Mason Grimshaw
Vice President of IndigiGenius, Co-founder & Instructor of the Lakota AI Code Camp, Data Scientist for Ode and Clay
Mason Grimshaw (Sicangu Lakota) channels cutting-edge AI into practical tools that serve the tribal priorities of safeguarding ecosystems, revitalizing language and strengthening local economies. As Vice President of IndigiGenius, he guides programs that put large-language-model and computer-vision projects directly in the hands of native youth and communities, turning classrooms into innovation centers. His work has reached global audiences through TEDx Boston, Forbes, The New York Times and NBC.
A believer in using responsible AI for good, Mason tailors geospatial foundation models to guide our understanding of the Earth. Whether it’s a project for the World Wildlife Fund or the Sicangu Climate Center, Mason is applying geospatial foundation models to improve decision-making and understanding of Unci Maka, Grandmother Earth.
He also founded — and currently instructs — the Lakota AI Code Camp, where 53 Indigenous high-school students have already created apps that understand Lakota phrases, recognize traditional plants and model local weather conditions. A frequent speaker on data-sovereignty and tribal use of AI, Mason demonstrates how communities often excluded from high-tech arenas can define and deploy AI for every challenge they deem important.
