Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood Announces REX Academy as Impact Partner to Expand Access to Emerging Technology Education

Partnership will strengthen workforce readiness, technology upskilling, and career pathways across Southeast Wisconsin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KENOSHA, Wis. — June 23, 2026 — Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood (KIN) announced today that REX Academy has joined KIN as an Impact Partner, bringing technology education, workforce training, and emerging technology learning pathways to the Kenosha Innovation Center and the broader Southeast Wisconsin innovation ecosystem.

The partnership is designed to expand access to technology learning opportunities for adult learners, professionals seeking to upskill, career switchers exploring new pathways, and individuals preparing for technology-driven roles in the modern economy. Through the collaboration, REX Academy will contribute programming and expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital literacy, technology fluency, and workforce-aligned technology training.

REX Academy, founded by Sandhya “Sandy” Padala, is a Milwaukee-based, woman and minority-owned education company focused on expanding access to computer science and emerging technology education. The organization provides turnkey technology education solutions, virtual instruction, curriculum, and learning platforms designed to help institutions and learners move faster from interest to implementation.

REX Academy recently welcomed Dr. Gloria Guadalupe Navarro as Chief Executive Officer, building upon the strong foundation established by founder Sandy Padala. Under Dr. Navarro’s leadership, REX Academy has expanded its mission beyond K-12 education to include adult learning and workforce development programs that prepare learners for careers in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud technologies, and other high-demand fields. This evolution reflects the growing need for talent equipped with technology skills that employers increasingly identify as critical to workforce success.

“At KIN, we are building more than a building. We are building the connective tissue between people, employers, educators, founders, and the technologies shaping our regional economy,” said Kelly Armstrong, President of Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood. “REX Academy brings exactly the kind of practical, accessible, high-impact learning we want at the Kenosha Innovation Center. This partnership helps us open new doors for adult learners, support career mobility, and strengthen the talent pipeline our companies need to compete.”

As an Impact Partner, REX Academy will collaborate with KIN to deliver programming aligned with workforce needs and community demand. Potential offerings include technology upskilling workshops, AI education, cybersecurity awareness, digital fluency sessions, career-focused training programs, and community access programming that helps more residents participate in the innovation economy.

Together, KIN and REX Academy are creating a powerful connection between education and workforce development. By combining KIN’s employer network, community reach, and innovation ecosystem with REX Academy’s curriculum, technology learning platform, and instructional expertise, the partnership creates accessible pathways for learners to gain relevant skills and prepare for the future of work. The collaboration supports KIN’s vision of strengthening the regional talent pipeline while ensuring emerging technology opportunities remain accessible to learners from all backgrounds.

“REX Academy was founded on the belief that every learner deserves access to high-quality technology education regardless of age, background, or prior experience,” said Dr. Gloria Guadalupe Navarro, Chief Executive Officer of REX Academy. “Sandy Padala built an incredible legacy of making technology education accessible to all, and I am honored to continue that work. Through our partnership with KIN, we are extending that mission beyond K-12 education into workforce development and adult learning, helping individuals gain the AI and cybersecurity skills employers are actively seeking. Together, we are creating pathways that connect learning directly to opportunity, economic mobility, and long-term career success.”

The partnership also advances KIN’s role as a regional hub for the Milwaukee-Chicago corridor, where entrepreneurs, industry partners, educators, and learners converge to accelerate innovation, workforce development, and economic opportunity.

As part of the partnership launch, KIN and REX Academy will host two learning opportunities designed to introduce community members to AI-powered careers and technology innovation.

On July 22, 2026, the organizations will present The New Code: An Introduction to Building AI Apps and Automations, a free one-hour in person session that explores how artificial intelligence is transforming who can build technology. Participants will learn how AI-powered tools are enabling individuals without traditional coding backgrounds to create applications, automations, and innovative solutions while exploring emerging career pathways in the AI economy.

Following the session, participants will have the opportunity to attend The New Code: A Hands-On Introduction to AI Building, a four-hour virtual workshop that provides guided experience building a real AI-assisted project. Designed for beginners and professionals alike, the workshop offers practical experience using AI tools to create applications and automations while developing foundational skills for future learning and career growth. 

Registration information for both events can be found in these links: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1992280489575?aff=oddtdtcreator

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1992280796493?aff=oddtdtcreator

The partnership reflects KIN’s continued commitment to building a more inclusive, future-ready economy by connecting emerging technology, workforce development, and entrepreneurial opportunity under one roof.

“Every region is talking about AI, cybersecurity, and the future of work,” Armstrong added. “The regions that win will be the ones that make those opportunities real and reachable. That is what this partnership is about.”

About REX Academy

REX Academy is a Milwaukee-based education technology company providing innovative learning experiences in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, computer science, cloud computing, and emerging technologies. Through curriculum, instruction, workforce development programs, and technology learning platforms, REX Academy helps learners build the skills needed for success in college, careers, and the future workforce. Learn more at www.rex.academy.

About the Kenosha Innovation Center (KIC)

The Kenosha Innovation Center is a flagship facility within the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, and community-driven economic development. The Center provides founders with workspace, mentorship, programming, and pathways to growth supporting the next generation of startups in the region.

About the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood 

The Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood, Inc., is a non-profit organization led by a volunteer board of directors composed of local and regional leaders dedicated to fostering economic recovery, improving economic sustainability and resiliency, and ensuring equitable community access to prosperity through the development of the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood (KIN).  

The KIN is the revitalization and transformation of 107 acres of vacant land in the heart of Kenosha as a collaborative, mixed-use project that is bringing the community together to define and deliver a regional destination with sustainable, innovation-focused office, medical, educational, commercial, and residential space that meets the unique needs of neighbors, the broader Kenosha community, visitors, and end-users. Learn more about the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood at www.innovatekin.org.