What is your hometown, what brought you to the Pensacola
Bay area, and how long have you been here?
I was born in Tallahassee, Florida. I moved to Pensacola 11 years ago
when Robin and I married.
What is your profession and give a brief description of what
you do.
I am an electrical engineer with a passion for startup entrepreneurship,
innovation, and research and development. I am the CEO of two
artifi cial intelligence (AI) technology startups: Cognitive Big Data
Systems and Fast Informatics.
What led you to choose this profession?
When I was a child, my mother was a domestic worker and the
families for whom she worked would often discard nonfunctional
battery-powered toy cars. She would bring the broken toy cars home
to my younger brother and me, and we were always excited to repair
them or repurpose the parts for other toys or equipment. I developed
a keen interest in math and, spurred by a forward-thinking math
teacher, dual-enrolled at Florida A & M University, then transferred
and graduated from the University of Florida (BS, EE). My brother
went on to become an electrician in the Coast Guard and I became
an electrical engineer and branch chief with the Air Force Research
Laboratory.
What do you like best about Pensacola?
As an entrepreneur, I like the many opportunities for leadership,
networking, and proving what can be accomplished in Pensacola.
What makes it so unique?
There is much untapped talent in our area. The assumptions made
about people because of what they look like, where they live or how
their family is structured has challenged our ways of thinking about
people’s talent and abilities. We have a unique opportunity to excel in
this area.
Give us three words that best describe you.
Integrator. Visionary. Patient.
Favorite Things you like about Pensacola.
I like that citizens and organizations of Pensacola try to help others that
are in need.
I AM PENSACOLA because…
I choose to live here. My wife and I have been embraced and
encouraged in our professional and community journeys and we
empower ourselves to help Pensacola be a better place for all.
I AM PENSACOLA
Lloyd Reshard
photo by
Robert Robino Productions
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