NewComm — Year in Review 2024–2025
Year in Review

We didn't just
grow. We arrived.

2024 – 2025

A transformative year of firsts — launching new programs, building national visibility, and proving that student-led community creates real economic power.

$500K
First-time fundraising goal — hit in year two
30+
New members in our inaugural class
200
Average SAT score increase per student
$100K+
Raised from individual donors alone

Membership Growth & Programming

We rebuilt the application process, launched a full membership program, and welcomed our strongest cohort yet.

Refined Fellows Application
Reconfigured admissions into the most efficient cycle in our history — resulting in the largest applicant pool and perhaps our strongest cohort yet
Full Membership Launch
Complete programming slate: Supper Club, Networking Brunch, Themed Design Studios, and Monthly Community Meetings
Enhanced SAT Prep
Comprehensive SAT preparation integrated directly into membership benefits
Experiential Learning
Supper Club, MLK Book Day, Mt. Sinai field trip — expanding learning far beyond traditional settings
30+ New Members
Streamlined Members application welcoming our first full class of student members

Student Achievements & Academic Innovation

Weekly roundtables, new partnerships, and student-led breakthroughs that prove this model works.

Academic Roundtables
Weekly Math, English, and project-based sessions supporting Fellows' $10,000 community projects
Wellness Integration
Launched Wellness Roundtable for resilience, balance, and long-term wellness strategies
SAT Success — Compass Prep
Partnership produced an average 200-point score increase across participating students
Strategic Math Launch
New summer class strengthening quantitative reasoning and problem-solving
Teens of Color Abroad
Two NewComm students selected for the program and traveled to France for two weeks
Professional Development
New workshops on professional networking and LinkedIn management for career readiness
This year proved that NewComm is not just growing — it is thriving. We democratized belonging and leadership, and our students continue to lead and leave with impact.

Reimagining the culture of learning — one student, one company, one community at a time.

Signature Events & Convenings

From inaugural galas to national conference stages — NewComm showed up everywhere that mattered.

ProspHER Inaugural Event
100 attendees, centering youth voice and empowerment
The Net Gala
100+ attendees at our flagship networking and celebration event
Enhanced LAB* Retreat
Led by Jada, Director of Wellness — expanded participation including select Members
Financial Wellness Summit
First-ever summit bringing 50+ students together for budgeting, financial aid, and money mindset
National Conference Presence
Students presented at ASTC in Chicago; leadership represented at Education Reimagined in Memphis

Fundraising, Partnerships & Visibility

Half a million dollars raised in year two. Individual giving from zero to six figures. The network is real.

Morgan Stanley Heckscher Foundation Simons Foundation Pinkerton Foundation Wayfarer Foundation
$500K — Historic Milestone
First time in our history. Achieved in only our second year of operations.
$0 → $100K+ Individual Giving
Built an individual giving program from nothing to six figures in one year
Expanded School Network
Added South Bronx Community Charter School; reconnected with Bronx Center for Science and Math
Board of Trustees Appointment
Chidi Asoluka elected to Board of Trustees at University of Mount Saint Vincent

Organizational Growth

From side project to full-time operation. The infrastructure caught up with the vision.

Full-Time CEO
Chidi went all in — no longer balancing his deanship at Horace Mann. NewComm became the mission.
Director of Learning
First hire to systematize the education program and ensure it scales
Near-Peer Mentorship
College students hired as advisors — providing critical real-time support for Fellows and Members

This was year two.
Imagine year five.

NewComm is scaling. More students, more schools, more communities. The model works — now it grows.

Join the movement →