2026 is off to an incredible start! January brought new opportunities and exciting programming across all of our Foundation’s verticals. From college acceptances to pitch competitions, our community is already making remarkable strides this year.

In our Youth vertical, at BridgeUP + OUT it is midterms and Regents season with students hard at work studying and taking exams. Scholars are signing up for extra tutoring sessions with staff at BridgeUP to solidify their knowledge across subjects. We’re excited and proud of them for their dedication to mastering material and to their future academic careers. Additionally, at this point in the year, 100% of our senior Scholars have been accepted to at least one college so far which is a massive accomplishment. Way to go, BridgeUP+OUT.

In Whitehaven, Tennessee, BridgeUP GiddyUP hosted its second annual Equestrian Entrepreneur Pitch Paddock Competition to a large audience of GiddyUP family members and locals. The riders were given the option to respond to one of three prompts and were limited to five minutes.The winner of this year’s Pitch Paddock Competition was Alana, whose project was titled, “A Rider’s Nature.” Alana discussed the urgency with which her product (a journal for equestrian land stewards) needs to come to market to inspire and put small-scale ecological decision making power in the hands of those who love interacting with horses. She spoke eloquently and passionately to the changes in legislation around conservation and sustainability. Congratulations, Alana!

In our BridgeUP Theater in the Schools program, Rebecca B., who is a 2025 BridgeUP Participant from Woodstock, is currently participating in Northern Stage’s Youth Ensemble Jr production “Twisted Tales” which was co-adapted and directed by HGB Associate Mandi Benjamin. Rebecca has been excelling in the program, and her parents are so thankful she participated in BridgeUP last spring. They are looking forward to Rebecca continuing her theatrical journey at Northern Stage.

During the month of January at BridgeUP STEM, Dr. Chernova and Helen Fellows, Jayla B., and Nathan T., led the Scholars in the instruction of machine learning. Scholars are deeply engaged in their course work and we love seeing the blend of high school and college students from the metro Atlanta area engaged together in learning and leading in the future of Robotics!

At BOLD WLN, our Scholars from Colby-Sawyer College participated in their annual off-campus retreat, this year taking place in Boston. The retreat consisted of four guest speakers that discussed various career development topics, an in-person networking event, and two team building activities!

BOLD Fellow Mackenzie H. attended the annual NCAA Conference in Washington, D.C., this year, which she indicates was monumental for her career development. In her convention recap (which I’ll provide in our annual report), she shared, “Getting to meet other like-minded individuals who share the same goals as me, working in collegiate athletics and supporting student-athletes, was an incredibly valuable experience. Being surrounded by professionals who are passionate about student development and the future of athletics was both inspiring and motivating. The convention provided a welcoming environment to learn, connect, and reflect on my own professional journey as a new member of the athletics field.”

Members of the Rutgers-Newark BOLD Advisory Board — Dr. Jaqueline Mattis, Dr. Sarah Scharf, Dr. Sherri-Ann Butterifield, Helen Archontou and Samantha Davis — met with BOLD Scholars for a lunch-and-learn. It was focused on connection, shared learning, and future-focused dialogue. The meaningful conversations, diverse perspective, and collective insights underscored the importance of intentional collaboration. Thanks to all who participated! 

Lastly, The Brown Institute for Media Innovation is now accepting applications for the 2026 Startup Columbia Venture Competition. Startup Columbia is a series of campus-wide startup competitions offering non-dilutive funding prizes to the winning teams. For the past five years, the Brown Institute at Columbia has sponsored a “Media Track” for this competition. It is designed for students, recent alumni and faculty who are interested in starting a new venture. These might be for-profit or non-profit and should be involved at the intersection of journalism, media and technology. We look forward to hearing the pitches this year!