-evaluation and -revision tool. I wanted a practical way to help people see what the AI-powered applicant tracking systems (ATS) might be seeing when they submit a job application and fix the problem before a strong candidate disappears into the black box.
If you are applying for jobs and not getting interviews, then do not automatically assume that the market has spoken. Your resume might simply be running into an AI gatekeeper before a human being ever sees it.
That is a real problem โ and more importantly, it is a solvable one.
If you want to learn more and you live in the greater Washington metropolitan area, then register for Refraction's next Community Tuesday open house and career day and join me.
#TheCenterOfInNOVAtion
#CommunityTuesdays
Today is the final day of the Old Line Market spring market in Poolesville, Maryland โ but you still have time to join my friends at The Leisure Connoisseur, Kush Leather, Katie Anne Jewelry, Behind the Bark Woodcraft, and others before things wrap up!
At @refractioninc's weekly Community Tuesday career day, job seekers often ask me if there are any free AI literacy courses that I can recommend.
In the latest episode of "The Tech Rundown Podcast," Emmy award-winning journalist @AnnaLysaGayle offers some guidance ๐ฝ
My Fellow Washingtonians:
If you are out and about today, enjoying the nice weather in NW, then stop by @GeorgetownFlea Market and visit my friend Antonio A. Thomas, Jr.'s (TikTok: @theleisureconnoisseur) antiques booth for a curated collection of special keepsakes ๐ฝ
Tomorrow will be my first missed Community Tuesday since Refraction began opening its doors to job seekers and aspiring entrepreneurs just over a year ago.
Still, there are plenty of reasons to attend โ and at least one reason to celebrate ... ๐งต
๐ก Refraction Innovation Hub's monthly "Applied AI Week" โ in which our startup community opens its doors and offers free AI upskilling, programming, and networking opportunities to everyone in the NOVA innovation ecosystem โ continues tomorrow with the ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ.
This month, we are fortunate to have the Kellogg Alumni Club of DC/MD/VA as co-hosts and organizers of our evening AI panel, which will explore practical, real-world AI use cases.
We are grateful to the Kellogg Alumni Club for putting together their panel of experts, and we look forward to what will undoubtedly be an insightful and engaging discussion tomorrow evening.
And a very special thanks again to our other distinguished past panel organizers, the Harvard Club of Washington, DC and the Yale Club of Washington, D.C.
โก๏ธ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ โ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐น๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ๐?
If so, please DM me or reach out to our team at [email protected], as we are looking for potential AI Exchange co-organizers for future events in the early summer months.
It is standing room only at Sparkworks Collective's seventh installment of its ever-popular "AI Lunch and Learn" series on the practical, actionable uses of AI in business, hosted by @refractioninc.
This month's program โ led by growth strategist and product leader, the incomparable Steve Chazin (Sparkworks/formerly Apple) โ is focused on making OpenClaw and similar tools work for you during this "AI Renaissance."
Interested in this program? You still have time to join: https://t.co/3Eq3fG8nGq
#AILunchAndLearn
#AppliedAI
#TheCenterOfInNOVAtion
1/ This week at @Refraction, we have a full slate of FREE educational and networking opportunities for founders, funders, and ecosystem builders โ all focused on AI readiness and applied AI ... ๐งต
3/3 If you are interested in learning more and downloading our comprehensive collection of advice and resources for job seekers, including our latest AI chatbot prompts, visit: https://t.co/LMak4qm1I9
2/3 For job seekers, the best advice is: Apply quickly and update your resume to align with EVERY job description ...
And to help job seekers do this, our in-house prompt engineers developed the following AI chatbot prompt:
Refractionโs Current Resume-Revising Prompt: You are a top-tier career consultant specializing in ATS resume optimization and tailored resume editing. My goal is to perfectly align my resume (attached here) with the job description I have provided (included after these instructions), optimizing it for ATS best practices while maintaining professionalism, coherent language, and avoiding all fabrications.
(1) For Context:
(1.a) Resume (See Attached File): My resume contains my current experience, skills, and accomplishments. Use it as the foundation to craft the most compelling and ATS-friendly version of my application.
(1.b) Relevant Job Description (See Job Description Found in Section 5 Below): I have provided the job description for the position I am applying for. It highlights the key responsibilities, qualifications, and required skills. Use this as your guide to identify gaps, missing keywords, and opportunities to tailor my resume.
(2) Instructions:
(2.a) Analyze the provided job description to extract and prioritize ATS-relevant keywords, phrases, and requirements.
(2.b) Compare my existing resume with the job description, identifying areas where additional alignment is needed.
(2.c) Rewrite and optimize my resume to incorporate key terms specific to the job description, emphasize measurable accomplishments, and ensure ATS-friendly formatting and wording by avoiding complex designs or graphics.
(2.d) Maintain clear, professional language while aligning my unique skills and achievements to the responsibilities listed in the job posting.
(2.e) Revise the format or structure if necessary to improve ATS compatibility (e.g., proper headings, clear bullet points, consistent tense, and keyword usage).
(3) Deliverables:
(3.a) A fully updated, ATS-optimized resume customized for this specific job description.
(3.b) A short cover letter (optional but recommended) highlighting my qualifications and alignment with the role.
(4) Additional Considerations:
(4.a) Focus on measurable achievements and action-oriented language (e.g., โincreased revenue by X%โ or โspearheaded initiatives that improved efficiency by Y%โ).
(4.b) Integrate both soft skills (e.g., communication, leadership) and hard/technical skills (e.g., specific software or methodologies) that are relevant to the role.
(4.c) Do not produce any fabrications; the revised resume must be based entirely in fact.
(5) Relevant Job Description:
[PASTE JOB DESCRIPTION HERE]
For nearly a year now, my @refractioninc colleagues and I have opened the doors to our dynamic tech startup community every Tuesday to offer job seekers and future founders FREE, actionable advice and support ...
But what is the most important advice that we offer?๐งต 1/3