Scaling Impact: Where Progress Works California & SpecOpsAI Is Headed Next

Progress Works California has reached an important milestone: proof of concept is complete, impact is validated, and demand is growing.

Through successful multi-channel pilots, we have demonstrated that AI-powered education and artificial therapeutic intelligence can measurably expand capacity, improve engagement, and deliver real-world outcomes for communities facing the greatest need. These results confirm what our work set out to prove—technology, when designed with intention and clinical rigor, can be a force multiplier for community support systems.

Our mission forward is clear: to build a leading model for AI-powered EdTech and therapeutic support—ensuring communities of all resource levels have access to tools for learning, healing, and long-term growth.

SpecOpsAI operates as our proprietary EdTech Platform with advanced integrated Artificial Therapeutic Intelligence.

We do this in close partnership with organizations serving:

• Veterans navigating reskilling, employment pathways, reintegration, and therapeutics

• Neurodiverse individuals who benefit from adaptive learning and assistive therapeutic tools

• Community-based programs facing limited funding and staffing capacity

• At-risk youth and reentry populations seeking structured pathways to stability and employment

These partnerships ensure our platforms are grounded in real-world needs and deployed where they can make the greatest immediate impact.

“Artificial Intelligence is poised to become the most transformative force in human history, reshaping society and education at a rate that human talent can not keep up with” explains Gary Merten, Executive Director of Progress Works California. “By unifying AI-driven education with clinically driven assistive therapeutic model, we increase capacity, reduce strain on overstretched systems, and deliver meaningful, measurable outcomes where support is needed most.”

OUR PLATFORM IS NOT A STAND-ALONE THERAPEUTIC AND ONLY FUNCTIONS AS AN ASSISTIVE THERAPEUTIC OR GUIDANCE SYSTEM WITH BUILT IN GUARD RAILS

Behind this work is an exceptional multidisciplinary team. Progress Works California is supported by nine PhD-level experts spanning product engineering, psychology, medical disciplines, and social work, alongside experienced developers, educators, and community leaders. This depth of expertise ensures our platforms are not only technologically advanced, but also clinically informed, ethically designed, and built for safe long-term sustainability.

Our Next Phase of Growth Focuses On:

• Expanding access statewide and nationally

• Strengthening partnerships with nonprofits, workforce programs, and veteran organizations

• Advancing research and development of next-generation AI education and therapeutic tools

• Scaling responsibly while maintaining clinical integrity, data security, and community trust

Partnerships fuel this work. Philanthropic support, corporate collaboration, and community alignment allow us to deploy life-changing tools at the moment they are needed most—without adding burden to already strained systems.

Together, we can expand opportunity, strengthen resilience, and build a future where technology truly works for everyone.

Get involved or partner with us today and be part of something groundbreaking that can have an impact nationwide.

For more information on our platform Reach Out