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Most Disney Channel fans know Bridgit Mendler, but the former TV and pop star has quietly traded Hollywood for an entirely different orbit. The Washington, D.C. native is now the CEO and co-founder of a space startup, a career pivot that has surprised many longtime fans.
While the shift may seem sudden, Bridgit has been working toward this moment for years. In the late 2010s, she balanced acting and music with a college education, earning degrees from USC and MIT. Today, she’s focused on innovation, leadership, and family life — proving her success story has been decades in the making.
Keep reading to learn everything about Bridgit, from her work to her family life.
Who Is Bridgit Mendler?
Bridgit is known for her television roles on several Disney Channel sitcoms. She earned recognition for playing Justin’s vampire girlfriend, Juliet, in Wizards of Waverly Place, and she landed the role of Olivia in Lemonade Mouth. Toward the end of her Disney stint, Bridgit starred in a main role on Good Luck Charlie as the character Teddy.
In between her film and TV gigs with the studio, Bridgit signed with Hollywood Records to release her first studio album, Hello My Name Is… followed by her second album, Nemesis.
Eventually, Bridgit broke away from the popular children’s network and landed roles in other shows such as Nashville, Undateable and Merry Happy Whatever.
While maintaining her film career, Bridgit attended the University of Southern California. She did not graduate, though.
What Is Bridgit Mendler Doing Now?
Bridgit continued her education by studying at MIT for a master’s degree. She also worked as one of MIT’s Media Lab Director’s Fellows in 2017, focusing on how to improve social media as part of her master’s program.
In 2020, Bridgit finished her graduate program at MIT and started working on her Ph.D. In 2022, Bridgit was reportedly enrolled in classes at both MIT and Harvard Law School.
The “Ready or Not” singer later co-founded Northwood Space, a satellite data startup company that focuses on creating a “data highway between earth and space,” per its website. In 2025, Bridgit’s transition from Disney star to tech founder has continued to accelerate. As CEO and co-founder of Northwood Space, she helped lead a major funding round that raised over $30 million to scale the company’s satellite communication infrastructure efforts, positioning the startup as a rising player in space networking technology.
During her 2024 interview with CNBC, Bridgit explained that she came up with the idea of Northwood during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While everybody else was making their sourdough starters, we were building antennas out of random crap we could find at Home Depot … and receiving data from [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] satellites,” she told the outlet.
Is Bridgit Mendler Married?
Bridgit has been married to her husband, Griffin Cleverly, since October 2019. Griffin is the co-founder of Northwood, and he reportedly works as the startup’s chief technology officer.
Does Bridgit Mendler Have Kids?
The other news I wanted to share is I’m a mama to a sweet 4yo 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 💛 pic.twitter.com/o8gU4gtHso
— Bridgit Mendler (@bridgitmendler) February 20, 2024
After breaking the big news to the world about her space company, Bridgit also revealed that she has a son.
“The other news I wanted to share is I’m a mama to a sweet 4yo boy [sic],” she tweeted in February 2024. “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.”
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