New Board Leadership, National Recognition & Park Quest 2.0 Funding
- The Community
- Feb 16
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 21
2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for BESN X Community.
As we continue building out our STEM Center, expanding workforce pathways, and strengthening our regional and national partnerships, we are proud to announce major leadership additions, national recognition, creative industry milestones, and the official launch of our 2026 Road to ACC event series.
Strengthening Our Toledo Board of Directors
BESN X Community welcomes three distinguished leaders to our Toledo Board
Founder, Horton Financial Solutions
Guyiran brings expertise in financial literacy, skilled trades workforce development, and economic mobility. His leadership will support our finance strategy, audit readiness, and pathways connecting youth to sustainable careers beyond traditional college routes.
Program Monitoring Specialist, City of Toledo
With more than 27 years of experience in public housing systems, financial opportunity programs, and community development, Drenda strengthens our housing-aligned programming and parent engagement strategy. Her guidance ensures that our initiatives are rooted in real community needs and long-term stability.
Marketing Automation Product Owner, Owens Corning
Lance brings strong systems thinking, digital infrastructure expertise, and data strategy experience. His role supports program evaluation, operational structure, and scalable impact reporting as we pursue larger state and federal opportunities.
Together, this board expansion reinforces BESN X Community’s mission to bridge equity through STEM, workforce development, creative technology, and integrated community services.
National and Industry Recognition
Our leadership ecosystem continues to expand beyond Toledo.
National Board Director for BESN X Community, has been named one of The Top 50 Women Leaders of Washington DC for 2026. This recognition reflects the caliber of strategic leadership guiding our national growth.
In addition, our 2D Mentor Francis Dave Ardan recently completed work on the PlayStation title God of War: Sons of Sparta in collaboration with Mega Cat Studios.
His involvement demonstrates the level of industry mentorship and professional pipeline exposure available to BXC youth participants.
Park Quest 2.0 Receives Funding
We are honored to have received funding from the Greater Toledo Foundation to expand Park Quest 2.0, our civic-tech gaming initiative that connects youth engagement, wellness, and community activation.
Park Quest continues to serve as a bridge between digital learning and real-world movement, reinforcing problem-solving, creativity, and neighborhood engagement.
Road to ACC 2027 Launches with Rocket Hacks
Our 2026 event strategy officially begins with:
March 14, 2026
Code & Create
Rocket Hacks serves as the first activation in our Road to ACC series, a four-event build-up leading to the Art, Code & Community (ACC) Expo later this year.
In collaboration with partners including Meta, SSOE, and community stakeholders, Rocket Hacks will center youth innovation, coding, creative development, and applied STEM engagement.
Each event in the Road to ACC series will build momentum toward a larger regional gathering that highlights art, technology, workforce pathways, wellness, and community development.
HHIE Filming Resumes in Atlanta
BESN X Community will also resume filming in Atlanta for Hip Hop Influences Everything (HHIE), further expanding our creative footprint and documenting the cultural intersections of gaming, music, and technology.
This work reinforces our belief that culture and technology are not separate lanes, but interconnected forces shaping the next generation of creators and innovators.
Expanding Youth Leadership Partnerships
Executive Director Timothy Fields has also been appointed to the Scouting America, Erie Shores Council Executive Board, strengthening collaboration between structured youth leadership development and BESN X Community programming.
This alignment supports our goal of building disciplined, skilled, and service-oriented youth pipelines across Toledo and beyond.
2026 is about building infrastructure, strengthening partnerships, and delivering measurable impact.
From board leadership to national recognition, from Park Quest to Rocket Hacks, and from workforce pathways to creative production, BESN X Community is focused on long-term systems that support youth, families, and neighborhoods.
We invite partners, sponsors, and community leaders to join us as we continue building.
For partnership inquiries: info@besnxc.org
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