Following the devastating wildfires that struck Los Angeles earlier this year, the need for rapid, accessible information has never been more critical. Tech startup e.e.r.s. has just been selected for the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator’s (LACI) exclusive Resilient Rebuilding Cohort, a group of 14 innovators chosen to help the region recover and adapt.
We sat down with founder Kyiana Williams to discuss her multilingual civic chatbot, the personal loss that drives her mission, and how this new partnership will help protect communities like Altadena and Pasadena from future communication breakdowns.
Q: You were just selected for LACI’s “Resilient Rebuilding Cohort,” which was launched specifically in response to the devastating fires of January 2025. Why is this specific cohort the right environment for e.e.r.s. at this stage of your growth?
Kyiana Williams:
LACI’s Resilient Rebuilding Cohort is important to us during this stage of our growth because it provides us with direct visibility to both Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles. It allows us to demonstrate our commitment to the community while benefiting from the credibility and institutional support that LACI provides.
Being part of this cohort also connects us with other founders and companies who are working to build more fire‑resistant, resilient communities. That environment is both inspiring and motivating. It pushes us to strengthen our own work, collaborate with like‑minded innovators, and stay focused on creating solutions that truly support the communities we serve.
Q: Your mission is described as “deeply personal,” stemming from the loss of your grandparents’ home in Altadena during the wildfires. How did that experience shape your realization that language barriers were a major safety risk during emergencies?
Kyiana Williams:
When my grandparents’ house burned down last year, I realized that they would have struggled to process all the information without help. My grandparents aren’t native English speakers. Understanding the nuances of conversation during an emergency, whether it involves evacuation or staying in place, can be a matter of life or death. You want to avoid any loss in translation.
Furthermore, one of our company’s biggest concerns is that once the event is over, a lot of the information that helps people access resources is not available in a language they can understand. Now we’re talking about really complicated conversations and lengthy documents. Federal documents that help with assistance, be it food or shelter, are not always accessible in multiple languages.
Beyond the need for information in different languages, residents need accurate information from trusted sources. Our software, e.e.r.s., obtains its information from approved government sources and converses with their nuanced needs. Our city officials want to support the community, but have limited capacity to do so. With e.e.r.s. they’d be able to converse and serve everyone promptly. You don’t want vulnerable people—regardless of the language that they speak—falling prey to online scams from bad actors who want to exploit people in crisis.
Q: e.e.r.s. is a multilingual civic chatbot capable of communicating in over 140 languages. Can you explain how the technology works in real-time to bridge the gap between “scattered data” and the clear answers residents need about FEMA aid or shelter?
Kyiana Williams:
We’ve found that during natural disasters or when people need social services, the greatest challenge is simply discovering what help exists. Most people don’t know which programs are available at the city, county, state, or federal level.
With so many assistance programs, it’s challenging to know where to start, what you qualify for, or where to find info. Just organizing this information in one place is a major accomplishment. It allows individuals in any city to access local, county, state, and federal resources at their convenience.
But information alone isn’t enough for more complex processes, like applying for a FEMA aid grant. People need guidance. They have questions: Do I qualify? How much assistance can I receive? Which parts of the application do I need to complete? What’s the deadline? Has it been extended?
Ideally, a FEMA expert would walk each person through the process, but there simply aren’t enough staff to support everyone—especially in multiple languages.
That’s where e.e.r.s. steps in. For the first time, technology can step in to fill this gap. Instead of replacing human experts, e.e.r.s. aims to expand the scope of current services and offer communities the much-needed support they’ve been lacking.
Q: As part of this two-year incubation program, you will be piloting solutions in specific areas like Pasadena and Altadena. What are the primary communication gaps you hope to address for these local governments before the next crisis strikes?
Kyiana Williams:
As we begin piloting in Pasadena and Altadena, we’re seeing clear communication gaps that e.e.r.s. can help fill—especially when it comes to supporting communities that are still in a fragile place. The fires have destroyed many buildings, and residents are now attempting to rebuild. They need a reliable way to learn about available programs, understand which organizations are helping with reconstruction, and stay connected with the broader community effort to recover.
At the same time, new risks have emerged. After the recent heavy rains, many structures that survived the fire are now vulnerable, and the area faces ongoing flood and mudslide warnings. Before the fire, these risks were not as prevalent, and to stay safe, people need up-to-date, precise information.
The goal is to create a communication channel between residents and local government that flows both ways: from governments to residents and from residents to governments.
For example, e.e.r.s. allows community members to report what they’re seeing on the ground—flooding, structural issues, or signs that a building may be at risk of a mudslide. Our software gathers all of that information and routes it to the right local officials so they can make informed decisions quickly.
With e.e.r.s., everyone has a way to stay informed, contribute to recovery efforts, and receive support during a challenging time. We are a human-first company.
Q: You mentioned that e.e.r.s. is a human-first company. Can you tell me more about that?
Kyianna Williams:
People are genuinely afraid that new technology like AI will take their jobs, replace their art, diminish the quality of information they rely on, or simply get things wrong. As technologists, we have to take those fears seriously and build with that awareness in mind.
Technology should exist to improve human life. Innovation is meant to help us grow into the next era—not leave people behind. When we build without intention or empathy, we create tools that people don’t trust, don’t want, and won’t use. Sometimes, companies even design technology that causes harm to the very communities we intended to assist. That reaction tells us something important: people don’t feel included in the evolution of technology. They feel like change is happening to them, not with them.
Yes, people are often wary of anything new or unfamiliar. But AI feels different. It affects individuals and entire communities in ways that can feel sudden, uninvited, and disconnected from their well-being.
I believe we can do better. We can build with more care, more empathy, and more long-term thinking. Today’s technology often prioritizes short-term gains over the broader impact. Designing with humanity in mind leads to better intentions, better products, and ultimately a better society, even if long-term effects are uncertain or hypothetical.
Q: You’ve had a momentous year, securing grants from both the Women in Innovation Awards and Meta’s Llama Impact program. With LACI’s backing now added to that momentum, what is the next big milestone for e.e.r.s. in terms of scaling this technology beyond Los Angeles?
Kyiana Williams:
Our goal is to be ready for the Olympics. We want to support the community and showcase the strong services available across Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles during a time when millions of visitors will be arriving. Many of them will rely on public transportation, need information about quiet hours, or look for guidance on parking and local regulations.
While the Olympics aren’t a natural disaster, this moment highlights an important point: our system isn’t only for emergencies. It’s a preventative tool that strengthens everyday communication between residents, visitors, local services, and government. It ensures people can access accurate information, understand what resources are available, and stay connected to what’s happening in their area.
To learn more about e.e.r.s. and its crisis communication tools, visit https://eers.us.
