Braven

🚨 I’m hiring again! 🚨 This time, I’m looking for a Senior Director of Program Operations to join my team at Braven , reporting directly to me. This role will help us expand our impact by building and scaling the operational infrastructure that supports Braven Fellows in securing strong first opportunities after college graduation. I’m looking for someone who: 🎯 Loves building scalable systems and solving messy operational challenges 🎯 Geeks out over tools like Salesforce, Tableau, Airtable, or Jira 🎯 Thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous environments 🎯 Loves leading teams and collaborating cross-functionally It’s a meaningful role with lots of interesting problems to solve and an incredible team to do it alongside. Apply using the link below or share with someone who would be amazing for the role 👇 And while you’re there, check out the other roles we’re hiring for too, especially the Head of Design role, where you’d get to be my peer and work alongside the amazing LaNiesha Cobb Sanders .

This morning I joined two cohorts of University of Massachusetts Lowell Braven Fellows at the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance headquarters in Boston for a Capstone Challenge Winners' Trek. Our Fellows were there not as visitors, but as recognized contributors who earned their place there. Here's how they got there. The Challenge: Earlier this spring, every Braven Fellow in the Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (FAHSS) at UMass Lowell Career Accelerator with Braven course was asked to take on BHSI's real business problem: How can an innovative insurance company like BHSI introduce career pathways in Property & Casualty insurance to college students outside traditional business programs and build a talent pipeline ready for an AI-driven future? Through the course, Fellows dove into research, applied design thinking, collaborated across cohorts, and pitched their solutions to BHSI judges. BHSI didn't treat the Fellows' presentations as a student exercise. They engaged with genuine curiosity, offering thoughtful feedback that left Fellows feeling heard and proud of their ideas. Two teams rose to the top. They didn't just win a grade. They won an invitation to BHSI's HQ. The Trek: Today was their day. Seated across from Fellows were BHSI leaders from the C-suite to regional teams, each with a different path, each with the same message: the insurance industry is evolving fast, and the people who thrive in it aren't just technically sharp. They're curious. They communicate. They build relationships. And at BHSI they think in careers, not just jobs. One moment that stood out: BHSI leaders described their company as still in its "very early days" in the U.S. as a forever business built on ambition, ownership, and the belief that the people who work there aren't just employees, they're "teammates" building something together for the long run. For our Fellows who are just beginning to write their own professional stories, that language landed differently than a standard corporate pitch. It felt like an invitation. Why this matters: The real story isn't just what happened today. This is what the model looks like when it works. UMass Lowell creates the space. BHSI shows up as more than a sponsor. They show up as co-educators, opening their industry, their careers, and their culture to students who, in many cases, have never imagined themselves in a room like that. And Braven builds the bridge between them. These Fellows came prepared. They came proud. And they left with a new sense of what's possible. It's a glimpse of the ecosystem we envision Braven building here in Greater Boston. Thank you to the BHSI team, Dennis Brown , Kayla Nation - PRC,CDR,CIR , David Lee and our UMass Lowell collaborators Diana C. Archibald , Greg D. , and everyone who invested in this. You helped our Fellows see what future careers can look like for them. #Braven #FirstGeneration #HigherEd #EmployerPartners #WorkforceDevelopment

Please welcome one of my new partners in the work! Charles A. Madden has hit the ground running and is already bringing so much value to Braven! Let’s go! #hbcus

The future of work will not be defined solely by what technology can do. It will be defined by what we choose to value and who we choose to include. #BetOnHumans Empathy. Failure. Grace. Trust. Judgment. Presence. Consistency. Intimacy. The willingness to bet on a person before they’ve proven themselves on paper. The question we brought to a room of leaders last week: What can't AI buy, automate, or replace? Across sports, hospitality, and capital markets, the answer kept coming back to these uniquely human skills. Our fearless moderator, Zena Keita, MSM — Sports Commentator & Host, The Athletic led our panelists: 🎙 Danielle Slaton , Co-founder, Bay FC 🎙 Lindsay Barenz , President, Oakland Roots Sports Club 🎙 CiCi Bellis , Founder & General Partner, Cartan Capital 🎙 Ru Paster, General Manager, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Fisherman's Wharf 🎙 Robert Stiles , Principal & Managing Director, RobertDouglas 🎙 Adam Elegant , Partner, Baker Street Advisors To share the the wisdom, to share what they lived from elite athlete to transferrable skills, share their candor, and the "secret sauce" to a room full of people who care deeply about who gets access to opportunity in this economy. What stayed with me most wasn't any single insight. It was what happened at the tables during our Jeffersonian lunch when the conversation shifted from listening to building. Leaders from finance, tech, policy, hospitality, and education sitting together, asking hard questions about barriers that are structural, cultural, and solvable. At Braven , we work alongside first-gen college students and students from low-income backgrounds to make sure they have the skills, the experiences, and the networks to launch careers that open real doors. Events like this one are proof that those networks can be built with intention, with generosity, and in community. To everyone who showed up: thank you for continuing the conversations around the tables and in the rooms where our students belong too. Thank you to our event co-host and Board Chair, Carlos Flores . If you'd like to learn more about Braven or get involved in our curated salons, send me a DM for the next invite! -> Next Up: Hollywood, Film, Media, and Membership #Braven #FirstGeneration #FutureOfWork #AI #WorkforceDevelopment #BayArea #HigherEducation #EconomicMobility #Sports #WomensSports #WomensInvesting #Investments #Capital #SocialCapital

Thank you, Tiffany Jackson , for your leadership and partnership. ❤️ It meant a lot to have you be a part of this even for Braven .

Great times at the NACE HBCU Summit! I had the pleasure of joining my colleague Keokuk Kight and our brilliant fellow Kennedy Hoyt for a panel on building economic mobility for our HBCU students. We discussed how innovative partnerships are creating real-world results for our Braven Fellows and the importance of taking an "action-first" approach to career development. Thank you, National Association of Colleges and Employers , for providing a platform to discuss the growth and success of the next generation of talent!