A Letter from
Our Founder

Dear Friends, Partners, and Colleagues,

As we step into 2026, I find myself reflecting on what it truly means to lead with purpose — not only when the momentum is strong, but especially when the path requires recalibration.

This year, I want to speak to you plainly, with the same spirit of honesty and hope that has always guided this work.

2025 was a year of continued impact and quiet resilience. The economic landscape shifted in ways that challenged organizations like ours across the country, and Newwave Foundation was not immune. Funding that once flowed more freely became harder to secure. Some of the programming our community has come to know and love — including our Pitch Perfect and Money Talk$ events — has had to pause as we made the intentional decision to prioritize what matters most: our scholars. Every dollar, every partnership, and every conversation this year has been anchored in one commitment — honoring the young people who are counting on us to show up for them.

And we did.

At the same time, we are not standing still. We are listening. We are reimagining. And we are building.

We live in a world that is changing at a pace none of us fully anticipated. The rise of artificial intelligence, the ongoing conversation around economic access and financial literacy — these are not future concerns. They are present realities, particularly for the young people we serve. In 2026, we are committed to meeting our community where they are, exploring new and innovative programming that speaks to the times — especially at the intersection of financial literacy and technology. We believe the students we serve deserve not only knowledge of the world as it is, but the tools to shape the world as it should be.

This is a season of rebuilding — not retreating. We are identifying new partnerships, new funding pathways, and new approaches that will allow us to continue this mission with fresh energy and greater sustainability.

To our scholars — you are the reason we remain resolute. Your resilience is our greatest evidence that this work matters.

To our partners, volunteers, and supporters — thank you for staying in this with us. Your belief in the dream we are building together is what makes it possible to keep going, especially in the seasons that ask more of us.

And to those who are just discovering Newwave Foundation — we are glad you’re here. This is a story still being written, and there is room for you in it.