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September 21, 2022

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KFA's mission: to serve — not just a PHAZE

By Georgeann H. Ikuma

KFA Inc. — an information technology company named 2020 Minority Innovative Technology Firm of the Year by the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency — makes a marked distinction between providing a service and being of service. With the creation of a new web collaboration information system called PHAZE™, the company is poised to not only empower new workforces but also, potentially, the world. 

“Our journey to create PHAZE was borne of a desire to help people first,” said Greg Bush Jr., president and CEO of KFA. “During our trade missions throughout the lower income nations of the African diaspora in 2019, I witnessed a tremendous digital divide among the people and businesses.”

Knowing he could not deliver a feasible system in such a remote area hands-on at that time, Bush drew on his background as a technology innovator to develop a viable cloud solution.

“I understood that small businesses and developing African nations needed affordable [information technology] solutions in order to grow and compete on the world stage,” said Bush, who observed that most businesspeople were conducting major transactions from their cell phones and using apps. 

“Back in the United States, I sought out mega corporations to work with me in Africa,” he continued. “They looked at me like I was crazy, so I said, ‘OK, I’m going to create my own app.’”

A new phase for KFA

Bush returned to the states and assembled his own talented team of young and innovative developers, including students from Purdue University and his alma mater, Chicago State University. 

Guided by Bush’s career experience, they created PHAZE, a versatile cloud-based platform that allows users to collaborate effectively and seamlessly with staff, teams, vendors, suppliers, contractors and other stakeholders — no matter the size of the project.

“We created PHAZE with the end user in mind,” Bush said. “Whether the end user is a wedding coordinator managing all stakeholders through the wedding day, or a civil engineer constructing a roadway, PHAZE can be utilized to deliver the project successfully. It’s a self-contained, one-stop solution where you can watch training videos, set up the account and just start using it.” 

Created with simplicity in mind, PHAZE allows the user to manage any workflow, track supplier diversity and inclusion and manage projects on any smart device including android and IOS. 

“More importantly, PHAZE provides the governance of major projects without the enormous price tag typically attached to multilevel business initiatives,” said Bush, who sought out partners in west and east Africa to become certified experts and distributors to help sell, then support it for profit-sharing. 

“The byproduct of [the development of] this [platform] is the success in the United States, because while the mega corporations will sell an annual license for their software for $1 million or more a year, PHAZE delivers the same result for literally a fraction of that,” he added. “Small entrepreneurs in the states can get started for as little as $5 per user per month.”For Bush, PHAZE is proof that passion projects can solve real world problems. “It’s wonderful that our whole effort to try to help someone has ended up creating jobs and new opportunities in Africa, but it’s still an ongoing effort,” he said. 

“We’re not Bill Gates yet, but we’re delivering PHAZE as if we’re Microsoft in the 1980s and introducing a new product and technology throughout the continent,” Bush said.

KFA continues to be well-positioned for success in implementing innovative data-centric solutions that deliver business results. 

“As we move forward, we recognize that the future is now, and our goal is to enable our clients with transformative solutions which achieve business results,” Bush said.

“Whether it’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act capital improvement initiatives leveraging our PHAZE information system [thus], enabling business continuity, or solution development for tomorrow’s smart cities, we’re ready to be of service,” he said.  

To learn more about KFA Inc., visit kfa-inc.com.