Basta Secures Major $1.2M Grant to Expand Economic Mobility Across the Carolinas

Basta, a national leader in career navigation for first-generation students, has been awarded $1.2 million in catalytic funding from The Leon Levine Foundation to expand its proven model across North and South Carolina, transforming how the region connects young people to strong first jobs and long-term economic mobility.

The announcement comes as entry-level hiring shifts toward skills-based assessment, raising new urgency for colleges and career services to help students translate learning into demonstrated capabilities and job-relevant skills, especially in a region with strong economic momentum and fast-growing sectors like advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and technology.

Yet the education-to-employment bridge is still too weak: 52% of bachelor’s degree graduates are underemployed one year after graduation, working in roles that typically don’t require a degree. The Carolinas therefore represent both urgent need and significant potential. Carolina Demography estimates that 49% of North Carolina’s next generation is likely to be first-generation in college, underscoring the scale of talent and the need for clearer pathways into strong first jobs.

Basta helps bridge the education-to-employment gap by bringing AI-enabled navigation, personalized coaching, and employer connections into one coordinated pathway, delivered through regional partners. This isn’t a standalone program but an infrastructure layer that strengthens the entire career services system, meeting students where they are while connecting them to where they need to go.

“At The Leon Levine Foundation, we believe talent is everywhere, opportunity is not,” Tom Lawrence, president and CEO of The Leon Levine Foundation, said. “Basta helps close that gap by meeting students where they are and building a bridge to meaningful careers. By strengthening the systems that surround them, this approach creates lasting pathways to self-sufficiency.”

That work is already underway in the Carolinas through pilot partners, including Morris College (SC) and KIPP Pride High School (NC), part of the KIPP network of public charter schools serving historically underserved communities.

“First-generation students have the talent and drive, but the pathway from education to employment is still too fragmented,” said Sheila Sarem, founder and CEO of Basta. “By partnering with regional institutions and employers, we’re building a clearer, more coordinated route to strong first jobs—one students can navigate with real support and measurable outcomes.”

Basta is inviting additional HBCUs, colleges and universities, and community organizations across North and South Carolina to expand the initiative’s reach and scale economic opportunity for first-generation students throughout the region.

The Leon Levine Foundation has made career-connected learning a regional priority, recently announcing that its assets now total $2 billion and committing to increased investment in education pathways that connect young people to economic opportunity across the Carolinas.

Later in the year, Basta will convene partners to exchange findings and refine approaches based on real outcomes. The initiative concludes in 2027 with a comprehensive impact evaluation and expansion roadmap designed for replication in other states.