Dr. Brandon Nicholson isn’t just leading an organization, he’s shaping a movement. As the Chief Executive Officer of The Hidden Genius Project , he’s on a mission to support, guide, and mentor Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship and leadership skills. Growing up in Oakland, California he credits those who have poured into him along his journey to success. This is the spark and inspiration behind the organization. Giving back and paying it forward, it’s a

The successful launch of Rebirth of Sound at VSP marks a powerful expansion of creative education and for system-impacted individuals. Common addressing participants during the Rebirth of Sound program at Valley State Prison (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 2025). In a groundbreaking collaboration between FREE TO DREAM™ , Valley State Prison (VSP), Hollywood producer and justice reform advocate Scott Budnick , and the California Department of Correc

A Dreamkeeper™ (adapted from Langston Hughes’ poem of the same name) is an adult mentor who protects, nurtures, and amplifies the dreams of our young people. They illuminate possibilities, helping youth navigate their own personal journey toward prosperity. Dreamkeepers™ make sure we don't defer the dreams of a generation, but instead create pathways for those dreams to transform the entirety of our collective futures. The Dreamkeeper™ Spotlight celebrates the individuals w

Kara May is the Executive Director of Arts and Partnerships and Co-Founder of Art in Motion, a creative arts charter school on Chicago’s South Side that she co-founded with hip hop artist Common, the Distinctive Schools Network, and a local church. As a Dreamkeeper™, Kara has not just built a school, but has started a movement designed to foster artistic creativity, compassion, and courageous dreaming among Black and Brown youth. Kara’s own dream and story are deeply interwov

FREE TO DREAM™, along with our friends at American Student Assistance® (ASA), is launching a new campaign… a call to dream. I AM FREE TO DREAM ™ is a multi-year national campaign to amplify and build upon the dreams of our next generation. We want to reshape the conversation about educational attainment and career-readiness, and shine a new light on the diversity of pathways a young person may travel toward individual and collective prosperity. This campaign is rooted in th