Join us in celebrating our 2025 SNAC for their contributions!

➤ Shaped FY26 Strategic Priorities, Elevating Need for More City Activation -- SNAC introduced the Network Engagement Sub-Committee in 2025 to focus on the need for alumni engagement in cities without active programming. Its members, Edward Perry, Geoffrey Fenelus, Swen Ervin, Amy Cisneros, and Deidra Bailey, helped bring Alumni Weekends to life in DC, Oakland, Indy, Las Vegas, and KC.

➤ Celebrated our 500 Alumni Milestone with a Virtual Happy Hour -- Led by the Celebrations Sub-Committee (Mandisa John, Maya Stewart, Erik Martinez, LaToya Black, and Aisha Williams), SNAC celebrated the Surge network surpassing the 500 alumni mark after TLC25's graduation in October. The virtual happy hour landed on Surge's 11th birthday and featured trivia, networking, and DJ Autumn!

➤ Doubled-Down on Alumni Giving -- The Philanthropy Sub-Committee (David McGuire, Arman Lakes, Sameka Gates, Cristina Marquez, and Cesserly "CeCe" Rice), merged last year's Surge Alumni Month of Giving into the #SurgeForMore campaign by creating a city-centric fundraising challenge. Shout out to Philadelphia alumni for taking the 2025 fundraising crown!

➤ Awarded Ten $500 Mini-Grants for Alumni-Led Programming -- In addition to providing feedback on the build for our Alumni Directory, the Innovation Sub-Committee (Jessica Sullivan-Wilson, Cescily Phillips, Khadeejah Lasuc Lewis, Ryan Jones, and Amaya Noguera-Mujica) helped celebrate our 500 alumni milestone by organizing a RFP for $500 mini-grants for alumni-led programming. Awardees were publicly announced in January 2026!

Join us in celebrating our 2024 SNAC for their contributions!

➤ Shaped FY25 Strategic Priorities, Expanding Supports for Alumni Entrepreneurs -- As a collective, the SNAC advocated for expanded access to supports for alumni founders as Surge Angels moved to a biennial cadence. The Founder Workshop Series, originally created to support Surge Angels alumni after Pitch Night, was subsequently launched to support any and all alumni looking to expand their entrepreneurial skillsets.

➤ Launched the First-Ever Alumni Month of Giving -- Led by the Development Sub-Committee (David McGuire, Arman Lakes, and Sameka Gates), the SNAC named October as the annual Surge Alumni Month of Giving. In its first year, the Committee exceeded its engagement goal of alumni donors 10+ percent!

➤ Drafted Plans to Create Alumni Directory of Services -- Led by the Innovation Sub-Committee (Rosaura Altamirano, Khadeejah Lasuc Lewis, and Jessica Sullivan-Wilson), the SNAC ensured Surge's selection of a new content management system (CMS) would support the creation of a directory of alumni inclusive of their products, services, and consulting opportunities! For now, an "alumni-supporting-alumni" founders networking fair is also being planned for the 2025 Convening in Scottsdale, thanks to SNAC!

➤ Brought Ascension Celebrations to a City Near You -- SNAC members organized spaces to bring alumni together to celebrate our Ascension year, specifically targeting cities that were currently without programming (Oakland, Indianapolis, and Kansas City).