EcoPower '26 · Nine Weeks
My Summer
“Only forwards, never backwards. This summer I learned that progress is not one big moment — it is a series of small, calculated steps that add up.”
What I'm Taking With Me
“The reality of what's happening in our communities. Reading about unhoused people and low-income families is different from witnessing their struggles and working with them directly. The classroom can explain it, but being there is something else entirely.”
The Moment I Surprised Myself
“I surprised myself by how comfortable I became talking to strangers on the street. Designing questions, listening without leading and turning stories into findings felt natural — and useful.”
What I Want to Build Next
“I want to keep building tools that make neighborhood knowledge visible: more maps, more photo stories, more apps like FridgeFind that turn a real need into something people can actually use.”
Gratitude
People who shaped this work
Zalyia Grillet
COO, Brooklyn Level Up
Ndidi Chimah
Graduate Practitioner, EcoPower '26
Rose Hsu
Brand + Experience Lead
Fellow Operators
The full EcoPower '26 cohort
On the ground