Former Disney Channel darling Bridgit Mendler is charting an unexpected course, from the sound stages of "Good Luck Charlie" to the final frontier as the new CEO of a space startup, Northwood Space. This fledgling venture, rooted in El Segundo, California, aspires to revolutionize the way ground stations — critical Earth-based links for outer space communication — operate and serve the burgeoning satellite communications sector. In a shift from her acting and singing trajectory, Mendler's focus is firmly planted in the technology that will bring space data down to earth. According to reports by CNBC, Mendler, and her team envision a "data highway" designed to overcome the complexities of satellite communication.

Northwood Space has already secured a $6.3 million investment shot in the arm, with influential backers like Founders Fund and Andreessen Horowitz plowing resources into the company's mission; as Mendler herself shared on X, expectations should be set for the unexpected as this endeavor unfolds. Mendler revealed to WXYZ that they are in the throes of building out shared ground infrastructure from the ground up, and they're well on their way in terms of funding and vision, limiting delays in establishing the preliminary groundwork for this ambitious project.

With a unique angle on the space industry, Mendler's startup avoids the crowded lanes of rocket and satellite production, instead zoning in on the terrestrial component — the ground stations — which receive and dispatch colossal data streams from the network of satellites orbiting Earth. The goal, as Mendler posited to CNBC, is to navigate the complexities of data transmission between Earth and its orbital counterparts, smoothing the pathway for this crucial exchange.

The trajectory from child star to tech entrepreneur adds another layer to Mendler's multifaceted life, including her recent foray into motherhood; acknowledging her foster journey which culminated in adoption, Mendler posted out the significant milestone — the addition of a 4-year-old boy to her family during Christmas of 2022, an event she deemed her biggest gift and most definitive experience. Her revelation comes amidst her professional pivot, as she harnessed her studies at prestigious institutions like MIT and Harvard and her time spent at the FCC's new Space Bureau, to form Northwood along with her husband Griffin Cleverly, acting as the startup's chief technology officer, with insider details shared by People.