Project Incubation

The Civic Growth Project Incubation Program supports fellows and young leaders in transforming their community-based policy or advocacy ideas into tangible projects. Selected projects receive mentorship, exposure, and YIP resources to help them grow from concept to impact. By offering 1-on-1 mentorship and guidance with outreach, networking, and hiring, Project Incubation fosters the next generation of community change-makers.

Below are our Cohort 2 Incubation Projects.

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The BRIDGE Initiative

Project Directors: Pranav Kolli

BRIDGE is a youth-led initiative founded to support patients and families after discharge from Harbor-UCLA Medical Center following violent injury. BRIDGE provides care kits containing medical and hygiene essentials, food, clothing, and community resource guides to help patients navigate the practical challenges of returning home and continuing their recovery. BRIDGE has served 250+ patients, secured $8,000+ in grants, and collected 2,000+ donated items through student-led chapters across Southern California. Moving forward through Project Incubation, BRIDGE aims to expand its student chapter network, serve more patients, and strengthen post-discharge resource navigation so that patients can access essential medical, social, and community support throughout their recovery.

COMPASS

Project Director: Hajer Belmebarki, Hanshika Kamjula, Shani Momodu
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COMPASS (Career Opportunities, Mentorship, Pathways, Access, and Student Success) is a student-led initiative created to address inequities in career exposure and post-secondary preparation for high schoolers from low-income, rural, and underserved communities. Through mentorship and exploration cohorts in fields such as medicine, law, and business, COMPASS connects students with mentors and professionals to help them explore careers and build pathways toward their goals. COMPASS was pitched through YIP’s Global Rising Innovators in Policy program, where it won first place, and is now being developed and implemented through Project Incubation. Moving forward, COMPASS aims to make meaningful career exploration and post-secondary guidance more accessible to students who have historically had fewer opportunities to access them.

Visions to Visibility

Project Director: Doreen Lin, Audrina Cabezas, Advaith Muthuswamy

Visions to Visibility (V2V) is a youth-led initiative helping immigrant-owned small businesses strengthen their digital presence and connect with more customers. V2V provides accessible support in areas such as website development, Google Business optimization, social media, branding, and digital marketing. Through Project Incubation, V2V aims to bridge the digital visibility gap faced by immigrant entrepreneurs while helping them showcase their businesses, reach new audiences, and build stronger connections within their communities.

Meet the Cohort 1 Mentors

Harry Chow began his journey in the nonprofit space with the 501(c)(3) organization School Simplified, where he served as Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, the student-led nonprofit grew to over 100,000 community members, 500 staff, and operations spanning 175 countries. Harry later joined the Institute for Youth in Policy as Chief Marketing Officer. Since then, he has worked across marketing, growth strategy, and startup advising, while continuing to mentor young leaders and early-stage ventures.

Pearl is an International Affairs and Economics student on the Pre-Law track at Texas A&M University. Beyond the classroom, Pearl works with International Student & Scholar Services at Texas A&M. She has presented corporate ethics research at the Undergraduate Glasscock Research Symposium. Pearl has also competed in Texas A&M’s Building a Better Future Through Business and AI Competition, hosted in partnership with the Deloitte Foundation.