The end of the year is a natural moment for reflection. Without a doubt, 2025 was a test of our resolve. We dealt with rapid technological shifts and high stakes for our communities. It was a year that required us to move fast, navigate complexity, and lead with clarity in a world that often felt anything but clear.
But what stays with me isn’t the pressure. It is the way our team shows up. They show up with a level of care that transforms a service into a movement.
We show up because we know the model works.
While traditional workforce systems struggle to keep pace, Digital NEST’s results tell a different story.
- Professional Success: 79% of our 2024-2025 BizzNEST Associates secured paid opportunities, significantly outperforming California’s 24% job-finding rate.*
- Confidence: 62% of pathway members reported gaining the confidence to identify career-relevant employers.
- Belonging: 70% of our members feel they belong to a community invested in their success.
Those numbers represent real human impact. A Digital NEST alum recently shared that he worked on a Sesame Street production now airing on Netflix. As I watched the credits, looking for his name, I saw three other NEST alumni listed as well. They met at the NEST. When one got his foot in the door, he pulled three in behind him.
This is social capital in action. It is the engine of economic mobility. By providing access to resources, mentorship, and a professional network, we do more than teach digital skills. We change the trajectory of a young person’s life and transform their community.
This year, providing access also meant navigating the arrival of AI. We didn’t wait to see how it would play out; we stepped into the responsibility and defined the future of work on our own terms. Digital NEST staff and BizzNEST associates are already using AI as a strategic tool to accelerate their careers.
The work ahead is significant, but we aren’t starting from scratch. We enter the coming year with a proven model and deep trust. In 2026, we will continue to set the standard for modern workforce development. Opportunity won’t just be a possibility; it will be an expectation.
To our staff: thank you for the discipline and creativity you bring every day. To our partners: thank you for walking alongside us through every new challenge. And to our donors: your investment is more than financial, it is a shared commitment to what is possible.
Because of you, young people are stepping into futures that once felt out of reach. The best of our work is yet to come.
Warmly,
Jacob
*According to California EDD Labor Market Review August 2025.
