November began with the HGB team returning to Memphis, TN for BridgeUP GiddyUP’s annual Spectacular! Riders put on an incredible show for friends, family, and the entire Whitehaven community. Complete with a Tina Turner tribute band and a local food truck run by the parents of one of our elite riders, the event was a massive success with unprecedented numbers coming to the farm!

Back up North, Scholars from BridgeUP + OUT in the Bronx traveled to Rutgers University-Newark to visit the school, get a tour of campus, and meet with the undergraduate Scholars at our BOLD WLN program! This was such a wonderful experience and crossover event within the HGB Universe! We launched with some ice breakers and then we got to hear from juniors in the program how they came to be a BOLD Scholar, their BOLD experience so far, and their dreams for their futures. It was a great way for the younger high school Scholars to learn from the undergrads and be given an immersive experience in higher-ed by young women who have walked a similar path.

In Atlanta, Georgia, Scholars at BridgeUP STEM are thriving. In November, Scholars reported highlights on both their personal and academic endeavors. Many Scholars are participating in sports teams at their schools, and are excited for upcoming games and competitions.  Alysha T. shared her excitement about submitting her first college application after working tirelessly on her college essays. Raniah C. shared excitement about her recent nomination into the Governors Honor’s program. Kassidi W., shared that she was accepted into the Metro Atlanta STEM Institute program and will continue visiting Georgia Tech routinely to participate in this program and is eager to be involved.  

At our BOLD WLN institutions, Scholars are immersing themselves in various campus activities. At Colby-Sawyer College, their November meeting was hosted and held at the Colby-Sawyer’s President’s house. Dr. Dean McCurdy and his wife Vivien hosted the meeting, with Vivien as the guest speaker on the topic of Navigating Failures and turning them into experience. Most Scholars had never been to the house or even been invited to an event there, so it was an extra special night. At Ithaca College, BOLD hosted a panel presentation on Vision, Authenticity, and Courage in the Workplace by IC alumnae. The event was followed by networking with the Scholars. Lastly, at Rutgers University-Newark, Scholars took part in an inspiring annual Speed Mentoring event that connected them with trailblazing women from across the nation. This year was especially meaningful as BOLD WLN alumna Hadacha M. became the first BOLD alum to join the event as a mentor, offering guidance and encouragement from her own lived experience. The event created space for authentic connection, mentorship, and powerful career advice, strengthening the network of support for current scholars. Lastly, at Marshall University, BOLD WLN Scholars participated in the first ever “Dancing with the Herd” competition held on campus, winning first place as well as raising $7,000 to go towards the newly launched BOLD program on campus! Terrific job!

Within the BOLD Theater Circle each theater is invigorated and ready for the holiday season. At the Alliance Theater, their holiday shows are A CHRISTMAS CAROL and KNOCK, KNOCK. Abrianna, Alliance’s BOLD Producing Associate, was the line producer for A CHRISTMAS CAROL which marks their first line producing role for a mainstage production! And, Sam Provenzano, a new BOLD Resident Artist directed KNOCK, KNOCK. 

The Goodman Theater in Chicago, IL, is partnering with great organizations (World Relief Chicago, Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum, Season of Concern) for their production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL this holiday season. At the Ensemble Theater, in Houston, TX, they will  be collaborating with the BANF Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program (AEPPM) to put on an event for the holidays! 

McCarter’s “I & You: The Musical” may have closed at McCarter Theatre in October, but the work on this exciting world premiere continues as the production readies for its second stop at Olney Theatre Center in Maryland. Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen is working with playwright Lauren M. Gunderson and composer/lyricist Ari Afsar to continue providing notes and conversations on the material. Also, BOLD Associate Artistic Director Donya K. Washington is currently in pre-production for MRS. CHRISTIE by Heidi Armbruster which she will be directing at the end of the 25/26 season.

The Brown Institute is proud to share that alphaXiv, a Magic Grant project from their 2024–25 cohort, has closed a $7 million seed round co-led by Menlo Ventures and Haystack, with participation from Shakti VC, Conviction Embed, and Upfront Ventures. Founded in 2024 by Rehaan Ahmad, Raj Palleti, Daniel Kim, and Lino Le Van, alphaXiv is building a platform that reimagines how AI practitioners discover and apply the latest research.

“The Magic Grant was the first money we ever won… we needed some proof of signal, and seeing that from the Brown Institute meant a lot and helped us bring in more,” said co-founder Raj Palleti. 

The platform helps research and engineering teams keep pace with a field moving at unprecedented speed. Users can interrogate papers with AI chat, translate dense work into accessible blog-style summaries, and increasingly move from insight to implementation as alphaXiv expands toward a collaborative research workbench, bringing datasets, code, and experiment tracking into a single workflow. “There has never been a larger audience for research than today,” noted Sebastian Thrun, underscoring the demand for tools that bridge research and practice.

With one month left in 2025, we know our programs and participants both will continue to knock this year out of the park!