Bridgegood

BRIDGEGOOD propels low-income design students into real-world experiences with top tech companies addressing the stark realities: 70% of California's community college students drop out and 80% of recent grads face hurdles without tech and digital marketing skills. Our Jack London Square community studio pioneers change offering social branding digital marketing and design services. Projects led by BRIDGEGOOD graduates and eager Community College design students boast local talent mentored by industry leaders. Tailored for under-resourced individuals aged 18+ our programs forge essential job-training skills for success in the competitive graphic and visual design market across Northern California. Notable BRIDGEGOOD partners include Google Golden State Warriors Twilio San Francisco 49ers Oakland Athletics and the City of Oakland.

Inspiration Awards BRIDGEGOOD's annual Gala is a powerful testament to leadership positive impact and the profound influence of design for social good in our community. Beyond honoring our students graduates volunteers and Board of Directors this event spotlights three Bay Area changemakers shaping our local landscape through Innovation Technology Business and Education. These honorees join the esteemed ranks of socially-minded CEOs and top directors from Google Amazon Golden State Warriors Laney College Cal State East Bay Berkeley City College The Clorox Company Twitter and Disney. They represent the transformative impact of diverse voices and perspectives. Studies show that companies with diverse teams are 33% more likely to outperform their counterparts underlining the crucial role of varied perspectives in driving success. Founded on July 31 2009 BRIDGEGOOD has touched the lives of over 13,500 students delivering an $8.4-million return on investment through job training career exposure and professional opportunities in design and tech. This gala is not just an event; it's a celebration of leadership inspiration and authenticity showcasing how embracing diversity can elevate both individuals and the collective bottom line.

Inspire Oakland empowers 800+ Community College design students aged 18 to 34 providing a 12-month career readiness program with design training resume building and professional development. This initiative comprising a 12-module Workforce program and a region wide design challenge enhances entrepreneurship skills for youth of color. Supporting up to 50 schools annually it amplifies existing graphic design programs through vital professional development and digital literacy sessions ensuring economic success and internship exploration. Participants gain hard skills like Adobe Photoshop and receive career counseling and feedback sessions from tech and business professionals. The program's design challenge crafting billboards and new media on 'What about Oakland inspires you?' offers recognition and paid opportunities to the top 20 with the top six securing commercial media placement reaching approximately 72 million impressions globally. Importantly this challenge serves as a confidence-building gateway to BRIDGEGOOD's UX Design Apprenticeship opening doors in a tech industry where students of color have been historically overlooked