Hello, ’17s! I hope you are staying safe and well! As the days start to get cooler and things move indoors, please remember to take care of yourselves, social distance, and make efforts to get your daily doses of Vitamin D!

One ’17 who has been doing a great job of social distancing, soaking up the sun, and conducting productive work is Briana Franklin. After graduation Briana moved back home to Atlanta; however, she has always had a dream of moving to the West Coast. In the fall of 2019 Briana flew out to the Bay Area to attend Afrotech, one of the largest multicultural tech conferences in the United States, and listen to the stories, engage with the Black tech community, and explore some professional opportunities. She even reconnected with some fellow Dartmouth alums such as Isaiah Matthews.

Briana’s trips and networking out West paid off and she eventually pursued an opportunity with Orangetheory Fitness in the Bay Area; however, she’s been spending the majority of her time on her own entrepreneurial venture, the Prosp(a)rity Project. Briana started this initiative as a means for equipping young Black girls and women with the tools necessary for achieving personal, professional, and financial success. Since starting this project she has had a lot of success. In just a few months she gathered more than 1,000 responses on her initial survey to collect data on Black, Native American, and people of color experiences; launched the Economic Empower Fund, a fundraiser aimed at attacking financial inequality through sources such as student debt relief and financial coaching; and brought on two codirectors, including Cori Lopez.

Keep up the great work, Briana! You’re making a real impact!

—Dorian J. Allen, 33 Kensington Terrace, Maplewood, NJ 07040; dorallen@comcast.net