From Disney Star to Stellar Startup CEO: Bridgit Mendler’s Cosmic Career Pivot

The former Disney Channel star takes an out-of-this-world leap into the space industry, leaving fans starry-eyed. In a move that has left her fans’ jaws orbiting the Earth, former Disney Channel sweetheart Bridgit Mendler has traded her acting chops for a CEO’s chair at Northwood Space, a startup aiming to construct a cosmic “data highway” between Earth and the great beyond.

The multi-talented 31-year-old, best known for her role as the quirky Teddy Duncan in the hit sitcom “Good Luck Charlie,” took to the digital stratosphere (formerly known as Twitter) to announce her latest venture, leaving fans in a state of gleeful bewilderment.

“We are designing shared ground infrastructure from first principles to expand access to space,” Mendler wrote, her words oozing with celestial ambition. “We have a lot of work ahead of us, but that’s the fun part.”

And if that wasn’t enough to send shockwaves through the entertainment universe, Mendler casually dropped another bombshell – she’s a proud mother to a 4-year-old boy, a revelation that left her admirers collectively clutching their cosmic pearls.

“The other news I wanted to share is I’m a mama to a sweet 4yr boy. Started fostering in 2021 adopted near Christmas of 2022. I’m so lucky — being a parent is the biggest gift and most defining experience there is. That’s my news for now folks,” she tweeted, adding a touch of stardust to her already stellar announcement.

Mendler’s cosmic career pivot might seem like a cosmic leap for the former Disney star, but her fascination with the final frontier has been brewing for quite some time. During her stint at the Federal Communications Commission’s Space Bureau in 2022, she “completely fell in love with space law,” according to an interview with CNBC.

“Space is getting easier along so many different dimensions, but still, the actual exercise of sending data to and from space is difficult. You have difficulty finding an access point for contacting your satellite,” she explained, hinting at the challenges her startup aims to conquer.

But Mendler’s path to space entrepreneurship wasn’t paved with stardust alone. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic, while spending quality time with her family in New Hampshire, that the idea for Northwood Space took shape.

“Everybody was making sourdough starters and we were building antennas out of junk we could cobble together from local hardware stores … And we were receiving data from [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] satellites,” she said to CNBC, thus demonstrating that her interest in space was born on Earth.

She is not doing it by herself for she is not the only one who is faced with this cosmic journey. Her husband, Griffin Cleverly, Cleverly was the name of the guy she wed at a sunset-kissed wedding in which they also constructed a sandcastle for spectators in October 2019; he’ll become the chief technology officer for Northwood Space, making sure that their partnership is flawless both in marriage and business.

For Mendler ​’s team, the pre-money valuation of $6.3 million is already in the bank. It is now set for an explosive launch accompanied by a set of streaking stars. But the journey ahead will be no bed of roses, full of conflict and drama, the comedian is determined to continue living her lifelong dream, and the world is always reminded that, in the deep space, the unexpected is always the norm.

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With her cosmic ambitions, motherly devotion, and an unwavering sense of adventure, Bridgit Mendler’s journey from Disney star to space startup CEO is sure to inspire stargazers and dreamers alike, reminding us that the universe is a canvas waiting to be painted with the boldest of brushstrokes.