An AI of Our Own

The community building An AI of Our Own

Phloeun Prim

Project Lead

A visionary cultural entrepreneur, Phloeun is the Executive Director of Living Arts International (LAI). LAI incubates cultural initiatives that contribute to a peaceful, sustainable future, using the living arts as a catalyst for change.

Phloeun started his career as a co-founder of ‘Artisans d’Angkor’, a Cambodian social enterprise that provides professional skills to young Cambodians in rural communities. He became Director of Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) in 2009, which was the seed for LAI.

Phloeun has been a visiting Professor at NYU Abu Dhabi, teaching courses on Arts for Transformation. His skills enable him to bridge connections across grassroots and policy levels.

Phloeun Prim
Project Lead

&nbsp

Tatenda Tavingeyi

Project Coordinator

Tatenda Tavingeyi is a heritage professional and AI enthusiast with specific interests in indigenous knowledge systems and practices, AI governance and ethics. Tatenda currently serves as the project coordinator for the “An AI Our Own” initiative under the Cambodia Living Arts International, and a subcommittee member for the Sudan Heritage Preservation Council.

Tatenda Tavingeyi
Project Coordinator

&nbsp

Sadik Shahadu

Communications & Partnerships

Sadik is a certified Wikipedia trainer, journalist, and partnership and fundraising manager for An AI of Our Own. He is also the co-founder of the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group, a young not-for-profit organization based in Ghana working to support the 16 Mabia languages on Wikimedia and the internet at large.

 

Sadik Shahadu
Communications & Partnerships

&nbsp

Gillian Rhodes

Strategic Assistant

Gillian Rhodes is an American performing artist and storyteller who has spent close to thirteen years working in Cambodia, South Korea, Pakistan, and now Dubai. She began working with Phloeun in 2012 as an executive assistant. Her creative ability to see
how things connect and articulate in words helps her gather the concepts and ideas central to
AAOO and give them shape and form.

Gillian Rhodes
Strategic Assistant

&nbsp

Cindy Nguyễn

Research Fellow

Dr. Cindy Anh Nguyen is assistant professor in Information Studies, Digital Humanities, and Asian Languages & Culture at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her multifaceted digital humanities work bridges computation and critical data analysis as a commitment to global south cultural heritage and community engaged research. Her transdisciplinary research examines the historical and socio-technical production of knowledge in Southeast Asia through libraries, encyclopedia, visual media, and language through feminist, decolonial, and critical approaches. Her book, Bibliotactics: Libraries and the Colonial Public in Vietnam (University of California Press, 2026) uncovers how libraries functioned as instruments of colonial dominance and an experimental space of public critique. Her work has appeared in multiple journals and numerous edited volumes on history and digital humanities.

Cindy Nguyễn
Research Fellow

&nbsp

Loy Sreynith

Research Assistant

Loy Sreynith is a designer blending creativity and tech, fluent in Khmer, English, and Chinese.
She’s currently studying MIS and Graphic Design while exploring AI to create meaningful,
inspiring work.

Loy Sreynith
Research Assistant

&nbsp

Phloeun Prim
Project Lead

A visionary cultural entrepreneur, Phloeun is the Executive Director of Living Arts International (LAI). LAI incubates cultural initiatives that contribute to a peaceful, sustainable future, using the living arts as a catalyst for change.

Phloeun Prim
Project Lead

A visionary cultural entrepreneur, Phloeun is the Executive Director of Living Arts International (LAI). LAI incubates cultural initiatives that contribute to a peaceful, sustainable future, using the living arts as a catalyst for change.

Phloeun Prim
Project Lead

A visionary cultural entrepreneur, Phloeun is the Executive Director of Living Arts International (LAI). LAI incubates cultural initiatives that contribute to a peaceful, sustainable future, using the living arts as a catalyst for change.

Phloeun Prim
Project Lead

A visionary cultural entrepreneur, Phloeun is the Executive Director of Living Arts International (LAI). LAI incubates cultural initiatives that contribute to a peaceful, sustainable future, using the living arts as a catalyst for change.

Phloeun Prim
Project Lead

A visionary cultural entrepreneur, Phloeun is the Executive Director of Living Arts International (LAI). LAI incubates cultural initiatives that contribute to a peaceful, sustainable future, using the living arts as a catalyst for change.

Our advisors

Tanya Dutt

Arts & Culture Manager, Researcher

Martin Puchner

Harvard Professor, Author, EdTech Enthusiast

Lauren Powell

Archaeologist, Paleoanthropologist, and Founder at Archaeo-Tech Innovations

Kanika Makhija

Digital Heritage Professional and Researcher

Manojna Yeluri

Founder at Artistik License

Roc Chyarop Burapat

Creative Director at Nimit Nation

Sameer Raina

CEO, Digital Divide Data

Talal Rahwan

Associate Professor of Computer Science at New York University Abu Dhabi

Yasir Zaki

Assistant Professor of Computer Science at New York University Abu Dhabi

Kanika Makhija
Digital Heritage Professional and Researcher
Lauren Powell
Archaeologist, Paleoanthropologist, and Founder at Archaeo-Tech Innovations
Manojna Yeluri
Founder at Artistik License
Martin Puchner
Harvard Professor, Author, EdTech Enthusiast
Roc Chyarop Burapat
Creative Director at Nimit Nation
Sameer Raina
CEO, Digital Divide Data
Talal Rahwan
Associate Professor of Computer Science at New York University Abu Dhabi
Tanya Dutt
Arts & Culture Manager, Researcher
Yasir Zaki
Assistant Professor of Computer Science at New York University Abu Dhabi