Nonprofit Braven and National Employers Launch Major Workforce Initiative to Prepare 50,000 Students from More Than a Dozen Colleges and Universities for Strong Careers in the AI Era
Initiative calls on employers to commit volunteer coaches and mentors to power the next generation of talent
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWARK, N.J. (October 22, 2026) – Braven, its higher education partners, and top employers at the Proving the Possible Dinner launched a major new commitment: close to 1,000 volunteers from 9 employer partners over the next four years, part of a broader push with 14 colleges and universities from across the country to prepare 50,000 college students for careers by 2030. The premise is simple: the talent America needs is already in college. The moment to invest in them is now.
At the dinner, 9 employers came forward with initial volunteer commitments of 100 each:
Volunteer opportunities include Leadership Coaches who work with groups of 5-8 college students during the semester-long Braven career-accelerating course, Professional Mentors who coach students 1:1, and Mock Interviewers.
Braven Fellows are first-generation college students and students from low-income backgrounds enrolled at Braven’s 14 higher education partners nationwide, including the City College of New York, Chicago State University, Delaware State University, Illinois Tech, Kean University, National Louis University, Northern Illinois University, Rutgers University-Newark, San Francisco State University, San José State University, Spelman College, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, the University of Mount Saint Vincent, and the University of North Texas.
As AI reshapes the entry-level jobs our Fellows are walking into, Braven’s volunteers help equip students with the skills, networks, confidence, and experience that put them in a position to thrive and lead in the workforce. They help Fellows build the career-acceleration skills that land a job in today’s rapidly changing economy, including problem-solving, organization, communication, and teamwork, open their professional networks, and share their own wisdom, experience, and advice.
“We have always been a country that bets on its young people, because we know what’s possible when we do. So we’re asking employers across the country to put your resources where the talent is. Fifty thousand college graduates career-ready by 2030 is not a stretch goal; it’s a promise we can keep together, and it will move us collectively forward toward the American Dream,” said Aimée Eubanks Davis, CEO and Founder of Braven. “We’re proud to stand with our employer partners and our innovative higher education partners across the region and the country to invest in the extraordinary talent already here, from Newark, New Jersey to Dallas, Texas. This is what’s possible when campuses and companies build together.”
Braven is already producing the kind of outcomes the initiative aims to scale. Since launching in 2013, Braven has served more than 17,400 Fellows and worked with over 19,000 volunteers in deep partnership with institutions of higher education, faculty, career services, and leadership.
And, to date, 61% of Braven Fellows have secured a strong first job or graduate school placement, outpacing the national peer benchmark of 45% by 16 percentage points. For the Class of 2025, Braven Fellows were also 28 percentage points more likely than their national peers to complete at least one internship during college, and achieved a six-year graduation rate of 92%, well above the national average for students from similar backgrounds. Most are landing roles in banking and finance, technology, health, law, and education, fields where AI is reshaping entry-level work in real time.
While employer projections for the Class of 2026 hiring are up 5.6% over last year and demand for AI skills in entry-level jobs has more than doubled in the last six months, only 21.6% of employers rate recent college graduates as “very well prepared” for the workforce. What’s more, the gap between how important employers say communication, critical thinking, and technology skills are and how proficient they find recent graduates is significant.
Braven’s model, a credit-bearing career accelerator co-designed with university faculty and embedded directly inside the undergraduate experience, is built to close that preparedness gap, pairing rigorous skill-building with the mentors and professional networks that often determine who lands a strong first job.
Employers sponsoring the Proving the Possible Dinner reflect the kind of sustained investment this initiative aims to inspire across the country. The partnership delivers more than social impact. Volunteers gain hands-on leadership development, early access to a pipeline of emerging, job-ready talent, and a meaningful way to engage purpose-driven employees, who report gaining as much from the experience as the Fellows they coach.
“We are proud to support Braven in expanding access to strong career pathways,” said Mark Thain, Americas Head of Citizenship at Barclays. “As AI reshapes the world of work, the career readiness and distinctly human skills Braven Fellows develop will be increasingly important as they transition from college into the workplace. This closely aligns with the ambitions of Barclays LifeSkills, while creating meaningful opportunities for our colleagues to share their experiences and guidance as mentors and coaches.”
“At CIBC, we know the impact our team can have when we bring our experience beyond the walls of our bank and into the communities we serve,” said Lana McKenna, Vice-President, Chief Credit Risk Officer, U.S. Region, CIBC. “We believe meaningful change happens when our people are empowered to use their experience and expertise to create opportunities for others. We’re proud to deepen our partnership with Braven and build on this commitment together.”
“Developing early-career talent is essential to preparing the workforce for the future,” said John Kim, Chief Legal Officer, Cognizant. “Helping students transition from university into the workforce is critical to building a strong, inclusive talent pipeline. We’re proud to deepen our commitment to Braven by mobilizing Cognizant volunteers to support Fellows at a pivotal stage in their career journeys. Through mentorship, coaching, and professional connections, our volunteers help students build the skills, confidence, and networks they need to thrive and launch successful careers.”
Founded in 2013, Braven empowers promising college students with the skills, confidence, networks, and experience necessary to launch their careers. Braven is embedded within colleges and universities serving large numbers of first-generation and Pell-eligible students and partners with employers to build cutting-edge career education into the undergraduate experience. To date, Braven has served more than 17,400 Fellows nationwide across 14 higher education institutions and nearly 100 employer partners. For more information, visit braven.org.
To get involved as a partner, volunteer, or a supporter: please reach out to info@bebraven.org.
