Lane works for Swipely, a company founded in 2009 on the idea of improving businesses’ customer retention that has grown into a full software suite helping merchants with payment, analytics, and marketing tools. Joining the organization in its second year of existence, Walters never left the first firm for which he worked. 30.Įight Boston College alumni have become fellows since 2012, with their VFA fellowship experiences detailed below.Īs the first BC graduate to become a VFA fellow, Sean Lane played a role in the campus outreach that helped others, including Maxwell Walters, get involved with the program. The next application deadline for VFA is Monday, Nov. “A huge part of being in VFA is not just working at your startup, but being a part of the community that is constantly in touch,” Elberger said. These fellows then go through a normal interview process before receiving an offer and either accepting or rejecting it, with each fellow guaranteed a placement.Ĭommunity is central to VFA’s mission, with mentorship, networking, educational updates, and programming enabling fellows to stay in contact with not only the VFA headquarters, but other fellows-current and past-and professional mentors, as well. In terms of the actual startup-matching process, accepted fellows make pitches to companies that interest them and have partnered with VFA. “What we care about when we partner with these startups is that there’s a growth opportunity for a person, that there’s good leadership and mentorship available at the startup … and that they’re financially viable.” “We’re sort of what we call industry agnostic,” said Leandra Elberger, communications and development manager at VFA. The startups themselves run the gamut in terms of their industry and categorization-from software and technology companies to nonprofits, breweries, and accelerators-and fellows earn the same salary, regardless of chosen startup. The program provides mentorship and networking resources and offers access to capital for those pursuing entrepreneurial initiatives post-fellowship.Īttracting graduates from over 70 schools and currently operating at an 11 percent acceptance rate, the organization holds a five-week, intensive training camp at Brown University from the end of June through July before sending the fellows to their respective placements in August or early September. VFA recruits recent college graduates and enables them to learn and work with over 150 startups in 15 emerging U.S. The two-year fellowship program, of which Yang serves as CEO, looks to revitalize American cities through entrepreneurship by fueling job growth and productivity. As a solution to what he considers an unproductive culture, in 2011 he created an alternative path for young people: Venture for America (VFA). Rather, it appeared as though they were following an ambiguous ambition for status. To Andrew Yang, it seemed that many college graduates pursued fields such as finance, consulting, medicine, law, or graduate school, yet lacked genuine passion for these areas.
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