250 Forward Launches at National Honors Conference to Celebrate the Legacy of the Higher Education Act and Empower the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Nov. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 250 Forward Project is being launched this week to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the Higher Education Act of 1965. This landmark law expanded access to higher education for millions of Americans.
The 250 Forward Project debuts this week at the National Association of African American Honors Programs (NAAAHP) Conference in Birmingham, Alabama.
Developed by the 2150 Center for Innovation, Commercialization & Growth in collaboration with Miles College, UMass Boston, and the MentorPRO platform, the initiative connects emerging scholars and leaders from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with mentors across business, technology, and public service sectors.
What makes 250 Forward unique is its use of flash mentoring via the MentorPRO app. Instead of asking busy executives and senior leaders to commit to long-term, open-ended mentoring relationships, flash mentoring allows them to engage in focused, short interactions that fit their schedules and strengths. Through the MentorPRO app, mentors can engage at their own pace by answering questions, offering practical advice, and opening doors to opportunities. Students gain direct access to individuals who might never have had the chance to mentor in a traditional setting.
The approach combines real-time guidance with structured and monitored learning experiences that prepare students to become entrepreneurs, innovators, and job creators. All via an AI-integrated app.
"Our vision is not just about mentoring—it's about movement," said Erskine Faush, CEO of 2150. "By helping students build networks, start businesses, and think like innovators, we're planting the seeds of an economy that they will own and grow. Over the next decade, we expect this initiative to help students generate more than $250 million in economic impact through new ventures, startups, and community enterprises."
The project leverages MentorPRO, a digital platform that utilizes advanced AI technologies developed by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Boston under the leadership of Dr. Jean Rhodes, director of the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring and a leading national scholar on mentorship. MentorPRO's evidence-based tools and analytics ensure that every student-mentor connection contributes to measurable personal and professional growth.
"Miles College is pioneering MentorPRO's NSF-supported 'human-at-the-helm' model, where AI improves rather than replaces the mentor's role," said Dr. Rhodes. "250 Forward brings this vision to life, using technology to expand access to guidance while keeping human connection at the heart of student success. By connecting HBCU scholars with accomplished mentors, we're ensuring that the next generation doesn't just benefit from opportunity, they build it."
"The Higher Education Act opened doors to opportunity—and 250 Forward ensures that those doors lead to leadership, ownership, and innovation," said Dr. Tonya Perry, Provost of Miles College. "Through entrepreneurship and mentorship, we are equipping students not only to succeed in their careers but to shape the economy of the future."
The 250 Forward launch takes place during the National Association of African American Honors Programs Conference in Birmingham, where HBCU students and faculty from across the country are convening to celebrate academic excellence, innovation, and leadership.
About the Higher Education Act of 1965
The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 increased federal funding for higher education, providing grants, loans, and work-study programs to students, and also offered resources to colleges to strengthen their programs and serve disadvantaged populations. This landmark legislation aimed to make higher education accessible to more people, especially low- and middle-income students, and supported institutional development, community outreach, and teacher training, laying the foundation for the federal government's role in postsecondary education.
SOURCE 2150 Innovate
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