Founded 12 years ago to bridge the gap between the innovation ecosystem and the brilliant young people historically excluded from it, Innovators for Purpose (iFp) has stepped into this challenge with intention and action — building pathways, opening doors, and showing that talent is everywhere, even when opportunity is not.

Mission:‍ ‍We empower young people, especially those from underrecognized communities, to turn curiosity into real-world impact. Through intentional mentorship, relationship-centered learning, and hands-on design and STEM experiences, our students gain the skills, confidence, and agency to shape the future.

innovatorsforpurpose.org

Janelle Ridley, PhD Candidate, is a systems architect and AI-equity strategist who builds scalable infrastructures across education, technology, and justice reform. A former Chief Equity Officer for Everett Public Schools, she designed districtwide equity systems serving more than 7,000 students and 1,000 staff. Her two decades of strategic leadership include directing major youth justice initiatives in Boston’s Mayor’s Office and serving as Associate Director and co-founder of Brandeis University’s Racial Justice & Tech Policy (RJxTP) Program, where she assisted in securing seven-figure funding and launched a pioneering AI-driven initiative within eight months—moving from concept to implementation with uncommon speed and precision.

An award-winning product innovator, Ridley is a gold and silver medalist in the International Serious Games Competition and a leading creator of AI-enhanced learning tools that integrate gaming, behavioral science, and measurable outcomes. As Founder and CEO of Affirmation Education, she develops experiential platforms that strengthen identity, expand opportunity, and catalyze economic mobility for youth and young adults. Her development of Transition HOPE—a groundbreaking higher-education pathway for youth in custody—demonstrates her ability to identify underserved markets and engineer scalable solutions with deep social and economic impact.

Girls Who Code @ Brandeis University is a chapter of the national Girls Who Code organization, dedicated to empowering women and non-binary students to pursue computing. We host workshops, speaker panels, project labs, and career development events that connect students with industry leaders, research opportunities, and real-world tech pathways. This year, we organized the first-ever student-led Tech & Entrepreneurship Conference in Brandeis history. Our chapter fosters confidence, community, and technical skills ensuring every student has the support they need to explore, create, and lead in tech.

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The City of Cambridge AI Working Group is a cross-departmental team exploring how AI can support better public service while protecting privacy, equity, and transparency. The group maps how AI is already used in City work, develops practical guidelines and guardrails for staff, and creates resources so people aren't experimenting in isolation. The goal is human-led AI in Cambridge: grounded in public values, understandable to residents, and used to expand rather than replace people's judgment and agency.

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