Wilt J Hildenbrand Jr. Scholarship and Rising Leader Award

Purpose: Honors the legacy of Wilt Hildenbrand, an industry visionary who dedicated 40 years to advancing the cable telecommunications industry beginning with Cablevision in 1976.

Focus Areas:

• Scholarship: Supports college education of children of fallen soldiers
• Rising Leader Award: Recognizes outstanding professionals under 40 who demonstrate exceptional promise and leadership within the broadband industry

Background: Established with a founding grant of $200,000 by Rouzbeh Yassini (founder of YAS Foundation) in partnership with the SCTE Foundation. Yassini and Hildenbrand worked together to advance the first commercial cable modem deployment beginning in 1987.

Wilt's Legacy:

• Pioneer of digital video, Pay-Per-View, Video on Demand, and 100-Mbps broadband services
• Known for brilliance, straight talk, and relentless pursuit of excellence
• 40 years of service and commitment to innovation, friendship, and mentorship

Award Presentation: Rising Leader Award is presented annually at SCTE TechExpo, with Wilt's family continuing to participate in honoring new recipients.

Geographic Scope: United States (broadband industry professionals eligible)

Application Process

Required Information:

• Applicant name (first, middle, last)
• Email address
• Phone number
• Full address (street, city, state, ZIP)
• Country
• Employer/Organization
• Essay: Explain why you are applying for these funds

Submission: Online application form available on the SCTE Foundation website.