DeMarcus Edwards, a PhD graduate from Howard University, is the founder of an AI security startup, DARE Labs, which secured over $1 million in contracts last year. Edwards launched the company after being laid off from Google. The importance of mentorship Speaking to The Dig, Edwards highlights the growing number of computer scientists who studied at Howard. “People in the Valley have a lot of respect for Howard,” Edwards said. “I’d like that to be more well-known.” Edwards earned his master’s degree in computer science in 2020 and finished his Ph.D. program