By Maija Ehlinger
A film and digital marketing veteran builds a Wilmington enterprise to train auto mechanics, construction workers and others.
Robin Cowie made his mark in the entertainment/media world, producing the indie classic film “The Blair Witch Project” in 1999 and later helping bring major video games like Madden NFL to life. Now, as the CEO of the Wilmington-based educational technology startup Skillmaker.AI, he is focused on shaping the future. Specifically, the future of work.
“I’ve been very blessed and very fortunate to have a great career in entertainment, but this is probably the most important thing that I’ve ever done in my life,” he says.
Skillmaker.AI is a workforce training platform using AI-powered extended reality technology for vocational training and skill development. The startup delivers “just-in-time” lessons for workers looking to break into or level up in automation, industrial, or construction sectors, each of which is facing critical labor shortages.
It is all about “helping skilled workers at scale,” Cowie says. The platform helps throughout the employment life cycle, from assessing new employees to accelerating learning paths and assisting with on-the-job training.
Skillmaker.AI now has a handful of employees, but Cowie is seeking $3 million
to build out his team.
AI IS FOR HUMANS
Skillmaker.AI works with learning and development divisions of companies, which create educational content for employees. The software enables teams to gather data from various sources, build a searchable database and then turn that database into curated educational content and video curriculum.
“Think of it like a movie script,” Cowie says. Skillmaker.AI gives learning and development teams a “script,” which they can then use to create company-specific content, quizzes or interactive simulations.
Teams control the ultimate training offerings, ensuring that Skillmaker.AI content is vetted and compliant with company standards. “We’re trying to use AI to serve humans, and not the other way around,” Cowie adds.
Skillmaker.AI is looking to train workers who work in “critical infrastructure” jobs like energy, telecommunications and transportation.
“There is going to be a great reskilling of America,” given how quickly AI is changing many job descriptions and overall industries, Cowie says. “I think that putting AI into the hands of individuals is really important.”
THE FUTURE OF WORK, FROM THE BEACH
Originally from South Africa, Cowie says his father introduced him to the intersection of filmmaking and “point of view learning.” After earning a bachelor’s degree in motion picture technology at the University of Central Florida in 1993, he has worked for a variety of film and digital content production companies.
He was working at Haxan Films with fellow Central Florida grads Eduardo Sanchez and Dan Myrick in 1999 when they developed “The Blair Witch Project.” (Cowie was a co-producer, while Sanchez and Myrick were the directors.) A $60,000 investment in the 1999 horror movie led to the highest-grossing independent film at the time, with box office receipts topping $250 million. It was among several motion pictures and television series that Cowie worked on during his 16 years at Haxan.
Cowie later moved to video game leader Electronic Arts and then, London-based HELO, where he was director of technology and worked on digital marketing programs for international brands including McDonald’s, Universal Studios and Amazon.
He ultimately became interested in “helping skilled workers at scale,” which prompted him to launch launch his company in 2023.
After stints in Los Angeles, Orlando, and London, Cowie and his family used the COVID pandemic to find a new home base. They spent months crisscrossing the United States, staying in AirBnbs and eventually choosing Wilmington over Santa Cruz, California.
Skillmaker.AI joins a variety of other tech startups in the Port City. “The startup community here in Wilmington is really cool,” he says. “And the quality of life is pretty exceptional. It is a young energy that is really great.”
North Carolina has quickly embraced Cowie. He was on stage in March at the popular Venture Connect venture capital conference in Raleigh. He won the audience vote in the AI & Machine Learning category.
In April, he spoke at the NAPA NOW conference in Las Vegas for NAPA Auto Care centers. He showcased Skillmaker.AI’s technician educational work. The company has a partnership with NAPA for training auto technicians.
Traditional training methods for auto technicians can take from nine to 24 months. Skillmaker.AI says it cuts that training time down drastically.
“With our combination of virtual reality, mixed reality and smart glasses, [we] ultimately reduce the amount of time that it takes to go from zero to an entry level auto repair technician from two years to
25 days,” Cowie says. ■