Allies for Health + Wellbeing, formerly the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, is marking 40 years of service in 2025. As part of the organization’s anniversary celebrations, it is honoring the next generation of young people who are working for a better and more equitable community with its Bright Young People program. The 2025 Bright Young People will be celebrated at a mixer on Thursday, March 13, and at the Allies 40TH Birthday Party on Friday, April 11.
The original Bright Young People were young socialites in the 1920s and -30s, known for throwing outrageous, over-the-top parties, as well as their attempts to change the status quo, especially within the arts. Allies is reimagining the Bright Young People of today as a constellation of excellence – people who are making a real and tangible difference in our community and working toward a bright future, particularly in the realm of diversity, equity and inclusion. The Bright Young People are making their mark through their art, their careers and their activism.
The 2025 Bright Young People include:
Morgan Lee Egnot (they/them/theirs), MD/PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh
Curtis Hanner Jr. (he/him/his), community health manager, Allies for Health + Wellbeing
Ambrielle Hill-Vietmeier (she/her/hers), operations manager, The QMNTY Center
Lauren Leiggi (she/her/hers), attorney, Allegheny County Public Defender
Sherry Libertucci (she/her/hers), musician / community organizer
Julian McClain (he/him/his), outreach and partnerships director / True T EDU: program manager, True T Pittsburgh
Aisling McIntyre, LCSW (they/them/theirs), UPMC Center for Social Impact
Luca Routh (he/him/his), physician assistant
Kaylin Troiano (she/her/hers/they/them/theirs), digital organizer, Queer Pittsburgh
Andrea Yarkony (she/her/hers), medical student, University of Pittsburgh
“It is a pleasure and an honor to recognize the Bright Young People each year, and we are impressed by the scope of work these young people are doing to make our community a better place,” said Mary Bockovich, CEO of Allies for Health + Wellbeing.
The Bright Young People will be guests of honor at a mixer at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 13, at Bar Marco in the Strip District, and they will be recognized at the 40TH Birthday Party on Friday, April 11 at the Roxian Theatre.
'As we mark our 40th anniversary, we’re reflecting on the work we’ve done over the past 40 years and those that we’ve served,” Bockovich said. “We’re also looking forward to many more years of service, and the Bright Young People are examples of what the future can be.”
Presenting partners of the 40th anniversary events are PA Health and Wellness, UPMC Health Plan and Community Care Behavioral Health. Additional partners include Duolingo, Thommy Conroy, Gilead Sciences, Nium Inc. and the Roxian Theatre.
“The continued support of our partners allows us to serve those who are living with or at risk of HIV, hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted infections, and it gives us the opportunity to use our platform to amplify the voices and the work of the Bright Young People,” Bockovich said. “We are grateful for their generosity.”
Since 2022, Allies for Health + Wellbeing has named 43 Bright Young People, including the 2025 class.
