What an incredible two weeks, we recently wrapped up with our second NobleReach Scholars Bootcamp. Watching 28 exceptional early-career professionals dive deep into the intersection of innovation and public service reminded me exactly why we do this work.

The caliber of speakers who joined us was truly remarkable. This year’s boot camp featured:

• Robert Gates, former Secretary of Defense
• Scott Kupor, Director of the Office of U.S. Personnel Management
• Michael Kratsios, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, White House
• Ambassador Cindy Dyer, Chief Program Officer at the McCain Institute
• Governor Kevin Stitt, Governor of Oklahoma
• General Paul M. Nakasone (ret.), former Director of the National Security Agency and Commander of the United States Cyber Command
• Vivek Kundra, former Chief Information Officer of the United States
• Anne Neuberger, former Deputy National Security Advisor, Cyber & Tech
• Katie Savage, Secretary, Maryland Department of Information Technology
• Veronica Daigle, President of National Security Practice, Red Cell Partners
• Justin Fanelli, Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Department of the Navy
• Kumar Garg, President, Renaissance Philanthropy
• Anthony (Tony) Johnson, President and CEO, Truman National Security Project and the Truman Center
• Ann Lewis, former Director, Transformation Services, General Services Administration
• Matt Lira, Executive Director, Invest America
• Anna Makanju, Vice President, Global Affairs, OpenAI
• Gulsanna Mamediieva, Adviser of the Vice Prime Minister for Innovations, Development of Education, Science & Technologies, Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine
• Francella Ochillo, JD, MPA, Adjunct Professor & Policy Consultant, Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School
• Ian S. Ryu, PhD, Director, Technology Development, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures
• Benjamin Schwartz, Managing Head of Infrastructure Partnerships, Open AI
• Scott Weiss, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Catalest

These leaders didn’t just speak to our Scholars; they engaged, challenged, and inspired them to think bigger about their potential impact.

But what energized me most wasn’t the expertise of these government executives—it was the questions our Scholars asked, the connections they made, and the way they absorbed lessons on everything from “Translating Across Systems” to “Challenging Inertia and Reframing Systems.” These aren’t just bright minds; they’re future changemakers who understand that the hardest problems require people who can work across sectors with both entrepreneurial agility and mission focus. Learn more about this year’s cohort here.

Over the next year, these 28 Scholars will be embedded with partners like the Department of Defense, The City of Oklahoma City, Miami-Dade Innovation Authority, The State of Maryland, Seattle Information Technology, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, and The City of Pittsburgh applying what they learned and proving that venture truly can meet mission. I can’t wait to see the impact they’ll create. See a full list of our partners for this cohort here.

The future of American innovation depends on talent like this. We’re just getting started.

Arun Gupta,

CEO

NobleReach Foundation

In this newsletter, the Scholars team is taking over! Learn more about the program, how to become a Scholar (or nominate a scholar), and how to host a Scholar from our next cohort.

What Happened At Bootcamp

Clockwise from top left: Governor of Oklahoma Kevin Stitt shares with our Scholars, NobleReach Scholars participate in a Washington AI Network event with Army CTO Alex Miller, Scholars on the Navy Steps at the White House following a meeting with Michael Kratsios Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Gen. Paul Nakasone (ret.) speaking with our Scholars.

During our two-week bootcamp, our Scholars went through a series of courses learning skills like design thinking and negotiation as well as frameworks for operating across public and private environments and challenging inertia within systems. In addition to this coursework, our scholars heard directly from experts whose careers have spanned both public service and the private sector about how they could make an impact in their placement and in their career as a whole as well as the importance for being a dual citizen of the public and private sectors.

Ben Schwartz, Head of Partnerships and Policy for OpenAI said that “Our private sector can’t really compete with the Chinese model without good public policies… We need both government and industry to work together to generate the infrastructure we need.”

Scott Kupor, Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, shared “If we want to be leveraging technology to innovate and improve efficiency and government services, that’s going to be led by people like you, by the next generation. The compelling reason to come here is that we’re solving really hard problems at a scale that you would never get in the private sector.”

Robert Gates, former U.S. Secretary of Defense advised that “In the public sector, you need to be as much of a risk-taker as in the private sector, both in terms of the programs you’ll work on and in terms of your career. There will be opportunities that seem risky; don’t be shy about taking risks.”

Who are the NobleReach Scholars?

NobleReach Scholars are mission-driven recent graduates who are ready to use their skills to make an impact for public good in four strategic domains: Artificial Intelligence, Computing & Cybersecurity, Business Process Innovation, and Materials & Manufacturing. These emerging professionals are placed in full time positions in public service tech roles in federal, state and local government organizations and mission-driven private sector partners.

Don’t just take our word for it, read reflections from one of our 2024 Scholars Tarun Prakash here.

Learn more about the program here.

How to Become a Scholar

To be eligible for the scholars program you must:

• Be a recent graduate who has obtained a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degree from an accredited institution between December 2023 and August 2026.
• Have a cumulative GPA from your most recent degree of 3.2 or higher.
• Demonstrate interest and have experience in one of our four strategic domains.
• Be a U.S. citizen or have authorization to work in the United States without employer sponsorship. Note that certain roles will require you to be a U.S. citizen and eligible to obtain a security clearance.

Scholars applications for the 2026 cohort open soon! Sign up to be the first to learn when applications open.

Nominate A Scholar

Are you too experienced to become a Scholar, but know an emerging professional who would be perfect for public service? Share their information with us!

How Can I Host a Scholar

To be eligible to host a scholar we need:

• Commitment to host a Scholar for at least one year
• A dedicated supervisor committed to mentorship
• Meaningful assignments and valuable deliverables
• Alignment with at least one strategic domain

Note NobleReach will ensure compliance with organization-specific protocols, including security clearance, onboarding, and performance management.

NobleReach will collaborate with eligible federal, state, and local government organizations and mission-driven private sector organizations to establish a partnership that aligns with your mission, budgets, and needs.

Connect With Our Scholars Team.