Dear Champion of The Hidden Genius Project,

As we release our 2024 Annual Report, I am deeply grateful that you would take a moment to engage with our work in the midst of such uncertain and tumultuous times. As an expression of our gratitude, we would like to regale you with hopeful stories of achievement, creativity, and leadership.

In 2024, we launched our Baltimore site, which brought our grand total to seven—joining our established Oakland, Richmond, Los Angeles, Detroit, Atlanta, and Chicago locations. While not surprising in the least, we were heartened to discover that our young people and communities throughout Baltimore are just as vibrant and dedicated as those we encounter at the remainder of our sites across the US. We also saw some exciting firsts this year, as the inaugural cohorts in Atlanta and Chicago completed their 15-month Immersion Program cycles and joined the ranks of our Alumni.

It was a landmark year for our Alumni Engagement team in another way, as we convened our inaugural Genius 4 Life Summit at Universal Studios Hollywood, welcoming Intensive Immersion Program Alumni (18 years and older) from across the country. Our young people connected in fellowship, celebrated achievements of their peers, and even participated in a Career Expo as an opportunity to explore pathways to work at various different companies in the technology space. The Summit was a joyful representation of more than a decade of the brilliance of our Geniuses, and the communities that have exerted themselves so sincerely to support them. Our Alumni remain a powerful reminder of the purpose and potential of our work, and they continue to be the engine for our growth and innovation.

Our work is built as a targeted universalism strategy, whereby a rising tide lifts all boats. In 2024, with our esteemed Alumni Youth Educators at the vanguard, we deepened our partnerships in ways that positioned us to lift boats across the globe. We delivered direct programming and technical assistance activities in a host of cities throughout Senegal, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. In addition to our conventional array of sessions, in each case we were able to convene young learners and adults to introduce them to our online adaptive curriculum platform, Genius Lab. Through this work, we initiated our first international capacity-building pilot with LEAP Science and Maths Schools, a dynamic and mission-aligned network of secondary schools cultivating brilliant young leaders at sites across South Africa. This international programming has reinforced the idea that the work we do with our Black male youth Stateside truly positions us to enhance opportunities for myriad young people across the world.

The transition into 2025 has been marked by deepening exploration of and innovation around artificial intelligence; enhanced collaboration to advance our work in sports and technology; and gradual expansion to new markets, including Long Beach, Philadelphia, and Miami. We are especially excited that we have made some strategic shifts to allow ourselves more time to build and train our team in each community, which should only support greater sustainability going forward.

Of course, I must take this moment to thank you and our entire community for all your efforts to make 2024 so meaningful, and for The Hidden Genius Project to thrive in 2025 and beyond. We are deeply grateful and hope that, in the most overwhelming moments, you find comfort in knowing that there is an ever-growing cadre of determined young leaders–our Geniuses– who are committed to bringing about meaningful change throughout society. For those of you who are willing and ready, we are in need of your belief and your advocacy now more than ever. Our primary mission to cultivate Black male youth leaders remains ever-critical, and yet the ultimate impact of our work is boundless.

As you read this 2024 Annual Report, I invite you to continue to choose hope, joy, and a deep-seated belief in the power of dynamic Black male leadership that ultimately benefits each one of us.

With immense appreciation,
Brandon

Brandon Nicholson, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
The Hidden Genius Project