Venture For America Inc

VENTURE FOR AMERICA IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT IS CREATING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICAN CITIES BY MOBILIZING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENTREPRENEURS AND EQUIPPING THEM WITH THE SKILLS AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO CREATE JOBS. THE ORGANIZATION OPERATES A 2-YEAR FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM THAT RECRUITS, TRAINS, AND INVESTS IN TOP RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATES BY PLACING THEM IN STARTUPS IN AMERICAN CITIES WITH EMERGING ENTREPRENEURSHIP ECOSYSTEMS AND HELPING THEM LAUNCH THEIR OWN HIGH-IMPACT BUSINESSES. VFA OPERATES A FOUR-WEEK TRAINING CAMP FOR INCOMING FELLOWS, PROVIDES ONGOING PROGRAMMING DURING THE 2 YEAR FELLOWSHIP, AND OPERATES AN ACCELERATOR FOR PROGRAM GRADUATES WHO ARE STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESSES.

FELLOW EXPERIENCERECRUITMENT AND SELECTION VFA CONTINUED TO SELECT A REPRESENTATIVE CLASS OF TALENTED RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATES FROM A HIGH-CALIBER, DIVERSE, NATIONAL POOL REPRESENTING MORE THAN 450 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. OUR EFFORTS RESULTED IN A FELLOWSHIP CLASS FOR 2021 CHARACTERIZED BY 50% OF FELLOWS IDENTIFY AS WOMEN OR GENDER NON-CONFORMING AND 57% IDENTIFY AS AN UNDERREPRESENTED RACIAL OR ETHNIC MINORITY. IN 2021 WE PILOTED NEW STRATEGIES TO RECRUIT FROM AND CONNECT WITH REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES, FACULTY, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS ACROSS OUR MARKETS. TO ACHIEVE THE ABOVE MENTIONED WE FURTHERED OUR INVESTMENT IN OUR TALENT DEPARTMENT TO DRIVE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL STRATEGIES, BEST PRACTICES, AND ENGAGEMENTS, IN ADDITION TO A NEW PLATFORM. COMPANY PARTNERSVFA COMPANY PARTNER TEAM WORKED WITH LOCAL VFA CITY DIRECTORS TO PARTNER WITH MORE THAN 200 ENTREPRENEURS AND HIRING MANAGERS ACROSS ALL 13 US CITIES TO PROVIDE EARLY STAGE CAREER PLACEMENTS THROUGH OUR MATCH PLATFORM. VFA DIRECTORS SOURCED THE ASSOCIATED COMPANIES, SUPPORTED FELLOWS WITH INTERVIEW AND RESUME PREPARATION, COACHING, IN ADDITION TO CONFIRMING JOB PLACEMENTS. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS & CITY ENGAGEMENT VFA DIRECTORS IN EACH MARKET ASSISTED FELLOWS NAVIGATE THEIR CITIES, BOTH PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE CITY AT LARGE, AND SUPPORTING THEM AS THEY ACCESS THE NETWORK THE ORGANIZATION MANAGES. THE LOCAL SUPPORT AND ORIENTATION TO EACH NEW CITY FOR FELLOWS LED TO HIGH CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES IN THE STARTUP ECOSYSTEM, AND STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER FELLOW AND ALUMNI PEERS LIVING IN THE CITY. FELLOW PROGRAMMING VFA OFFERED EACH OF OUR 374 FELLOWS CURRICULUM TO SUPPORT BECOMING A STARTUP LEADER OR STARTUP FOUNDER. OUR CITY LEADERS REGULARLY PLANNED INFORMATIONAL AND NETWORKING EVENTS, INFO SESSIONS WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES AND ENGAGEMENT WITH LOCAL CIVIC LEADERS IN EVERY VFA MARKET. DIRECTORS ALSO PROVIDED FELLOWS WITH 1:1 COACHING DURING THE YEAR OF FELLOWSHIP AND OTHER ACTIVITIES TO ENCOURAGE ENTREPRENEURIAL THINKING.FELLOW EDUCATIONTRAINING CAMPTHE VENTURE FOR AMERICA FELLOWSHIP KICKED OFF WITH TRAINING CAMP, A HALLMARK OF OUR PROGRAM AND OUR PRIMARY EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE. FOR TRAINING CAMP 2021 WE HOSTED A COMBINED 162 FELLOWS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND DELIVERED 125+ SESSIONS AS PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM. FOR ONE MONTH, INCOMING FELLOWS WORKED TOGETHER VIRTUALLY, LEARNING A COMBINATION OF BOTH HARD AND SOFT SKILLS CRITICAL TO A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN STARTUPS. MORE THAN A SERIES OF LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS, TRAINING CAMP IS WHAT SETS VFA APART AND WHAT MAKES OUR PROGRAM A TRUE FELLOWSHIP A COMMUNITY OF LIKEMINDED INDIVIDUALS UNITED BY A SHARED GOAL AND BONDED IN FRIENDSHIP AND CAMARADERIE. TRAINING CAMP, ITS CURRICULUM, AND THE EXPERIENCES PROVIDED TO FELLOWS IS SUPPORTED BY TEAM MEMBERS AND THE COMMITMENT FROM MORE THAN 70+ VOLUNTEERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES VFA PROVIDED ONGOING SUPPORT FOR FELLOWS TO EXPAND ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS WITH NATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS, INCLUDING QUARTERLY VALIDATION CHALLENGES, AND A SIDE-PROJECT-A-THON. BOTH FELLOW AND ALUM WHO WERE FOUNDERS OF COMPANIES WERE ALSO PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THEIR COMPANY TO EXPERTS IN THE FIELD DURING DEMO DAYS, CATALYST AWARDS, AND BRAINTRUSTS, WHERE THEY RECEIVED FEEDBACK FOR THEIR BUSINESSES. THE ORGANIZATION OPERATED A BUSINESS ACCELERATOR THAT GAVE SEVEN VFA ALUMNI SUPPORT NEEDED TO TURN SIDE PROJECTS AND BUSINESS CONCEPTS INTO FULL-TIME VENTURES. THE ORGANIZATION RAISED $88,000 IN CHARITABLE SUPPORT TO PROVIDE BOTH LIVING AND BUSINESS STIPENDS DURING THE 4-MONTH PROGRAM, WHICH CULMINATED IN OUR ANNUAL DEMO DAY IN WHICH ACCELERATOR PARTICIPANTS COMPETED FOR $10,000 IN AWARDS. COMMITMENT TO DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES:VFA COMMITTED TO EMPOWERING, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES, AND CREATING SUPPORT FOR FELLOWS AND ALUMNI WHO IDENTIFIED WITH GROUPS THAT ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN ENTREPRENEURIAL AND INNOVATION COMMUNITIES (AFRICAN-AMERICAN, AFRO-CARIBBEAN & AFRICAN; SOUTH ASIAN OR SOUTH ASIAN-AMERICAN ; LATINO/LATINA/LATINX; ASIAN OR ASIAN-AMERICAN; LGBTQ; WOMEN; MIDDLE EASTERN OR NORTH AFRICAN; FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE GRADUATES), ALL UNDERREPRESENTED IN ENTREPRENEURIAL AND INNOVATION COMMUNITIES.