There’s a saying often shared as an African proverb: if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together. It’s a truth I identify with completely.

I would rather build with people than race ahead on my own. Longtime readers already know this about me. Earlier this year, Jonah Isaac joined the project as a development partner, and what started as vibe coded prototypes turned into things that actually run in production. Now that same instinct is bringing someone new into the fold.

August Dispatch just added an AI governance researcher to the team, and it turns out he already had a head start.

Please join us in welcoming Francis Martinson as our newest Contributing Author. Francis is not new to this site. Longtime readers will recognize some of his earlier work here, and as you will see below, a few of those pieces have aged strangely well as AI has moved from novelty to everyday infrastructure.

Francis is a researcher, educator, technology leader, and public policy enthusiast whose work explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, data, governance, education, enterprise transformation, and digital innovation. His perspectives are shaped by the unique combination of academic research, higher education, and enterprise leadership, enabling him to bridge theory with practical application.

Some of Francis’s earlier contributions to The August Dispatch have proven remarkably relevant as artificial intelligence has evolved. His articles on the ethics of data scraping and social media manipulation, the enterprise impact of Microsoft Copilot, and leadership lessons from Sam Altman anticipated many of the conversations now shaping responsible AI, digital trust, enterprise transformation, and technology leadership. These writings continue to serve as valuable reference points for understanding today’s rapidly evolving AI landscape.

Since then, Francis has expanded his body of work through peer reviewed research on AI governance, generative and synthetic media, AI enabled financial crime, and artificial intelligence in education. His research has been presented internationally and reflects a commitment to developing AI systems that are innovative, trustworthy, human centered, and aligned with responsible governance.

Professionally, Francis has served in academia as a Computer Science educator and continues to contribute to academic program development as a member of the Computer Science Academic Advisory Committee at North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS). Alongside his academic contributions, he has led and supported data, analytics, and AI initiatives within large enterprise organizations, bringing practical insight to the evolving relationship between technology, business, and society.

At The August Dispatch, Francis will contribute research informed analysis and practical perspectives on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, enterprise technology, leadership, governance, education, data strategy, and public policy. His goal is to bridge the gap between research and practice, making complex ideas accessible while helping readers navigate the opportunities and challenges of an AI driven world.

That mix of research depth and enterprise experience is exactly what this project needs as it grows past one person’s build log into something closer to a proper publication. Francis brings the governance and policy lens that a lot of AI coverage skips over in favor of the next flashy release.

rancis joining also feels like a good moment to say this out loud: August Dispatch is open to more of this. If you are working on something in AI worth writing about, or you have a project you would like reviewed or shared here, reach out at theteam@augustwheel.com or send us a DM on any of our social pages. We are always happy to look at contributed articles and interesting builds from the community.

If you want Francis’s pieces landing in your inbox as soon as they go live, the newsletter is still the best way to catch them: newsletter.augustdispatch.com. And if there is a specific angle on AI governance, education, or enterprise AI you want him to tackle first, drop it in the comments. He is reading them.

Welcome aboard, Francis.