The journey from Disney stardom to life beyond the limelight is often fraught with challenges. While some former child stars ascend to the ranks of Hollywood’s elite, others find themselves struggling to maintain their footing once the cameras stop rolling. For every success story like Ariana Grande, numerous ex-Disney talents find that the momentum they once enjoyed has completely halted, sometimes leading to a downward spiral.

It’s no secret that many who transition out of Disney’s orbit face a host of difficulties, including financial woes, legal battles, and personal crises. These issues are not necessarily a reflection of personal failings but rather indicative of the systemic pressures inherent in the world of child stardom.

Young Disney stars often achieve fame at an impressionable age, when they lack the emotional maturity to navigate such a unique lifestyle. Though they may not earn top-tier salaries, they bask in a world where they are idolized and treated like royalty. This insulated environment creates an illusion of perpetual relevance—until reality hits. As audiences mature, so too must the actors, who often find themselves left behind by a brand that moves on.

Once the Disney bubble bursts, these former stars grapple with shedding their typecast image while attempting to establish themselves in a competitive industry. Some are able to adapt and continue their careers in more modest roles, such as on sitcoms or Broadway, while others struggle to find their place.

Enter Bridgit Mendler.

(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Save The Children)

From Disney Star To Orbiting Stars

Bridgit Mendler emerged as a prominent figure on the Disney Channel in the late 2000s and early 2010s. She first garnered attention with her role on “Wizards of Waverly Place” and soon became a household name as Teddy Duncan on “Good Luck Charlie,” a staple of Disney’s family-oriented programming. Simultaneously, Mendler embarked on a music career, signing with Hollywood Records and releasing her debut album “Hello My Name Is…” The album included the hit single “Ready or Not,” which achieved Platinum status. Unlike many other Disney-associated music ventures, Mendler’s work showcased her as a genuine artist with a knack for penning catchy pop tunes that appealed beyond the confines of the Disney brand.

By the mid-2010s, Mendler had done what most Disney alumni hope to do, but few actually pull off: she exited the brand on her own terms. She continued acting in network sitcoms like “Undateable,” appeared in films and streaming projects, and released music independently without chasing chart dominance or tabloid relevance.

Then, quietly and without fanfare, she began stepping away from entertainment entirely. Instead of doubling down on Hollywood, Mendler redirected her focus toward a staggeringly ambitious academic reinvention. She enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a master’s student and PhD candidate, but she didn’t stop there. She simultaneously earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she served as co-president of the Harvard Space Law Society. It was a dual-track education designed to master both the engineering of complex systems and the regulatory frameworks that govern them.

Northwood Space

That pivot set the foundation for an unusually sharp second act. In the early 2020s, Mendler co-founded Northwood Space. Mendler is not just a quiet investor or partner. She is the CEO.

Northwood Space was co-founded to tackle one of the space industry’s most pressing and least glamorous problems: the growing bottleneck in ground-based satellite communications. While rockets and satellite launches capture public attention, the infrastructure required to move data between orbit and Earth has lagged badly behind the pace of deployment. Northwood’s entire premise is built around fixing that imbalance.

Northwood’s solution is to treat satellite ground infrastructure less like bespoke hardware projects and more like a modern telecommunications network. The company is developing mass-produced, phased-array ground stations that can be deployed rapidly and track multiple satellites simultaneously without relying on large, mechanically steered dish antennas. The goal is to dramatically increase capacity, reduce latency, and allow satellites to connect with Earth more frequently, effectively creating the equivalent of cell towers for space.

$100 Million Fundraising Round

In 2025, Northwood raised $30 million in Series A capital. And today it was revealed that Northwood had raised another $100 million in Series B capital. That’s not all. With today’s $100 million announcement, Northwood ALSO revealed it had secured a $49.8 million contract with the United States Space Force to help upgrade the “satellite control network,” which, as Bridgit explained on a call with reporters today, “handles a huge variety of consequential space missions for our government.”

Bridgit’s Paper Wealth Estimate

We don’t know how much of Northwood Brigit owns or the company’s overall valuation, but we can make an educated guess for both. In a typical Series B round, investors usually acquire 15% to 20% of the company. Calculation:

• If $100M purchased 20% of the company: $100M / 0.20 = $500 million post-money valuation.
• If $100M purchased 12.5% (a common “premium” for hot defense/space tech): $100M / 0.125 = $800 million post-money valuation.

Long story short, the company is likely valued between $500 million and $800 million. Somewhat confirming that range is the fact that none of the press reports about today’s fundraising round referred to the company as “Unicorn,” which is reserved for a company worth north of $1 billion.

To estimate Bridgit Mendler’s stake, we must track the likely dilution of her equity through Northwood’s three major funding events (Seed, Series A, and Series B).

Based on the estimated valuation of $500M–$800M and an ownership stake of 10–15%, Bridgit Mendler’s stake is likely worth between $50 million and $120 million.

If Northwood continues to prosper and someday achieves a valuation of $6.7 billion, assuming Bridgit owns 15%, she will be a billionaire.

Not too shabby for a former Disney star!