Partnerships

Building a collaborative ecosystem for rural AI.

CRAI works through a network of partners who share our commitment to rural and tribal AI participation. We label each relationship plainly, so you can see exactly how we work together — as a program partner, a coalition member, a technology or training contributor, or part of the broader ecosystem we operate in.

Program Partners

Organizations we deliver specific programs or pilots with.

Fort Lewis College AI Institute — Our anchor institutional partner in Durango. CRAI's founder serves as a strategist to the Institute, and our higher-education-as-hub model is built around it.

San Juan Development Association (SJDA) — Recognized CRAI's AI Fundamentals training delivered to businesses in Silverton, Colorado.

Pinhead Institute — Selected AI Wayfinders (High School Edition) as the foundation for an AI education grant.

Coalition Partners

Coalitions and initiatives CRAI participates in alongside other organizations.

Colorado Thrives — A CEO coalition of 22 of Colorado's largest employers. CRAI is a participating organization in its AI Fellows Program.

OEDIT (Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade) — Co-participant in a coalition application for a national workforce grant featuring AI Wayfinders (Workforce Edition).

University of Colorado — Selected CRAI as a sectoral partner on a national AI grant application.

Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) — Partnering with CRAI to bring the rural business AI Upskilling conversion to Durango.

Technology & Training Contributors

Organizations providing tools, training, or expertise for a specific activity.

Anthropic and CodePath — Partners in the Colorado Thrives AI Fellows Program, which embeds AI-native emerging talent inside Colorado organizations.

Ways to Partner

Research Partners

Help us understand what works and generate evidence for scaling successful models.

Service & Training Partners

Extend our reach and bring specialized expertise to rural communities.

Community Partners

Support capacity building and ensure our work remains grounded in real community needs.

Tribal engagement is a priority we are actively developing, guided by our Tribal & Community Data Sovereignty Review Process.

Why Partnerships Matter

Strong partnerships create better outcomes for everyone.

Together, we're building infrastructure that positions rural communities as essential contributors to the AI economy—not just recipients of urban innovation.

Ready to Explore Working Together?

Whether you fund research, deliver training, provide implementation capacity, or build community, there is a way to work together. Email partner@ruralai.org to start the conversation.

Email partner@ruralai.org