Braven
Project Title
For core support of Braven New York
Date
Sep. 11, 2025
Duration
24 months
Description
While a four-year college degree continues to be the single best predictor of socioeconomic mobility, many of the barriers faced by low-income and first-generation students can persist through and beyond college. Since its founding in 2013, Braven has empowered over 14k promising, underrepresented college students with the skills, confidence, experiences, and networks necessary to secure a strong first job within six months of college completion. Braven Fellows—college sophomores, juniors, and transfer juniors—receive academic support, leadership coaching, and mentorship at their postsecondary institution through a credit-bearing course. Upon completion, fellows continue to receive guidance through six months post-graduation, with the objective of bridging the gap to graduate school or a good first job. With prior Corporation support, Braven established its NYC footprint and successfully launched partnerships at Lehman College and City College of New York. Continued Corporation support would directly serve nearly 2,000 Braven Fellows in NYC and support the launch of programming at two new partner institutions: University of Mount Saint Vincent in Fall 2026 and Hunter College in Spring 2027.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Sep. 14, 2023
Duration
24 months
Description
The mission of Braven is to empower promising, underrepresented young people—first-generation college students, students from low-income backgrounds, and students of color—with the skills, confidence, experiences, and networks necessary to transition from college to strong first jobs, which lead to meaningful careers and lives of impact. Braven has served over 6,100 college students; over 2,500 Fellows are now in the professional workforce. With Corporation support, Braven-NYC successfully launched at Lehman College-CUNY in January 2020, with over 815 Fellows enrolling and or completing their Accelerator course, building on the proven model it has been refining at three other universities since Braven’s first campus partnership in 2014. Continued Corporation support will allow Braven to further expand in NYC through its partnerships with CUNY.
Website
Project Title
For continued expansion into New York City through partnerships with CUNY
Date
Sep. 02, 2021
Duration
24 months
Description
While education has the potential to be the great equalizer, today, only 30% of our country’s 1.3 million first-generation or low-income college enrollees will land a strong job after graduation and be on a path to prosperity. And with the COVID-19 crisis and recession, now more than ever, college students from underrepresented backgrounds need to be prepared to compete for strong jobs. Graduating in a recession leads to large initial earnings losses and underemployment. Braven supports first generation, Pell eligible, and/or students of color from college to career by partnering with universities and employers to offer a two-part experience that begins with a credit-bearing college course followed by a post-course experience that lasts through graduation. Fellows emerge from Braven with the skills, confidence, experiences and networks they need to land a strong first job and get on a path to economic freedom. Corporation support will allow for Braven’s ongoing growth at Lehman College in FY21 and lay the groundwork for expansion to an additional CUNY college site in the 2021-2022 academic year.
Website
Project Title
For continued expansion of undergraduate career education and related support network programing in New York City through partnerships with City University New York (CUNY)
Date
Sep. 10, 2020
Duration
12 months
Description
While education has the potential to be the great equalizer, today, only 25 percentof our country’s 1.2 million first-generation or low-income college enrollees will land a strong job after graduation and be on a path to the American Dream. And with the COVID-19 crisis and recession, now more than ever, college students from humble beginnings need to be prepared to compete for strong jobs. Graduating in a recession leads to large initial earnings losses and underemployment. Braven supports first generation, Pell eligible, and/or students of color from college to career by partnering with universities and employers to offer a two-part experience that begins with a credit-bearing college course followed by a post-course experience that lasts through graduation. Fellows emerge from Braven with the skills, confidence, experiences and networks they need to land a strong first job and get on a path to economic freedom. Corporation support will allow for Braven’s ongoing growth at Lehman College in FY21 and lay the groundwork for expansion to an additional CUNY college site in the 2021-2022 academic year.
Website
Project Title
For expansion of undergraduate career education and related support network programing in New York City
Date
Sep. 12, 2019
Duration
12 months
Description
While education has the potential to be the great equalizer, today, only 25 percent of our country’s 1.2 million first-generation or low-income college enrollees will land a strong job after graduation and be on a path to the American Dream. Braven supports first generation, Pell eligible, and/or students of color from college to career by partnering with universities and employers to offer a two-part experience that begins with a credit-bearing college course followed by a post-course experience that lasts through graduation. Fellows emerge from Braven with the skills, confidence, experiences, and networks they need to land a strong first job and get on a path to economic freedom. This project will bring Braven to New York City for a 2020 launch.