Britebound Avenue: Explore Our Work and Newest Youth Career Readiness Platform
Monday, July 13 - Tuesday, July 14 | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM | The Hub
Visit Britebound Avenue to discover how we are lighting the way to career-readiness learning and real-world opportunity through our newest digital career readiness app. GoZig helps young people turn career curiosity into confident next steps and learn more about Britebound’s work across impact investing, grantmaking, and more.
Join our product team for demos of the GoZig platform hourly from 10AM-4PM each day. Arrive a few minutes early to make sure you can secure a seat! While you’re there, make sure to grab a free pair of shades and a GoZig hat to celebrate the “brite” futures our young people are bound to experience.
Looking for a deeper dive into how GoZig can support the young people in your lives? Pre-register for a personalized 30-minute demo to explore the tool in more detail, discuss partnership opportunities, and learn more about pilots and integrations.
Sign up HERE.
First-Time Attendee Coffee Hour
Monday, July 13 | 7:15 AM | The Hub
Grab a coffee and join fellow first-timers, staff, and Ambassadors for insider tips and friendly faces on Britebound Avenue.
BRITEBOUND’S CEO ON THE MAIN STAGE
Navigating Careers and Human Connection
Tuesday, July 14 | 1:00 - 1:30 PM
Two years after launching the Britebound Center for Career Navigation at JFF, what have we learned about helping young people make confident decisions about their futures, and how is that work evolving as AI reshapes how young people learn, work, and navigate their careers? In this main stage conversation, JFF President and CEO Maria Flynn moderates a discussion with Julie Lammers, President & CEO of Britebound, and Carrie Varoquiers, Chief Impact Officer at Workday.
Together, they will reflect on the center’s early impact and what lies ahead, while exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping both career pathways and the day-to-day experience of work. Drawing on new research from Workday, the conversation will highlight how Gen Z is navigating changing workplace relationships, trust, and expectations as AI becomes more embedded in how work gets done. From skills-first hiring to the human implications of AI, this session will examine what it will take to ensure every young person has clear, trusted guidance and no dead ends on the path from school to career.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
State Policy Actions to Expand Youth and Young Adult Career Navigation
Monday, July 13 | 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM | Salon ABC (Level M4)
Gen Z is eager for information about postsecondary and career opportunities, yet high school students report receiving limited guidance on anything beyond college options, and only 1 in 5 recent bachelor's graduates received personalized education-to-career coaching. In response, a bipartisan set of state leaders are taking action to ensure young people have clearer pathways and information to reach their career goals. The Britebound Center for Career Navigation at JFF empowers young people ages 16-24 to learn about and access education and workforce pathways that help them meet their full potential.
This session will feature three state leaders from the education, workforce, and nongovernmental sectors who are modernizing career navigation systems and expanding access to high-quality, personalized career guidance. Attendees will explore state policy actions and advocacy opportunities needed to mobilize policymakers, national organizations, employers, and local stakeholders to build “navigation-ready” states.
Moderated by:
- Liz Texeira, Vice President, Social Impact, Britebound
Panelists include:
- Cassandra Palsgrove, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Government Affairs, Ohio Excels
- Kirkland Murray, President, Maryland Workforce Association
- Jennifer McLean, State Director, Advising and Coaching, North Carolina Community Colleges System
Skills, Credentials, and Career Navigation
Tuesday, July 14 | 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM | Salon ABC (Level M4)
A June 2025 Gallup/Walton study found that fewer than 30% of high school students feel “very prepared” to pursue any of the postsecondary pathways they are considering. Even among those very interested in a specific pathway, just 46% feel very prepared to follow it. At the same time, as skills-based hiring grows, there is increasing awareness of and demand for flexible, short-term credentials that align with labor market needs. Research from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shows that since 2021, the share of employers using skilled credentials in hiring has increased from 72% to 78% and one-in-three employers use skills-first hiring consistently. For young people who want or need to enter the workforce directly, clearer guidance is also needed to distinguish between employers offering typical, entry-level, dead-end jobs and those providing launchpad job opportunities with pathways to sustained economic mobility.
This panel will explore how to equip young people with tools to evaluate postsecondary options, help employers better identify skills-based talent, and move from dropping degree requirements to implementing hiring practices that support recruitment and retention of workers from nondegree pathways.
Moderated By:
- Judy Goldstein, SVP, Managing Director, The Career Navigation Impact Hub, Britebound™
Panelists include:
- Erica Bouris, Senior Director, Britebound Center for Career Navigation at JFF
- Marie Groark, Managing Director, Schultz Family Foundation
- Isaac Agbeshie-Noye, Director, Foundation Programs, EdD, SHRM Foundation
- Alex Edgar, Youth Engagement Manager, Made By Us