From Bathroom Flyer to Building Bots: How Kash Williams Went from Single Mom to Automation Engineer

Jul 02, 2026 By AI Bridge Foundation

When Kash Williams packed up her life in New York City and drove to Atlanta during the pandemic, she had two kids, no tech background, and one goal: build something better. She'd run her own small business before, but the tech world felt like another planet. Then she found a program designed for women exactly like her.

Starting Over in Atlanta

Kasius "Kash" Williams grew up fast. She moved from Germany to Upstate New York at age 13, navigating a new country and a new language. As a young adult, she launched her own small business and became a single mother of two. When COVID-19 hit, she made a bold decision — leave New York City and start fresh in Atlanta, where she hoped her kids (then 6 and 11) could have more opportunity.

But opportunity doesn't just show up. Kash was earning under $30,000 a year. She'd been a victim of identity fraud. She had no connections in tech and no clear path forward.

Seventeen Saturdays That Changed Everything

In June 2023, Kash enrolled in the Women in Technology (WIT) Single Mothers' Program — a free, 17-week accelerated certificate program in IT and cybersecurity, offered through Emory University. The program runs every Saturday from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, built for women who can't quit their lives to go back to school.

WIT didn't just hand her a textbook. They provided free childcare, transportation, meals, a laptop, career coaching, and professional development. The program targets single mothers earning $30,000 or less, ages 23 to 43 — women with potential but without resources.

"My mind was blown about IT," Kash said. "I didn't know how big the world of the Internet of Things is."

From Certificate to Career

By early 2024 — just months after graduating — Kash landed her first tech role: Junior Intelligent Automation Engineer at Cox Enterprises in Atlanta. She now builds bots that automate business processes across computer systems, the web, and the cloud.

"I feel like I hit the job lottery," she said. "The fact that Cox took a chance on me being net-new is such a blessing. I'm still pinching myself that I have a job in tech."

Her kids noticed the change too. "My kids were like, 'Are there robots?'" she laughed. "I explained that these are bots that work in the computer, the web and the cloud."

What This Means for Her Family

Kash isn't just building a career — she's building a legacy. Both of her children now attend tech schools. She talks openly about wanting them to understand technology so they can be safe and thrive as it grows.

"The things that I'm doing and working on right now will outlive me — and that's huge," she said.

She's already thinking about what's next: moving into people management in the automation space, helping others make the same leap she did.

The Bigger Picture

The WIT Single Mothers' Program has graduated over 130 women. As of 2022, every graduate had found a tech job. The program costs participants nothing. It meets them where they are — on Saturdays, with childcare, with meals, with a laptop in hand.

Cox Enterprises connected to Kash through their "34 by 34" initiative, which aims to help 34 million people live more prosperous lives by 2034. WIT is a longtime Cox partner.

Why This Story Matters

Kash Williams went from earning under $30,000 a year to building automation systems at a Fortune 500 company. She did it in less than a year. And she did it on Saturdays.

Her story is the model: targeted support, real skills, wrap-around services, and employer partnerships that lead to actual jobs — not just certificates. When you remove the barriers — cost, childcare, transportation — and provide rigorous training, people don't just catch up. They build bots.

"We're people, no matter what background we come from," Kash said. "You're human first; a family comes first, and then work. It makes you want to do a good job and stay longer."

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