Calbright Career Bridge gives selected Data Analysis alumni the opportunity to apply their skills to a real employer project. This remote experience runs from November 9 to December 11, 2026. You will work with two other alumni, contribute 40 hours of project work, and help your employer turn data into practical insights.
Follow the steps below to set up your Riipen account, connect with your team and employer, meet your milestones, and complete your project.
Before your project begins
November 5 — Attend student onboarding
Join the live onboarding session on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time (Vancouver and California).
The session will introduce the program, explain how to use Riipen, and help you prepare for your project. Bring any questions about getting started or completing the experience.
November 6–8 — Accept your invitation and get ready
On Friday, November 6, you will receive an email invitation adding you to your assigned team. Use the weekend to complete your setup so you are ready for the November 9 start.
Accept your invitation. Follow the link in your email to create your Riipen account or sign in to your existing account. Use the email address that received the invitation.
Complete your profile. Add a professional photo, a short introduction, and relevant skills. You can also add your resume to help your employer learn about your background.
Review your assigned project. Read the employer’s project description, expected deliverables, and milestone dates.
Sign your program agreements. Read and complete the agreements presented in Riipen.
Complete the pre-project survey. Follow the survey link or task provided in your workspace.
Complete your payment setup. Follow the instructions provided through Riipen’s payment process and complete any requested information.
Complete your own onboarding tasks promptly. Delays can affect your team’s ability to get started together. If you cannot find your invitation, check your spam or junk folder, then contact the Career Bridge program team if you still need help.
November 9 — Start your project and connect
Once you have completed the required starting steps, click Start Project in Riipen to access the project chat and begin communicating with your employer.
Send a brief introduction explaining your background, relevant data skills, and what you hope to contribute. Connect with your teammates and coordinate a kickoff meeting with your employer before the November 13 milestone.
At your kickoff, confirm:
The business question your team will investigate.
The datasets, tools, and access you need.
The final deliverables and what successful work will look like.
Each participant’s responsibilities.
How you will communicate, share progress, and request feedback.
Meeting availability and plans around the Thanksgiving break.
Agree on a scope that fits 120 combined hours of work across your three-person team. If data or access is unavailable, tell your employer and the program team early so you can adjust the plan.
Your project milestones
Use the milestone instructions in Riipen to confirm what you need to submit. The activities below will help you prepare for each deadline.
Date | Milestone | What to focus on |
November 9, 2026 | Experience start | Complete your starting steps, introduce yourself, and arrange your kickoff meeting. |
November 13, 2026 | Kickoff and project plan | Meet with your employer and agree on the business question, scope, deliverables, responsibilities, and work schedule. Submit your project plan as instructed in Riipen. |
November 20, 2026 | Data readiness and initial progress | Confirm access to the required data and tools. Assess data quality, begin preparation or analysis, and share initial progress and any barriers. |
November 27, 2026 | Midpoint review | Review progress against your plan, discuss initial findings, and confirm priorities for the remaining work. Arrange this review before the Thanksgiving break. |
December 4, 2026 | Draft deliverables | Share draft outputs with your employer and request feedback. Depending on your scope, these may include a cleaned dataset, SQL queries, reports, visualizations, or a findings presentation. |
December 11, 2026 | Experience end | Incorporate feedback, submit final deliverables in Riipen, complete the required surveys and employer feedback, and check that your individual requirements are complete. |
Plan ahead for Thanksgiving: The program FAQ lists November 23–27 as a break with no project work scheduled. Complete your midpoint review and prepare the required submission before the break so you can meet the listed November 27 deadline without scheduling work during that week.
Stay on track during your project
Contribute your 40 hours
Each participant is responsible for 40 hours of project work. Plan your time with your team across the active project weeks, allowing for the Thanksgiving break and time to revise your work after employer feedback.
Keep your Riipen work logs up to date with the time spent and a clear description of your contribution. Include relevant project activities such as meetings, data preparation, analysis, documentation, and deliverable development.
Communicate and ask for feedback
Agree on regular check-ins with your employer and keep your teammates informed of your progress. Share questions early, especially when missing data, unclear instructions, or access issues could delay your work.
Use Riipen to keep important updates, decisions, and submissions easy to find. Follow the employer’s instructions for handling data, including where files can be stored and shared. Ask permission before adding employer data or project work to a public portfolio.
Complete your own platform requirements
Working in a team does not replace your individual responsibilities. Check your own workspace for agreements, surveys, work logs, milestone submissions, and other required tasks.
Before each deadline, confirm that your required submissions are recorded in Riipen. Sharing a file in a meeting or chat may not complete the corresponding milestone.
December 11 — Submit and complete your project
Allow time before the end date to present your findings, receive employer feedback, and make final revisions.
Finalize your deliverables. Check that they address the agreed business question and include any instructions, methods, or limitations the employer needs to understand and use your work.
Submit your final milestone in Riipen. Upload the required files or accessible links and click Submit this milestone. Make sure your employer can open everything you submit.
Complete your work logs. Confirm that your records reflect your 40 hours and individual contribution.
Complete the exit survey and other required evaluations. Follow the links provided on your team page.
Provide feedback about your employer experience.
Check employer review and sign-off. Your employer needs to review your work and formally sign off on the required milestones. Respond promptly if revisions are requested.
Check your workspace for outstanding tasks. Resolve anything still required to complete your participation.
Your stipend and recognition
Eligible paid participants receive a US$1,000 stipend, funded by Calbright and processed through the Riipen Payment Platform.
Funds are released after you submit your completed deliverables in Riipen, your employer reviews and formally signs off on the required milestones, and you complete all required program evaluation surveys. Complete any payment setup instructions provided through Riipen. Payment occurs within 21 days of successful completion.
Reaching December 11 does not automatically trigger payment. Make sure your completion requirements and employer sign-off are finished.
Riipen also provides a certificate of completion through the project completion process. Follow the prompts in your workspace and use your achievement to support your resume, LinkedIn profile, or portfolio, while respecting any employer confidentiality requirements.
Need help
For questions about your project scope, data, or deliverables, contact your employer through Riipen. For team concerns, missing invitations, milestone questions, or payment guidance, contact the Career Bridge program team at calbrightcareerbridge@riipen.com. For technical issues, use the help or support option in Riipen.
Raise problems as soon as they arise so there is time to help you stay on track.