Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Teams Up with Mark Cuban and Emma Grede to Host AI in Action Lab for Hundreds of New York City Students

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 26, 2026--

Samsung Electronics America, along with entrepreneurs Mark Cuban, Emma Grede and Allison Stransky, hosted the first-ever Samsung Solve for Tomorrow: AI in Action Lab in New York City, bringing together hundreds of students for a hands-on experience designed to turn curiosity about AI into real-world opportunity. Students from A. Philip Randolph Campus High School received education and career advice from Mark Cuban, Emma Grede and Samsung executives, and engaged in an immersive AI in Action Lab co-led by the Mark Cuban Foundation that encouraged students to confidently engage with emerging AI tools and Samsung technology.

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In a world being transformed by AI, the gap between those who understand AI and those who don’t is only widening. Youth who learn how to harness AI creatively will have an undeniable edge in today’s classrooms and in the workplace of the future. The AI in Action Lab builds on Samsung’s commitment to responsible innovation and reflects the company’s belief that access to technology is access to opportunity. As part of Samsung’s flagship corporate social responsibility initiative, Solve for Tomorrow, the event underscores the company’s goal to help close the education and opportunity gap by expanding access to STEM learning, mentorship and real-world problem-solving experiences for students in grades 6–12.

For more than a decade, Solve for Tomorrow has empowered public school students to use STEM to address challenges in their local communities — fostering creativity, collaboration and civic leadership. The AI in Action Lab extends that mission into the era of artificial intelligence, reinforcing Samsung’s global vision of “AI for All” — a future where AI is accessible, inclusive and designed to improve lives across communities.

“AI is reshaping the world around us and we understand that both students and teachers are being impacted the most. That's why we've partnered with visionaries like Mark Cuban and Emma Grede, to equip the education community with the tools and skills they need to succeed so no one is left behind," said Allison Stransky, Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Electronics America.

Recent Samsung research highlights the urgency of this work, noting that while 88% of teachers 1 recognize AI’s critical role in students’ future careers, more than half report lacking formal AI training. Beyond experiences like the AI in Action Lab, Samsung and the Mark Cuban Foundation will continue to harness joint leadership and provide additional free AI training resources to teachers nationwide.

When speaking to high school students on the importance of learning and leveraging new technology, Mark Cuban, entrepreneur, noted, “I can’t stress enough the importance of curiosity. Never before in history has a kid been able to ask a question and then start a business or master a new topic. There’s nothing you can’t learn if you have a device and the right mindset. Technology and AI will continue to evolve. And if you're curious, you'll keep up.”

During the event, Mark Cuban and Emma Grede shared their perspectives on how emerging technologies have impacted the future of work and why they believe young leaders should be proactive and curious about AI – especially in the classroom. The conversation followed with a hands-on, interactive AI Lab designed to expose students to safe, appropriate ways to use AI in school and in life.

Announced last fall, Mark Cuban and Emma Grede are the first official Ambassadors for Solve for Tomorrow and share Samsung’s belief that technology can be used as a force for good among students, educators and next gen leaders. Grede also urged students to embrace AI responsibly, as a tool to accelerate their innovation.

“With the introduction of AI, creativity becomes a superpower,” Emma Grede, Founder, Serial Entrepreneur, Author and Host of the Aspire with Emma Grede Podcast, told students. “In my business, you use AI to sit on top of all of the great ideas you have. AI is never going to replace creativity and incredible ideas, but it can lift them up and make them better and more relevant to the audience you’re trying to reach.”

As part of the brand’s broader commitment to education, Samsung continues to equip classrooms with advanced technology designed to enhance teaching and learning experiences. Building on the recent launch of its new premium interactive display, Samsung provides schools with dynamic, collaborative tools that support immersive instruction, real-time engagement and seamless connectivity. From interactive displays and connected classroom solutions, to mobile devices and AI-enabled technologies, Samsung’s education portfolio is designed to empower educators with intuitive tools that bring lessons to life and prepare students for a digital-first world.

Together with initiatives like Solve for Tomorrow, these investments reflect Samsung’s commitment to ensuring schools have access to cutting-edge technology, as well as the support and resources needed to make a meaningful impact in the classroom.

About Samsung Solve for Tomorrow

Now in its 16th year, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has provided U.S. schools with over $29 million in Samsung technology and classroom resources, while reaching over 2.9 million youth participants globally. Samsung’s broader initiatives—from Samsung Innovation Campus to Next-Gen Workplace Initiatives—help to extend this mission and impact at scale.

1 Survey commissioned by Samsung and conducted online by HarrisX in October 2025, surveying 620 public middle and high school teachers across the United States.

Mark Cuban at Samsung Solve for Tomorrow: AI in Action Lab (Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Samsung Electronics America)

Emma Grede at Samsung Solve for Tomorrow: AI in Action Lab (Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Samsung Electronics America)

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow: AI in Action Lab With Mark Cuban, Emma Grede and Allison Stransky (Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Samsung Electronics America)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Residents in Brazil's Minas Gerais state faced blocked roads, closed shops and streets under water on Thursday following more heavy rain overnight as the death toll from recent floods and landslides reached 59, authorities said.

Rescuers continued to search for victims on the third day since the catastrophe began late Monday, causing floods, landslides, collapsed houses and shuttered schools.

Minas Gerais’s fire department said 15 people are still missing and more than 230 have been rescued. More than 5,500 people have been forced to leave their homes.

Brazil’s meteorology institute, Inmet, said on Thursday morning that more rain with strong winds was forecast, and pointed to a risk of power outages, falling tree branches, flooding and lightning strikes.

“This morning, all the shops in the city center are being cleaned again. The storm on Monday already caused damage, and early this morning there was even more damage,” said Rev. Ananias Simões, a pastor at a church in Juiz de Fora, the hardest-hit city.

All the victims have been found in Juiz de Fora and Uba, about 310 kilometers (192 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro.

The authorities in Juiz de Fora, where a state of public calamity has been declared, ordered the evacuation of homes along dozens of roads and said residents would be able to shelter in nearby schools.

Simões, whose church is providing shelter and supplies for victims, said that many roads were closed due to the expectation of more heavy rain. Despite logistical difficulties, he planned on going to the city’s heavily affected northern zone to deliver food and water.

“The situation is very chaotic,” he said. “Everyone is doing their utmost to make sure everyone stays safe.”

Inmet warned of “great danger” until Friday evening in parts of Minas Gerais as well as other Brazilian states including Rio and Sao Paulo due to the heavy rains. Those areas are all at risk of landslides, river overflows and major flooding, the body said.

The fire department has advised residents to look for signs that their properties may have been damaged or are at risk of collapse, such as cracks in bulging walls, fissures and stuck doors and windows. Outside, muddy water flowing down hillsides, leaning trees and utility poles and cracking sounds coming from the ground all signal imminent danger, it said.

“Don't wait. If there’s any doubt, leave the house,” said military firefighter Cel. Joselito Oliveira de Paula, speaking to journalists. He said authorities had removed six bodies since Wednesday, adding that efforts continued but that more rain could hinder further recoveries.

Minas Gerais state health secretariat has issued an epidemiological alert providing guidance for health services and the general population to prevent diseases related to contaminated water, such as leptospirosis, the state's communications agency said in a statement on Thursday.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on his social media channels on Tuesday that security forces have been deployed on rescue missions and are providing immediate assistance to the population affected by the rain. The federal government has authorized the release of around 3.4 million reais (around $660,000) for reconstruction efforts and humanitarian assistance.

Scientists say extreme weather is happening more frequently due to human-caused climate change.

Nearly a quarter of Juiz de Fora residents -- around 540,000 people -- live in places that have been identified as being at risk of natural hazards related to land and water, according to a 2023 report by Cemaden, a Brazilian government agency that monitors natural disasters.

“We don’t know when heavy rains will occur, but we know that they will,” said Natalie Unterstell, the founder of Talanoa Institute, a climate policy think tank. “Climate adaptation needs to be a priority. It's not about reacting to a situation, but about investing in infrastructure to avoid deaths.”

Major flooding in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state in May 2024 led to the deaths of at least 185 people and ravaged nearly everything needed for economic activity, from shops to factories, farms and ranches. Financial losses were above 10 billion reais ($1.9 billion).

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Residents pray near the site where homes collapsed due to heavy rains and flooding in the Parque Burnier neighborhood of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

A home is collapsed due to heavy rains and flooding in the Parque Burnier neighborhood of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

A family eats donated food at a shelter near the site where homes collapsed due to heavy rains and flooding in the Parque Burnier neighborhood of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Residents carry away their belongings at the site where homes collapsed due to heavy rains and flooding in the Parque Burnier neighborhood of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)