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Rockefeller Foundation and TPC Announce Strategic Collaboration to Advance New Models of Impact Across Asia
NEW YORK, Sept. 12 -- The Rockefeller Foundation posted the following news release on Sept. 11, 2026:
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The Rockefeller Foundation and TPC Announce Strategic Collaboration to Advance New Models of Impact Across Asia
SINGAPORE | September 11, 2026 -- The Rockefeller Foundation and TPC (Tsao Pao Chee), together with NO.17 Foundation, today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore a strategic collaboration to address interconnected challenges across land, food, health and energy in Asia.
Announced during AT ONE IMPACT Week 2026 in Singapore, the collaboration brings together
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NEW YORK, Sept. 12 -- The Rockefeller Foundation posted the following news release on Sept. 11, 2026:
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The Rockefeller Foundation and TPC Announce Strategic Collaboration to Advance New Models of Impact Across Asia
SINGAPORE | September 11, 2026 -- The Rockefeller Foundation and TPC (Tsao Pao Chee), together with NO.17 Foundation, today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore a strategic collaboration to address interconnected challenges across land, food, health and energy in Asia.
Announced during AT ONE IMPACT Week 2026 in Singapore, the collaboration brings togetherthese organizations with a shared commitment to exploring new ways of working across philanthropy, enterprise and capital to address complex challenges and create lasting impact across the region, grounded in the belief that love can be built into the infrastructure through which we create value and enable communities to thrive.
Across Asia, economic growth, climate change, food systems, health and energy are increasingly interconnected. Addressing these challenges requires approaches that can bring together different forms of expertise, capital and action, and connect solutions on the ground with the systems and markets needed to take them to scale.
"The greatest challenge in addressing interconnected issues like climate, food, and health is not a shortage of promising solutions. It is creating the conditions for those solutions to scale. Philanthropy can play a unique role in making that happen by supporting the alignment of capital, expertise, and institutions around a shared vision for impact. Our collaboration with TPC and NO.17 is an effort to bring this to life - where philanthropy takes early risks, business helps drive scale, and government creates the enabling environment for lasting change. Together, we are building a platform that can accelerate progress across sectors and expand opportunity in Asia when we work collectively." said Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of Programs, The Rockefeller Foundation.
The collaboration reflects a shared intention to work across traditional boundaries, bringing together philanthropy and business, global and local institutions, and early-stage innovation and long-term scale, while recognizing that different challenges and opportunities require different approaches.
"Philanthropic capital has been generous and well-intended, and it is not a lack of conviction or capability. It is just that the capital that arrives does not stick or scale. We need to redirect capital to systems. Land, food, health and energy are interconnected. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether philanthropy, enterprise and investment can show up in the same place, at the same time, and stay long enough for impact to ground and sustain. We do not have all the answers, but we can co-create the possibilities together. This is what we are partnering with The Rockefeller Foundation," said Sook Yee Tai, Chair, NO.17 Foundation.
The partnership will focus on exploring opportunities across land, food, health and energy, drawing on the organizations' respective experience, networks and capabilities. It will also seek to engage a broader ecosystem of partners, including governments, businesses, investors, philanthropies, technical organizations and communities, where collaboration can help advance shared goals.
The Rockefeller Foundation and TPC / NO.17 Foundation will continue working together to identify opportunities for collaboration and develop the relationships, evidence and approaches needed to translate shared ambition into practical action.
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About The Rockefeller Foundation
Investing $30 billion over the last 113 years to promote the well-being of humanity, The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on unlikely partnerships and innovative solutions that deliver measurable results for people in the United States and around the world. We leverage scientific breakthroughs, artificial intelligence, and new technologies to make big bets across energy, food, health, and finance. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn, Instagram @rockefellerfdn, YouTube @RockefellerFdn, and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.
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About TPC
TPC (Tsao Pao Chee) is a fourth-generation family business holding company headquartered in Singapore that is committed to empowering the Well-being and Happiness economy. TPC does this by supporting global connectivity and resilience through its supply chain and logistics activities, and well-being-focused activities aimed at fostering individual and collective growth. TPC's purpose-led well-being business ecosystem comprises IMC Industrial, OCTAVE, and multiple non-profit organisations, including NO.17 Foundation, OCTAVE Institute, and Restore Nature Foundation, operating in unity to add value to life, with corporate offices in the People's Republic of China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan. https://tsaopaochee.com/
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About NO.17 Foundation
NO.17 Foundation is the nexus of capital, consciousness, and collaboration in the Well-being Era -- the philanthropic heart of TPC (Tsao Pao Chee). Rooted in SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, NO.17 unites values-aligned funders, partners, and changemakers to catalyse systemic transformation. Through trust-based giving, regenerative coalitions, and strategic ecosystem building, we activate new forms of capital -- financial, social, cultural, spiritual, institutional, ecological, and human -- as a force for collective flourishing. https://17foundation.org/
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About AT ONE IMPACT WEEK
AT ONE IMPACT WEEK is a global platform hosted by TPC and NO.17 Foundation, convening leaders to build the architecture of a Well-being Economy. Taking place in Singapore, it marks a shift from ideas to systems -- where ecosystems are activated, infrastructures are shaped, and partners come together as builders. In 2026, anchored by the question, "What if love becomes infrastructure?", AT ONE IMPACT WEEK is where the Well-being Economy moves from belief into built reality.
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Original text here: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/news/rockefeller-foundation-tpc-announce-collaboration-new-models-impact-asia/
Reason Foundation Issues Commentary: Key Considerations for States Developing Mileage-Based User Fee Pilot Programs
LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 12 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary:
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Key considerations for states developing mileage-based user fee pilot programs
States considering replacing gas taxes with mileage-based user fees can learn from pilot programs in Hawaii, Michigan, California, and Texas.
Jay Derr, Transportation Policy Analyst
Rising costs and inflation, along with increased fuel efficiency and electric vehicle adoption, have created a major problem for state transportation revenues. Many states are examining funding alternatives to fuel taxes, such as mileage-based
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 12 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary:
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Key considerations for states developing mileage-based user fee pilot programs
States considering replacing gas taxes with mileage-based user fees can learn from pilot programs in Hawaii, Michigan, California, and Texas.
Jay Derr, Transportation Policy Analyst
Rising costs and inflation, along with increased fuel efficiency and electric vehicle adoption, have created a major problem for state transportation revenues. Many states are examining funding alternatives to fuel taxes, such as mileage-baseduser fees, to help bridge the gap between transportation system needs and revenue projections.
Seventeen states have received federal Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives (STSFA) grants to examine mileage-based user fees (MBUFs), which are also called road usage charges (RUCs).
Two coalitions, RUC America and the Eastern Transportation Coalition, are multi-state partnerships of transportation agencies that share research and pool funding to help member states study mileage-based user fees. More states plan to evaluate MBUFs in the near future.
However, implementing a state MBUF program is complex, and pilot programs are the first step in analyzing how a permanent program could be implemented. With some state departments of transportation already struggling to repave roads, let alone run mileage fee pilot programs, gleaning the highest value of data from these pilot programs is essential.
To maximize the effects of pilot programs, states need to learn from best practices and what has been done across the country. Roadmaps outline stages for a mileage-based user fee pilot program and what the program should be designed to address: ideally, questions that can't be modeled in other ways.
While revenue and rates, for example, can be modeled and estimated on paper, questions like how drivers will react to a road usage charge and which mileage-reporting option they will prefer are at the heart of a pilot program's goals.
Scale is also important. In this context, scale means both the program's size (participant numbers, participating agencies, departments, etc.) and its funding.
Another important question previous pilot programs have raised is how funds would flow through various state agencies and departments, for instance.
Hawaii, which has transitioned to a permanent program, may be the clearest example of a roadmap executed successfully. The Hawaii Road Usage Charge (HiRUC) had five program stages: designing the program, mailing driving reports, recruiting volunteers, testing reporting technology, and evaluating results. Each stage of Hawaii's road usage charge pilot program had a clear goal.
For example, the recruiting stage sought 2,000 volunteers to "test various technologies and reporting methods," but ensuring pilot participants reflect the broader public is challenging. People who volunteer for a pilot may be more favorable toward an MBUF than the population at large, and an MBUF pilot needs to measure skeptics as well.
The second stage of Hawaii's HiRUC pilot involved sending driving reports to more than 350,000 drivers statewide. It showed drivers what they would pay under a mileage-based user fee, an estimate of what they currently paid in fuel taxes, and why the state was pursuing an MBUF. This gave Hawaii broader reach and helped inform future decision-making.
The five-stage test culminated in a final report with recommendations for the Hawaii legislature, forging the permanent road usage charge program Hawaii operates today.
States that maintain some form of informal driving record to show an estimate of fuel tax those drivers pay now can emulate Hawaii's approach as a first step in trying to recruit volunteers for an MBUF program, sending them a simulated invoice of their gas taxes paid versus what they could pay under an MBUF program.
Michigan also addressed participant buy-in by sending surveys to a sample of 20,000 residents and measuring changes in opinion before and after the residents watched an explanation of the state's highway funding problem. Of note, the survey showed that 37% of respondents had a positive opinion of MBUFs before the video, moving to 43% afterward. Negative opinions went from 43% to 34% after the video. The survey offered a $10 gift card to any eligible resident.
Another real-life example is California's Road Charge Pilot Program, which ran from July 2016 to May 2017 and looked to test the feasibility of MBUFs, data privacy safeguards, collection methods, and public acceptance. The final report provided detailed information on those elements. However, it also stated that, while charges were simulated, actual revenue flowing through the state's system could have an impact on numerous state agencies and departments. Ideally, this is something that would have been considered for research in the initial pilot program in some form barring cost constraints on the program.
With cost savings in mind, Texas designed its pilot program to minimize per-participant costs. Texas' Miles Matter pilot, run by Carma Technology with the Texas Department of Transportation, enrolled 41,000 participants using a smartphone app. Funded through a $5 million grant, the program was the largest pilot in the country at the time. No third-party physical devices to install, no device pairing, and no proprietary equipment were required for the program. A pilot program that buys new devices and ships them to participants will run out of money far faster than one that is more cost-conscious.
Communicating the results of an MBUF pilot is as important as carrying one out. Final reports should be delivered to the relevant agencies and lawmakers, preferably in a committee setting so lawmakers can ask questions. These reports can contain whatever data are relevant, but three elements are crucial:
* Key findings;
* Remaining questions and barriers to implementation; and
* Recommendations to move forward for implementation.
Pilot programs should have a purpose, not just be research done for the sake of research. Well-constructed pilots will produce enough relevant information for lawmakers to make an informed decision about implementation or how to address identified barriers to implementation.
Pilot programs are essential for state leaders to determine if a mileage-based user fee is a realistic alternative to fuel taxes. It's unwise to begin a permanent MBUF program without first conducting in-state testing through pilot programs. State practitioners need to design pilot programs carefully, based on available funding, state-specific concerns, and lessons learned from earlier pilots across the country. Eroding fuel taxes and highway funds are problems today that will be worse tomorrow, so the sooner states start exploring alternatives, the better.
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Jay Derr is a transportation policy analyst at the Reason Foundation.
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Original text here: https://reason.org/commentary/key-considerations-for-states-developing-mileage-based-user-fee-pilot-programs/
Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales Visits The Royal Marsden to See How Her Support is Transforming Holistic Cancer Care
LONDON, England, Sept. 12 -- The Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust issued the following news on Sept. 11, 2026:
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Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales visits The Royal Marsden to see how her support is transforming holistic cancer care
Today, Her Royal Highness visited The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust to hear first-hand how funds raised through her National Three Peaks Challenge and ongoing support will transform holistic care for cancer patients across the UK.
In June, The Princess took on the National Three Peaks Challenge, climbing the three highest peaks
... Show Full Article
LONDON, England, Sept. 12 -- The Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust issued the following news on Sept. 11, 2026:
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Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales visits The Royal Marsden to see how her support is transforming holistic cancer care
Today, Her Royal Highness visited The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust to hear first-hand how funds raised through her National Three Peaks Challenge and ongoing support will transform holistic care for cancer patients across the UK.
In June, The Princess took on the National Three Peaks Challenge, climbing the three highest peaksin Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours, to highlight the importance of holistic care and support The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity to help people to heal, recover and live beyond a diagnosis.
As a specialist cancer centre, The Royal Marsden champions whole-person cancer treatment and care across the UK and beyond. Funds raised through The Princess' challenge will help enable the development of a new specialist Centre for Holistic Wellbeing and Recovery. The funding will also support research into how these complementary approaches, alongside clinical care, can make a difference to every person with cancer across the UK.
Professor Sanjay Popat, Chief Medical Officer at The Royal Marsden, said:
"We were delighted to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales to The Royal Marsden today, and take the opportunity to thank her for raising funds for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and awareness of the importance of supportive therapies. Providing whole-person care that recognises the importance of holistic therapies alongside medical treatment makes a profound difference to patients' wellbeing, both during treatment and long afterwards."
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"At the heart of The Royal Marsden, the new Centre for Holistic Wellbeing and Recovery, which The Princesses' National Three Peaks Challenge so generously supports, will drive the change needed to support more people living through and beyond a cancer diagnosis. By putting holistic care at the heart of clinical treatment, patients will be empowered, feel more in control, more confident and better equipped for life beyond cancer."
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Mairead Griffin, Chief Nurse at The Royal Marsden Foundation Trust, said:
Our patients were thrilled to meet Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales and to speak with her about the difference supportive therapies at The Royal Marsden have made to them during and after cancer treatment.
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"The Princess's continued support means so much to everyone at The Royal Marsden, and her visit has given a real boost to patients, staff and the wider hospital community."
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During the visit, Her Royal Highness heard about progress for The Centre for Holistic Wellbeing and Recovery and saw the site where it will be built. The Princess also met patients currently undergoing treatment, and heard how holistic care, integrating physical, emotional, spiritual and social wellbeing, can enhance recovery and healing.
Natalie Hall, a Royal Marsden breast cancer patient who spoke to The Princess about the benefits of psychological support and massage therapy during the visit, said:
"The Royal Marsden is a truly special place. Throughout my treatment, my clinical team has not only cared for my physical health but has also supported me as a person, helping me navigate life with cancer and managing the side effects of treatment.
"The first time I had massage therapy during my breast cancer treatment it was an emotional experience that I had not anticipated. The moment the therapist placed her hands on my back it released so many tears and feelings that I had been suppressing without realising. It was the first time I had stopped in a while and felt so loved and cared for."
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Original text here: https://www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/news-and-events/news/hrh-princess-wales-visits-royal-marsden-see-how-her-support-transforming
Boston Foundation: Latino Equity Fund Names Five Latina Leaders 2026-2027 Poderosas Fellows
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Sept. 12 -- The Boston Foundation issued the following news release:
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Latino Equity Fund names five Latina leaders 2026-2027 Poderosas Fellows
Boston - The Latino Equity Fund (LEF) welcomes five Latinas who have been named as the recipients of the second annual Poderosas Fellowship. The Poderosas Fellowship supports Latinas with mentorship, leadership training, a $5,000 professional development stipend, and strategic connections that widen their professional networks.
Cohort 2 represents the breadth of mission area and geography in which Latinas lead across Massachusetts.
... Show Full Article
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Sept. 12 -- The Boston Foundation issued the following news release:
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Latino Equity Fund names five Latina leaders 2026-2027 Poderosas Fellows
Boston - The Latino Equity Fund (LEF) welcomes five Latinas who have been named as the recipients of the second annual Poderosas Fellowship. The Poderosas Fellowship supports Latinas with mentorship, leadership training, a $5,000 professional development stipend, and strategic connections that widen their professional networks.
Cohort 2 represents the breadth of mission area and geography in which Latinas lead across Massachusetts.This year's Poderosas work in organizations supporting Latino communities statewide, with specific focus on Boston, Cambridge, Lawrence, and Waltham. A community review team, consisting of LEF advisory board members and the inaugural Poderosas cohort, evaluated applications and welcomed the following leaders to Poderosas:
* Ana Hidalgo, Massachusetts Public Health Alliance
* Diana Duran, Breakthrough Greater Boston
* Magali Garcia-Pletsch, Waltham Partnership for Youth
* Sara Morin, Groundwork Lawrence
* Stephanie Martinez-Hernandez, Atrius Health Equity Foundation
"The Poderosas Fellowship is vital to sustaining and growing Latina representation in philanthropy," said Javier Juarez, Executive Director of the Latino Equity Fund at the Boston Foundation. "Each Poderosa carries LEF's mission forward, strengthening our sector and shaping the future of philanthropic leadership. Our first cohort was extraordinary, and I look forward to building on that momentum with Cohort Two."
The fellowship comes at a time when Massachusetts nonprofits continue to face funding gaps as a result of changes in the federal funding landscape. In a recent survey from MassiNC, the Boston Foundation and the Massachusetts Council of Nonprofits, 47% of Massachusetts nonprofits lost some or all of their federal funding since January 2025, while another 44% say their funding was delayed, paused, or frozen. Massachusetts nonprofits continue to serve vulnerable communities amid financial strain and rising operating costs. At this moment, Latina fundraisers' proximity to community issues and ability to drive financial resources to their nonprofits are critical to bringing stability to the organizations working at the front lines tackling equity issues.
"At a time when the needs are growing and the funding restrictions are well-documented, LEF is excited to continue strengthening the pipeline of Latina leaders and fundraisers who are advancing the wellbeing of Latino communities across Massachusetts," said Juarez.
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Original text here: https://www.tbf.org/news-and-insights/press-releases/2026/september/lef-poderosas-announcement-202609
USPOULTRY Accepting Board Research Initiative Preproposals on Colibacillosis in Commercial Layer Operations
TUCKER, Georgia, Sept. 11 -- The U.S. Poultry Foundation issued the following news release:
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USPOULTRY Accepting Board Research Initiative Preproposals on Colibacillosis in Commercial Layer Operations
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and the USPOULTRY Foundation are seeking research preproposals to address colibacillosis, one of the most common and economically significant bacterial diseases affecting commercial layer operations worldwide. Caused by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), colibacillosis can lead to increased mortality, reduced production and bird health
... Show Full Article
TUCKER, Georgia, Sept. 11 -- The U.S. Poultry Foundation issued the following news release:
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USPOULTRY Accepting Board Research Initiative Preproposals on Colibacillosis in Commercial Layer Operations
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and the USPOULTRY Foundation are seeking research preproposals to address colibacillosis, one of the most common and economically significant bacterial diseases affecting commercial layer operations worldwide. Caused by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), colibacillosis can lead to increased mortality, reduced production and bird healthand welfare challenges, particularly during periods of physiological or environmental stress.
Through its Board Research Initiative (BRI), USPOULTRY is requesting practical, science-based solutions to better understand, prevent and control colibacillosis in commercial layer flocks. Priority areas include disease epidemiology and transmission, APEC strains and virulence factors, environmental and management risk factors, concurrent infections, pullet management, vaccination and nutrition, as well as biosecurity and sanitation practices. The goal is to identify strategies that reduce disease incidence and severity, minimize production losses, improve bird health and welfare and support sustainable antibiotic stewardship.
Researchers from colleges, universities and research institutions are invited to submit preproposals by Nov. 2. To view more information about this topic and how to submit preproposals, visit the USPOULTRY BRI webpage.
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About USPOULTRY
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) is the All Feather Association progressively serving its poultry and egg members through research, education, communications and technical services.Founded in 1947, USPOULTRY is based in Tucker, Georgia.
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About USPOULTRY Foundation
The USPOULTRY Foundation's mission is to support the recruitment and training of the brightest students, seek and fund scientific research, foster student scientists and promote careers in the poultry and egg industry.
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Original text here: https://www.poultryfoundation.org/news/pressRelease.cfm?pid=BA49073AC9592766E5A85C9C8D8AA848
Rockefeller Foundation: Thunkable Education Pilot for West Virginia Students Builds Future-Ready AI, Entrepreneurship, and App Development Skills
NEW YORK, Sept. 11 -- The Rockefeller Foundation posted the following news release on Sept. 10, 2026:
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Thunkable Education Pilot for West Virginia Students Builds Future-Ready AI, Entrepreneurship, and App Development Skills
With support from The Rockefeller Foundation, Thunkable's pilot program engaged approximately 120 high school students across West Virginia, resulting in an estimated 80 student-built mobile applications.
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA / WEST VIRGINIA | September 10, 2026 -- Thunkable today announced the conclusion of its artificial intelligence (AI) education pilot program
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Sept. 11 -- The Rockefeller Foundation posted the following news release on Sept. 10, 2026:
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Thunkable Education Pilot for West Virginia Students Builds Future-Ready AI, Entrepreneurship, and App Development Skills
With support from The Rockefeller Foundation, Thunkable's pilot program engaged approximately 120 high school students across West Virginia, resulting in an estimated 80 student-built mobile applications.
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA / WEST VIRGINIA | September 10, 2026 -- Thunkable today announced the conclusion of its artificial intelligence (AI) education pilot programin West Virginia, a hands-on learning initiative designed to increase AI literacy, expand access to entrepreneurship education, and facilitate creative technology development for high school students vulnerable to U.S. labor market disruption.
Implemented in collaboration with the State of West Virginia across participating high schools in Monongalia County, Kanawha County, and Berkeley County, the pilot, which was supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, introduced students in grades 9 through 12 to practical AI concepts, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and mobile app creation using Thunkable's no-code development platform. Four schools completed the program curriculum, with approximately 120 students developing an estimated 80 final applications to help their classmates and communities.
"It was incredibly inspiring to see these students go from 'I have never written a line of code' to 'I have built an iPhone, Android, and web app that helps my community,'" said Arun Saigal, Co-founder and CEO Thunkable. "These students have great ideas on how to make an impact in their communities and in the world. With the right tools, they were able to bring their creative ideas to life."
"Jobs of the future will reward people who know how to build with AI, and West Virginia's students are proving they can do exactly that," said Andrew Sweet, Vice President of Innovation at The Rockefeller Foundation, which over the past five years has committed more than $33 million to grantees that are using AI to accelerate progress for vulnerable communities in the United States and around the world. "This pilot shows that hands-on AI education can work in communities that don't always get first access to new technology -- and that's where this kind of investment matters most."
The Challenge Facing America's Students
High school students today are entering higher education and the workforce with limited training on AI systems, even as those systems are reshaping labor markets. Research suggests that AI is capable of replacing up to 11.7 percent of jobs in the U.S. labor market and roughly 50 to 55 percent of America's workers could see AI reshape their jobs in the coming years, with entry-level and task-dense roles particularly exposed. Employers are actively looking for entry-level workers, but say they are struggling to find AI-trained graduates.
In West Virginia, a state whose economy has long been anchored in coal and is now navigating a transition toward new industries, students also face a compounding challenge in an AI-driven labor market: some of the lowest broadband access in the nation. West Virginia has ranked among the least-connected states in the country, with roughly one-third of residents lacking internet that meets federal broadband standards and with rural communities hit the hardest. For many students, this means growing up at a distance from the tools and technologies that increasingly define modern careers.
That exposure gap was clear from the start of the Thunkable AI education program: Many students entered with limited understanding of AI and low confidence in using emerging technologies, with approximately 50% of students initially saying they had no familiarity or very limited familiarity with AI concepts such as machine learning, prompt engineering, algorithms, and coding. Students also said they were more comfortable using general digital tools for schoolwork than using AI to solve problems or build technology-driven projects.
The Program and Results
Amid this backdrop, Thunkable developed the AI education pilot program to help vulnerable West Virginia students develop future-ready technical skills. Rather than focusing solely on AI as a tool for consumption, the curriculum emphasized creation, encouraging students to identify real-world problems, explore entrepreneurial ideas, and build functional mobile applications.
Over the course of the pilot, students participated in a recurring weekly structure that combined hands-on Thunkable tutorials and app development with entrepreneurship and innovation-focused instruction. Participating teachers also received professional development before implementation, helping them bring the curriculum into a range of classroom settings, including Entrepreneurship, Coding Game and App Design, and Informational Design and Coding.
By the end of the program, students had designed and presented a wide variety of original projects, including educational AI tools, productivity applications, health-oriented apps, gaming concepts, and small-business software. Standout projects included The School App, built by Spring Mills High School students to help peers with disabilities and or specialized instruction needs navigate schedules, track grades, and access learning resources; GlowUp Challenge, a teen wellness app by a Nitro High School student to help peers build healthy habits and confidence through daily challenges, progress tracking, and positive self-talk; and Nebula CMH, a client management platform designed to help small businesses improve record keeping, permissions, and client workflows.
The pilot also produced encouraging outcomes around student confidence, engagement, and entrepreneurial interest. For example, 44% of students reported more interest in starting their own businesses by the end of the program. They also repeatedly identified building applications, creating original ideas, collaborative problem-solving, coding with AI assistance, and seeing their concepts become functional apps as favorite parts of the course.
Opportunity to Further Scale
As West Virginia continues to invest in innovation and workforce development, this multi-county pilot demonstrates the potential of accessible, project-based AI education to help prepare America's students for future careers in technology, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving, while also enabling broader economic prosperity for themselves and their communities. These early lessons reflect a clearer understanding of the barriers school systems face in adopting new technologies, from access and the right tools to the devices required to run them, as well as the importance of giving students established pathways forward, whether into higher education or the workforce. Building on these early successes in West Virginia, Thunkable is now actively exploring opportunities to expand this program to additional states and underserved communities nationwide.
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About Thunkable
Thunkable is the award-winning visual development platform that lets students and teachers build real iOS and Android apps with no traditional coding required. From any web browser, students can turn ideas into working apps in just a few lessons. After building students' design and development skills, teachers can activate built-in AI tools to accelerate student creativity and problem-solving. With Thunkable, students build mobile portfolios to prepare them for the digital workforce.
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About The Rockefeller Foundation
Investing $30 billion over the last 113 years to promote the well-being of humanity, The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on unlikely partnerships and innovative solutions that deliver measurable results for people in the United States and around the world, including in association with RF Catalytic Capital Inc (RFCC). We leverage scientific breakthroughs, artificial intelligence, and new technologies to make big bets across energy, food, health, and finance. For more information, follow us on LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation, X @RockefellerFdn, Instagram @rockefellerfdn, and YouTube @rockefellerfound, and sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe.
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Original text here: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/news/thunkable-education-pilot-west-virginia-students-builds-future-ready-ai-entrepreneurship-app-development-skills/
Foundation Fighting Blindness Renames Venture Philanthropy Arm the Gund Vision Fund, Honoring Five Decades of Gund Family Leadership
COLUMBIA, Maryland, Sept. 11 -- The Foundation Fighting Blindness issued the following news on Sept. 10, 2026:
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Foundation Fighting Blindness Renames Venture Philanthropy Arm the Gund Vision Fund, Honoring Five Decades of Gund Family Leadership
The new name honors the decades of leadership and giving by Foundation co-founder Gordon Gund and his family, honoring the Fund's evolution into one of the most innovative venture philanthropy models in the retinal disease market.
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COLUMBIA, Md. and RALEIGH, N.C. - September 10, 2026 - The Foundation Fighting Blindness today announced the rebrand
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COLUMBIA, Maryland, Sept. 11 -- The Foundation Fighting Blindness issued the following news on Sept. 10, 2026:
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Foundation Fighting Blindness Renames Venture Philanthropy Arm the Gund Vision Fund, Honoring Five Decades of Gund Family Leadership
The new name honors the decades of leadership and giving by Foundation co-founder Gordon Gund and his family, honoring the Fund's evolution into one of the most innovative venture philanthropy models in the retinal disease market.
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COLUMBIA, Md. and RALEIGH, N.C. - September 10, 2026 - The Foundation Fighting Blindness today announced the rebrandof its venture philanthropy arm, formerly the Retinal Degeneration Fund (RD Fund), to the Gund Vision Fund.
The new name honors more than 50 years of leadership, advocacy, and philanthropic support from Gordon Gund and the Gund family, whose contributions to the Foundation have been immeasurable. It also reflects the Fund's evolution since its launch in 2018, growing from an early-stage research funder into one of the most innovative venture philanthropy models in the market, catalyzing the translation of decades of research into real treatments.
"The Gund Vision Fund name reflects both where this Fund has been and where it is going. Gordon Gund and the Gund family did not support this work from a distance. They helped build it, and this name honors that," said Jason Menzo, CEO, Foundation Fighting Blindness. "Vision speaks to our mission of advancing treatments and cures for the diseases that cause blindness, and to the forward-looking way we deploy capital to get there. We are proud of what the Fund has become and excited about what comes next."
Since it was founded in 2018, the Fund - now the Gund Vision Fund - has built and proven its model by managing more than $140 million in strategic capital, deploying over $100 million directly into a portfolio of 20 companies, and syndicating with more than $1.5 billion in institutional capital from more than 60 co-investors. The Foundation is already the leading private funder of retinal disease research, with nearly $1 billion invested since 1971 and a patient registry of over 43,000 individuals.
The rebrand coincides with an active $100 million capital campaign to accelerate the development of treatments and cures for inherited retinal diseases and dry AMD. To anchor the campaign, the Gordon and Llura Gund Foundation has committed a $50 million lead challenge gift, matching every new or increased contribution to the Gund Vision Fund dollar for dollar up to $50 million. Every gift made during the campaign will be doubled, advancing more programs into clinical development and reaching more patients sooner.
"Building this Fund from the ground up has meant taking greater risks to bring treatments to patients and believing in companies when the path forward is uncertain. That conviction is being rewarded, treatments are reaching patients who had no options," said Rusty Kelley, PhD, managing director of the Gund Vision Fund. "The Gund Vision Fund name honors the family that made this possible, and the gift from the Gordon and Llura Gund Foundation signals even greater conviction for the model, the momentum, and what's next."
The Gund Vision Fund's updated website, GundVisionFund.org, has launched alongside updated social channels, marking the start of a new chapter for the Fund, with more to come in early 2027. For more information, visit GundVisionFund.org.
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About the Gund Vision Fund
The Gund Vision Fund, formerly the Retinal Degeneration Fund (RD Fund), is the venture philanthropy arm of the Foundation Fighting Blindness and a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit subsidiary. Launched in 2018 as the first and only fund solely dedicated to advancing therapeutics for inherited retinal diseases and dry age-related macular degeneration, the Fund bridges the critical funding gap between discovery-stage research and drug development. For more information, visit GundVisionFund.org.
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About the Foundation Fighting Blindness
Established in 1971, the Foundation Fighting Blindness is the world's leading private funding source for retinal degenerative disease research. The Foundation has raised nearly $1 billion toward its mission of accelerating research for preventing, treating, and curing blindness caused by the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and Stargardt disease. Visit FightingBlindness.org for more information.
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Original text here: https://www.fightingblindness.org/news/foundation-fighting-blindness-renames-venture-philanthropy-arm-the-gund-vision-fund-honoring-five-decades-of-gund-family-leadership-4567
