The Institute ofBright MindsInterest List

Impact

Ten years of Bright Minds.

Bright Minds has a documented record of participation, applied research, alumni education, and professional destinations. The evidence shows trajectories and reach without claiming economic outcomes that were not systematically measured.

View the dashboardImpact Report
Bright Minds participants and supporters gathered at a community event

Impact dashboard

A record that can be counted.

2016

program founded

10

cohort years, 2016 to 2025

123+

alumni with documented outcomes

30+

colleges and universities represented

Nearly 4,000

financial capability practitioners reached

12+

socioeconomic research topics addressed

8+

major financial institutions represented among documented alumni

1

participant product promoted by Florida Governor and CFO offices

Research history

Work intended for use outside the program.

  1. 2016

    Healthcare access

    The first Bright Minds project examined healthcare access for low-to-moderate-income Floridians.

  2. 2017

    Banking access

    Participants conducted statewide research on access to banking.

  3. 2018

    VITA locator

    A participant-developed tax-assistance locator was later promoted by the offices of Florida’s Governor and Chief Financial Officer.

  4. Later cohorts

    Professional distribution

    Participant work reached a national network of nearly 4,000 financial capability practitioners.

  5. 2025 and 2026

    Shift Forward

    Participants presented original work at a national conference for financial capability practitioners and educators.

Documented pathways

Education and employment across sectors.

These lists show selected destinations represented in the documented alumni record. They do not imply sponsorship or endorsement.

Employers

  • J.P. Morgan Chase
  • PwC
  • KPMG
  • Fidelity Investments
  • FIS
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Microsoft
  • National Institutes of Health
  • SouthState Bank

Colleges and universities

  • University of Central Florida
  • Valencia College
  • University of Florida
  • Florida State University
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Duke University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Stanford University
  • University of California, Berkeley

Selected alumni

Individual paths provide human evidence.

Bright Minds alumni

Xiomara Montes Gil

J.P. Morgan Chase

Bright Minds alumni

Jaleel Rogers

Lockheed Martin

Bright Minds alumni

Maxwell Meyer

Prama, Y Combinator

Bright Minds alumni

Ralph Francois

Vanderbilt and University of South Carolina

Bright Minds alumni

Brian Kelly

Harbor View Advisors

Bright Minds alumni

Claudia Navarro

Participant to operational leadership

Primary evidence source

2026 Bright Minds Impact Report

Read the full source report behind the historical figures, alumni pathways, methodology, and measurement boundaries summarized on this site.

Download the Impact Report