How Local Youth Are Learning AI, Design, and Digital Marketing Together

When people talk about “the future of work,” they rarely invite the very people who will live in that future into the room.
At Community Incubator, we decided to change that.

Future Builders is our answer—a campaign, a fundraiser, and a series of hands-on learning experiences that put emerging tools, real projects, and real opportunity directly in the hands of local youth and young adults. It’s where a 16-year-old can learn prompting for AI, a 21-year-old can design their first product prototype, and a first-generation college student can ship a full digital campaign before they ever land their first job.

This is the story behind Future Builders, how our three core academies work together, and how every donation and sponsorship turns into actual seats, laptops, and rides for the young people we serve.

Why We Built Community Incubator

Community Incubator was born from a simple, uncomfortable observation:
talent is evenly distributed in our city, but access is not.

Young people from underrepresented communities see the billboards for tech jobs, the hype around AI, and the flood of content creators making a living online. What they don’t see are clear, local pathways to get from “curious” to “confident” to “hired.”

We built Community Incubator to be that missing bridge.

Who we serve

• Youth and young adults roughly 14–24
• Students who may be the first in their family to pursue tech or creative careers
• Young people of color, veterans’ families, and neighbors from historically under-resourced zip codes
• Community college students, early-career workers, and young creatives who feel “too late” or “not technical enough”

Instead of asking them to figure everything out alone, we invite them into a hybrid hub: in-person labs, partner campuses, and online sprints where they learn by doing—together.

Future Builders is the flagship fundraiser that keeps those doors open.

What Is Future Builders?

Future Builders is more than a single night or gala. It’s a campaign that powers a full year of:

• Scholarship seats in our academies
• Equipment and software access
• Transportation support so distance isn’t a barrier
• Stipends and food so learners don’t have to choose between work and learning

On January 13, 2026, we’ll host the first Future Builders Fundraiser: a showcase, a lab, and a community commitment all in one evening. Attendees will see live demos of youth-built projects, hear short talks from our team and partners, and have clear ways to give—on the spot and throughout the year.

To understand what you’re actually supporting, it helps to step into a day-in-the-life of our cohorts.

A Day Inside the Incubator

Every cohort we run pulls from the same three pillars:

• Temerarii Academy – Digital marketing and AI-assisted growth
• Phazur Labs – UX/UI and product innovation
• Down x Design – Media, storytelling, and creative prompting

Think of them as three doors into the same house: the modern digital economy.

Morning: Standups and Strategy

A typical Future Builders learning day starts with everyone in the same room—sometimes on a campus, sometimes at a partner site, sometimes in a hybrid setting.

We open with a standup:

• What did you build yesterday?
• Where are you stuck?
• What’s one thing you want to ship by the end of the day?

The language is intentional. Young people don’t just “attend.” They ship projects. They claim ownership. From there, cohorts break into tracks.

Temerarii Academy – Getting Loud Online

In the Digital Marketing Academy, learners start with a simple question: “If your favorite local business hired you tomorrow, what would you do first?”

From that prompt, they reverse-engineer a full marketing funnel:

• Website basics and landing pages
• Social content planning
• Email and SMS flows
• Analytics and simple dashboards
• Intro to AI tools that speed up research and content without killing creativity

They’re not reading about campaigns in a textbook; they’re building one for a real or simulated partner—a youth program, neighborhood brand, or local initiative.

Phazur Labs – Designing the Product You Wish Existed

In the UX/UI & Product Innovation Accelerator, the question shifts: “What’s a problem you’ve experienced that deserves a better product?”

Learners:

• Interview each other and real community members
• Turn messy stories into clear problem statements
• Sketch wireframes and interface ideas
• Build low-fidelity prototypes using accessible tools
• Test those prototypes with real users and iterate

The goal isn’t to become full-stack engineers overnight. It’s to think like product builders, not just app users.

Down x Design – Telling the Story

The third pillar, Down x Design, focuses on media and creative prompting—how we tell stories in a world full of feeds.

Learners may:

• Plan and film a short vertical video series
• Record a mini-podcast episode
• Capture photos and write captions for a campaign
• Use AI image and text tools to extend their visuals and scripts
• The emphasis is on voice and integrity: using tools to amplify real stories, not replace them.

How It All Comes Together in a Day

Throughout the week, tracks intersect:

• A Temerarii Academy cohort might collaborate with Down x Design to create assets for their campaigns.
• Phazur Labs students might test their prototypes with learners from other tracks.
• Everyone comes back together for reflection and show-and-tell, learning how to give and receive feedback.

By the time we reach the Future Builders showcase, each learner has:

• At least one completed project
• A clearer sense of their own strengths
• New peers, mentors, and adult allies they can text or email when opportunities appear

This is where your support matters most.

Where Donations and Sponsorships Actually Go

It’s easy for “support our youth” to sound vague. So we break it down.

When you donate or sponsor Future Builders, you are funding very specific needs.

1. Seats in the Room

Each cohort seat has a real cost: curriculum time, mentors, program staff, software access, equipment upkeep, snacks, and often transportation and stipends.

• A modest gift might cover one learner’s materials for a sprint.
• A larger donation can fund multiple scholarship seats in a full academy.
• Sponsorships at Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels help us underwrite entire cohorts or partner labs.

Every additional funded seat means one more young person who doesn’t have to opt out because of finances.

2. Laptops and Devices

Not everyone has a personal device that can run design tools, analytics dashboards, or video editing software. We maintain a pool of devices that learners can use on-site and, in some cases, check out.

Your support helps us:

• Purchase and maintain laptops capable of running AI and creative tools
• Provide headsets, microphones, and basic lighting for media work
• Cover software licenses so learners aren’t blocked by paywalls

When you see a learner editing a video, experimenting with a prompt, or testing a prototype, there’s a good chance that device is funded by someone like you.

3. Transportation and Food

You can’t learn if you can’t get there.

Bus passes, ride vouchers, and small transportation stipends are critical for youth who live miles from our sites or partner campuses. Snacks and simple meals keep energy high during evening sessions and long weekend labs.

A portion of Future Builders funding is earmarked specifically for:

• Bus passes and rideshare credits
• Group transportation to partner sites or field trips
• Food during high-intensity lab days and evening classes

These details may sound small, but they are often the difference between “I’d love to, but I can’t make it” and “I’ll be there.”

4. Stipends and Micro-Grants

For some learners, time is money in a very literal sense. If they’re in class or a lab, they may not be at work. When funding allows, we provide small stipends or micro-grants for those who would otherwise have to choose between urgent income and long-term opportunity.

Future Builders dollars help us:

• Offer stipends for capstone projects
• Pay youth for work that directly contributes to real community campaigns or products
• Support alumni who take on mentorship roles for newer cohorts

Sponsorship: Partners in the Work

Alongside individual donors, we invite local businesses, agencies, and organizations to become ongoing partners through:

• Platinum sponsorships that underwrite full tracks or a year of activations
• Gold sponsorships that support key events, labs, or equipment
• Silver sponsorships that fund specific needs like transportation or media kits

Sponsors receive visibility, yes—logos, shout-outs, reserved seats—but more importantly, they gain a direct relationship with the young people shaping the next wave of talent.

At the Future Builders event, sponsors will:

• Meet learners and see their projects live
• Hear from partner educators and mentors
• Get a clear view of how their support can align with internships, hiring, and ongoing collaboration

Why This Matters Now

AI is reshaping how we work. Design and product thinking are shaping what we use. Digital marketing and media are shaping what we pay attention to. The risk is clear: if we don’t bring underrepresented communities into these spaces now, the opportunity gap will widen again—this time at machine speed.

Future Builders is our way of refusing that outcome.

When a young person from a neighborhood that rarely shows up in tech ads can:

• Build a marketing campaign that drives real signups
• Design a product prototype that solves a problem they know personally
• Tell their own story with video, audio, and AI-assisted visuals

Cohorts don’t just learn skills. They experience themselves as builders, not bystanders.

That changes how they show up at school, at work, and in their community. It changes what they believe is possible when they see a new tool or a new opportunity. It changes who ends up in the rooms where decisions—and products—get made.

How You Can Become a Future Builder

If you’ve ever said, “I wish there was more I could do for local youth,” this is the moment.

You can:



• Donate any amount toward scholarships, devices, transportation, or stipends
• Sponsor at Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels to underwrite tracks, equipment, or events
• Attend the Future Builders fundraiser to see the work in person and connect with our learners
• Partner as a school, nonprofit, or employer to bring tracks into your context and open doors for internships or jobs

Every contribution—large or small—moves a real young person closer to a future where their creativity, curiosity, and discipline are matched with the tools and opportunities they deserve.

Future Builders isn’t just the name of a fundraiser. It’s a description of everyone involved: learners, mentors, partners, sponsors, and neighbors who believe that the future of our city should include all of us.

If you’re ready to help build that future, we’d love to have you with us.