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Emily Calandrelli, a trailblazer from Morgantown, West Virginia, recently returned from a groundbreaking flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard. As the 100th woman—and the second West Virginian woman to travel to space—Emily described the experience as a “surreal” culmination of years of determination and bold dreams. Supported in part by the Wing 2 Wing Foundation, her voyage embodies the spirit of West Virginians: boundless ambition paired with a commitment to giving back, highlighting the power of accessible education and the impact of programs like “Marshall for All, Marshall Forever.”

The nation’s premier remote worker program, Ascend WV, has just announced a new Homeownership Incentive that will provide $12,000 to current Ascend WV members to purchase a primary residence in the Mountain State. More than 40% of Ascend WV members have already purchased homes in West Virginia, with another 7% purchasing homes within their first two years of moving to the state after renting. With this latest announcement, the program aims to attract even more participants who will lay down roots in the Mountain State.

Emily Calandrelli, a proud West Virginian, is preparing for a remarkable expedition to space. Becoming one of the first 100 women to accomplish this achievement—Emily’s flight symbolizes the dreams and aspirations of many—and the Wing 2 Wing Foundation was grateful to play a part in her story. As she prepares to take flight on the Blue Origin alongside five other crew members, she stresses the importance of programs like Marshall for All, Marshall Forever, emphasizing that initiatives like these have made her own journey to this moment possible.

Brad D. Smith, visionary leader and co-founder of Ascend West Virginia is dedicated to transforming rural communities throughout West Virginia. Through Ascend WV, remote workers are invited to relocate to West Virginia with a $12,000 bonus package which provides financial relief and an enhanced quality of life to all those who take advantage. Recently featured on the Today Show, the successful relocation of the Eisenberg family from Baltimore to Lewisburg illustrates the program’s positive impact on families and singles alike, underscoring Brad’s commitment to creating a brighter future for West Virginia and its residents.

Brad D. Smith recently sat down with Forbes to discuss his journey from West Virginia native to Silicon Valley executive, and how his experiences ultimately led him back to the Mountain State to serve as the president of Marshall University. In both of his career tracks — from business executive to academic leader — Brad has focused on servant leadership as a means of uplifting the communities he serves. As CEO of Intuit, this meant transforming the company into one that was employee-centric. Now back in West Virginia, he continues to utilize servant leadership to develop programs that support the state’s people and bolster Appalachia’s future.

Alys Smith’s Women Warriors Summit — which was sponsored by her and her husband Brad D. Smith’s Wing 2 Wing Foundation — drew over 700 attendees at the Mountain Health Arena in Huntington, WV to connect, learn and empower one another through workshops and presentations by guest speakers. Following a theme of “courageous conversations,” exercises and panels focused on methods and approaches to starting a dialogue when faced with challenging situations in the workplace, with friends and at home. Keynote speaker Nicole Kidman shared anecdotes of her own experiences advocating for other women and for herself throughout her career.

On September 13, 2023, online retailer Amazon announced its appointment of Brad D. Smith to its board of directors. Brad joins the board as a member of the Audit Committee and his appointment marks him as the board’s twelfth member. In the announcements, Brad is noted for his diverse and extensive experiences as an executive leader.

The 2023 West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Business Summit featured the announcement of First Ascent — a program developed through Ascend West Virginia — by Brad D. Smith and Gordon Gee. As the presidents of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, Brad and Gordon understand the need to retain the talent coming out of local universities and, in turn, the positive impact these graduates can have on the state’s future.

Brad D. Smith participated in a panel of prominent West Virginia leaders to discuss the state’s future and prospective growth during the Almost Heaven Classic Keynote Panel, hosted by Mountaineer Media — a blog, podcast and online store dedicated to sharing the West Virginia experience. During the discussion, Brad highlighted West Virginia’s historic successes as a pioneer in numerous fields and its people’s characteristic grit and grace. He connected these sentiments to initiatives supporting the push for Appalachia’s economic development.

Created by President Brad D. Smith in 2022, Community Cares Week at Marshall University is a four-day event that brings together students, staff and Huntington locals to assist the university in tackling its “To Do List items.” Marshall recently celebrated the event’s second iteration, proudly more than doubling the volunteer attendance of the inaugural year with 726 people coming together to complete a variety of projects to improve and beautify the campus.