For the first time in four years, I am writing this letter from the friendly confines of The Hidden Genius Project offices. In writing that sentence, I admittedly have re-read it several times, as it is surreal to imagine that our team navigated an emotional rollercoaster of experiences, challenges, joy, and victory in the midst of a life-altering global pandemic. As we reflect on our 2022 work, we spent the first five months in a virtual format for programming, and most of our operations. Thus, when we leaped back into in-person programming in June, it often felt like getting back on a bike…riding uphill…with just a single gear and rusty chains. Nevertheless, we persevered and made 2022 an historic year, and a joyful marker of our organization’s 10th anniversary. 

As we resumed in-person programming, we did so with some historic new wrinkles: we hosted four simultaneous Oakland cohorts for the first time ever, and introduced our first-ever site in Detroit. Still, far more important than the new-ness of it all is the fact that we were able to reach more young people in more places than ever before, and that our Hidden Geniuses continue to thrive and demonstrate their ingenuity on a regular basis. There was no more powerful demonstration of this phenomenon than the three End of Summer Celebrations we held across our markets, as our young men proudly shared their work and experiences, all while supporting each other as brothers. Just a couple of months later, we delivered our signature Brothers Code Catalyst Programming in three different regions as well. It was as heartwarming as it was surreal, and it ultimately hit home that our growth phase is fully underway.

In 2022, we were able to renovate and open our new Headquarters building in Downtown Oakland, welcoming staff, Geniuses, and partners to their new and exciting home. Along the way, we integrated one more surprise: our Ubuntu Center, as part of the Teen Tech Center initiative driven by Best Buy, The Clubhouse Network, and Salesforce. This space will allow us to experiment and deliver more innovative activities to not only our Hidden Geniuses and Alumni from our Intensive Immersion Program, but also to a broader community of young people (the space is available for drop-in activities for middle and high school youth every afternoon, from 2:30 to 6:30pm).

The year 2023 continues to bring us growth, innovation, and excitement, as we embark on a fresh departure, including launching new sites in Atlanta and Chicago. Of course, our “cheat code” to advance our growth continues to be the brilliance of our Black young men, our Hidden Genius Alumni. Over the course of 2022 up to now, we now employ a total of six Hidden Genius Alumni full-time, as educators, program coordinators, and development staff. The brilliance of our young people portends a bright future for The Hidden Genius Project, and our community writ large.

To all of you who continue to lift us up and propel us forward in so many ways, a single thank you is never enough. Still, we are eternally grateful for your belief in our work, and we hope you will stick with us as we continue to reveal Genius.