Take the Shot: Yohlanna Cort on Building CortNova with AI

What happens when you stop waiting for your product to be perfect and finally take the shot? Navy veteran, software engineer, and CortNova founder Yohlanna Cort joins B Donald Harris and Major Phillips to share how she built an offline-resilient hotel guest-request prototype with Claude Code and a Raspberry Pi, then demonstrated it to hotel staff in Jamaica. From LEGO robotics and a playable Pac-Man project to military service, neuroscience, and entrepreneurship, Yohlanna's story is about curiosity, resilience, and building technology that helps people. IN THIS CONVERSATION → Building Cornova's guest-request system for hotels and resorts → What a deleted database taught her about AI-assisted engineering → Why architecture, security, and data integrity still matter → Taking the shot before a prototype is perfect → Coding boot camps, human intelligence, and responsible AI → Future ideas in healthcare, agriculture, and robotics Her advice to builders: “Don't be afraid of AI, trust your brain.” CHAPTERS 00:00 Opening Hook 00:55 Hosts — Investing in Your Career 04:26 HindSite / Transition 05:14 Meet Yohlanna Cort 06:35 Early Love of Technology and Robotics 09:51 Neuroscience and the Human Brain 12:33 Life After the Navy 17:53 Mixology and Exploring New Paths 23:24 Becoming a Software Engineer 27:43 Resilience and the Navy Swim Test 31:42 Building CortNova's Hospitality Solution 35:45 From Idea to Pitch Competition 37:21 Claude Code and Engineering Lessons 39:24 Raspberry Pi Prototype in Jamaica 40:28 Taking the Shot — Showing an Unfinished Product 44:15 Coding Boot Camps and AI-Assisted Development 48:47 Responsible Architecture and Software Engineering 50:45 AI Tools and Foundational Skills 54:56 The Pace of Technological Change 57:02 Neuroplasticity and Human Adaptation 01:05:00 AGI, Human Oversight, and Connection 01:12:49 Rapid Fire 01:18:14 Overrated Tech and Wearable Health 01:21:17 Neuroscience and Don't Fear AI 01:24:12 AI, Jobs, and Future Generations 01:27:01 Yohlanna's Five-Year Vision 01:30:03 Final Advice to Builders 01:32:49 Connect with Yohlanna 01:34:53 Closing Remarks CONNECT WITH YOHLANNA CORT CortNova Technologies: https://cortnovatech.com/ LinkedIn: Search for Yohlanna Cort Instagram: GT Mixology Yohlanna welcomes introductions to hotel operators interested in a CortNova demo or pilot. ABOUT NOTABLEBIT NotableBIT builds visibility, memory, and infrastructure for Black builders in the AI era. The BIT Voices Podcast is dedicated to Amplifying Black Excellence in Tech. BECOME A FOUNDING BUILDER https://bitvoices.network EXPLORE THE ECOSYSTEM NotableBIT: https://notablebit.com B Donald Harris: https://bdonaldharris.com YOUR HOSTS Host — B Donald Harris LinkedIn:   / briandharris   Instagram:   / notablebit   Website: https://bdonaldharris.com Co-host — Major Phillips Instagram:   / bi.leader   SUPPORT THE PODCAST Like, comment, subscribe, and share this conversation with a builder. #BITVoices #BlackBuilders #NotableBIT #SoftwareEngineering #AI