BU + OUT Scholars are back at school and enjoying the first quarter! With a pep rally at Cardinal Hayes and new Program Coaches for our Scholars to meet, there are many exciting things to look forward to. The seniors are focused on college fairs at their respective schools and are beginning to decide which institutions they’d like to apply to. Meanwhile, the freshmen are getting acclimated to high school and the new BridgeUP + OUT community.

In Tennessee, as part of our BridgeUP GiddyUP Program, new recruits have earned full team member status after demonstrating their commitment during the month-long tryouts! We are thrilled to welcome and support the new members of the GiddyUP family. The GiddyUP team was also invited to visit the TN State Capitol by Senior Advisor to the Governor, Mr. John DeBerry. During their conference, the BridgeUP riders made a remarkable impression on everyone. All nine high school students who participated spoke about the confidence and emotional regulation they have gained from the program and expressed a desire for more young people to have this experience. They have been invited back to present to both the State House and Senate in January about the benefits of the program for youth in Memphis. We are so excited for them!

The HGB Team had a productive site visit to two institutions that house our BOLD Women’s Leadership Network program: Rutgers University-Newark and Ithaca College. Although the Scholars are only a few weeks into the academic year, they are already deeply integrated into the fabric of each campus. Conversations with the Scholars revealed that their engagement in both academic and extracurricular activities is strong and flourishing.

Within the BOLD Theater Women’s Circle, Lena Romano, BOLD Producing Associate, made her dramaturg debut at the Goodman Theater. This coincided with Malkia Stampley’s, BOLD Artistic Producer, directorial debut in “Primary Trust,” which is set to begin in October. We are thrilled to see this success within the Circle and beyond!

At the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, there were many exciting updates regarding our Helen Fellows in September. Tayla Foral, PhD, submitted a first-author publication to the prestigious journal Nature Communications. Lin Han, PhD, gave an oral presentation titled “Rings and Loops in the Development of MDS” at the 2024 DFCI Postdoc & Graduate Student Retreat and received an award for her presentation. It is incredibly inspiring to see the impactful work being done by these women; their dedication to their studies and commitment to giving back to the community is palpable.

In our Empowering Innovation vertical, the Media Party was hosted in partnership with the Brown Institute for Media Innovation. This three-day event featured keynotes, lightning talks, hands-on workshops, mentorship, and concluded with a hackathon, awarding $2,500 in prizes through the International Center for Journalists. Standout events included a keynote address from Nikita Roy of the ICFJ on the adoption of artificial intelligence in newsrooms, a fireside chat with Gregory Wawro, a professor of political science at Columbia, and State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, chair of the New York State Senate’s Internet and Technology Committee. Additionally, Julia Angwin, Business ’00, founder of the nonprofit newsroom Proof News, spoke about the impact of artificial intelligence on the 2024 elections.

The HGB Team also participated in various local events around New York this month. First, we visited Emerson Collective’s Climate Science Fair, hosted on the High Line in NYC. This event brought together entrepreneurs and innovators—including scientists, farmers, artists, community leaders, and educators—who are deploying and scaling bold climate solutions across the country. We had the opportunity to learn from various companies about their specific approaches to addressing climate issues. It was a wonderful event that sparked many further conversations!

Lastly, the Goldman Sachs 2024 Philanthropy Forum gathered founders from across the philanthropic spectrum, from small family foundations to large, established professional institutions. The HGB team had the chance to participate! Sessions explored best practices for collaborating with grantees, innovative approaches to impact measurement, and strategies for managing a foundation’s entire giving portfolio. Central to all these discussions was the broader question of how founders can work together to amplify their impact and foster positive, powerful change.

Stay tuned for next month’s updates!