From the beginning, we took a different approach. Rather than building programs and hoping employers would hire from them, we built both sides of the market simultaneously - designing applied learning experiences with employers, not just for them. The result is a national network of university and industry partners that co-design technical training, work-based learning, and career-connected experiences aligned with what the workforce actually needs.

Founded in 2016 by Dr. Judith Spitz, a former CIO of Verizon, Break Through Tech launched as an initiative of Cornell Tech at a pivotal moment in New York's growth as a technology hub. The original focus was expanding access to computing careers for women at the City University of New York - but the insight that drove the work was larger: technical degrees are necessary but no longer sufficient. What students need, and what employers increasingly require, is real applied experience before graduation. Not theoretical. Real.