In 2029, i.c.stars will celebrate 30 years of creating economic mobility through technology careers. More than 1,400 alumni later, we have seen what happens when talented people who have been overlooked by traditional systems gain access to technology skills, real-world experience, leadership development, and employers willing to recognize potential differently.
Today, the workforce is changing again. Artificial intelligence is transforming how people learn, work, and advance — and as routine work becomes automated, human capabilities like judgment, adaptability, and leadership become even more valuable.
Our mission has not changed. What must evolve are the pathways, experiences, partnerships, and supports that help people achieve it. As we approach 30 years, we are not reinventing i.c.stars. We are building the next evolution of a model that works.
— Meighan Newhouse, CEO
Why This Matters Now
Talent is everywhere. Access to economic mobility is not.
Technology careers remain one of the most powerful pathways to upward economic mobility in America — but access to those opportunities is deeply uneven, and AI is reshaping how people enter and advance in the field. Preparing someone for a single job or technical skill is no longer enough.
The challenge is not simply helping people get jobs. It is building pathways through which people historically excluded from opportunity can discover, enter, advance in, and ultimately create opportunity within the technology economy.
