Curtis Carmichael Joins PS43 Tech Accelerator Backed by Pascal Siakam to Scale EdTech for Marginalized Students
Afro-Canadian tech innovator Curtis Carmichael enters a high-impact accelerator to scale shuriii, an AI-powered EdTech platform used in Canadian schools.
TORONTO — In a powerful intersection of technology, education, and community impact, Curtis Carmichael, a Scarborough-raised EdTech innovator and advocate for Black youth, has been selected to join a prestigious accelerator program launched by NBA champion Pascal Siakam and Toronto Metropolitan University’s DMZ.
Carmichael and his team will participate in a 12-week virtual tech accelerator from April to July 2025, designed to support early-stage educational technology companies transforming K-12 learning. The program will culminate in a Demo Day competition, with up to $50,000 in grant funding on the line. Siakam himself will sit on the judging panel.
Building Solutions from the Trenches
Carmichael is co-founder of shuriii, a groundbreaking AI-powered platform for K-12 teachers developed in partnership with AI specialist Dr. Amin Gheibi. Their goal: help educators identify and respond to student challenges in real time—particularly in high-priority schools where data is often fragmented and delayed.
“Multiple school boards in Canada are already using our platform,” said Carmichael. “Getting into this accelerator program will give us the tools to scale to the global level that we envision for shuriii.”
Currently in use by the Toronto District School Board, Peel District School Board, Grand Erie DSB, and Kenora Catholic, shuriii simplifies how teachers analyze lesson plans, student data, and interventions. It helps educators track what’s working and what’s not—before report card time—helping students stay on track and reducing teacher burnout.
From Scarborough to STEM Leadership
Carmichael’s journey is as powerful as the platform he’s built. Once a child drug dealer in Toronto Community Housing, he has since become a global voice for Black and racialized youth. He founded the Source Code Academy, Canada’s first culture-focused tech academy for K-12 students.
In 2022, he authored Butterflies in the Trenches, the world’s first augmented reality memoir, building the companion app himself as a self-taught coder. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree, Carmichael holds degrees from Queen’s University and Ontario Tech, and is currently pursuing a PhD in STEM Education at Hampton University.
He previously made headlines when he cycled across Canada, raising $100,000 in 60 days for after-school programs—a journey featured in the award-winning documentary Ride for Promise.
A Future Built on Purpose
As global education systems continue to wrestle with learning gaps—especially in underserved communities—platforms like shuriii offer culturally responsive, real-time tools to bridge those divides. With the support of the PS43 Foundation and DMZ, Carmichael’s team is poised to bring this Afro-Canadian innovation to classrooms worldwide.
Uplifting Black voices from coast to coast – this is the Afro-Canadian heartbeat. Only in Vision.
