On July 28th Venture for America (VFA) welcomed enthusiastic supporters to its
official launch party at the IAC Building in Chelsea. Spearheaded by Founder/President Andrew Yang
and COO Eileen Lee, VFA's mission is to direct talented, enterprising college graduates into careers as
entrepreneurs and job-creators in lower-cost American cities. Through VFA, fellows will take jobs at
start-up companies in economically-challenged cities like Detroit, Providence, and New Orleans, cities
that struggle to attract young business talent. Top college graduates will receive hands-on experience
in how to develop a business and, at the same time, qualified small businesses without
resources for on-campus recruiting will have access to bright young entrepreneurs.
(left: VFA Founder/President Andrew Yang)
Modeled after Teach for America, VFA plans to generate 100,000 U.S. jobs by 2025.
Program participants will work for a minimum of two years at discounted salaries for emerging companies within
industries of great potential or future importance. At the end of the two-year period, companies can hire
fellows under new terms. The goal is for a substantial number of VFA Fellows to become successful entrepreneurs,
preferably rooted in the communities to which they are assigned. VFA will also offer training to fellows. The first
Venture Fellow Summer Institute will be held at Brown University in
the summer of 2012. At the conclusion of the program, fellows have the opportunity to win a $100,000 seed investment award
to start a new business or to be applied toward their currently assigned company.
VFA Founder/President Andrew Yang; VFA COO Eileen Lee
Brian Rudolph, Alexa Lombardo, Victoria Schramm, Andrew Yang
Victoria Schramm; Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang; Tara Sharp
Guillermo Silberman; Andrew
Yang; VFA Board Member and
JP Morgan ED, Warfield Price
VFA Recruitment and Social Media Associate, Brielle Beaudette;
VFA Volunteer Allison Gallo
VFA Board Member and
FuturLogic Founder, Jonathan Cropper; VFA Board Member and Upstart Ventures Founder/CEO,
Liz Hamburg
Jonathan Cropper and supporter Daniel Delson
VFA Board Member and VCharge President, George Baker; VFA Founder/President Andrew Yang; VFA Board Member and VCharge CEO, Jessica Millar
VFA Board Member and Pronto Network CEO, Darren McDonald
Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang
VFA Supporters
VFA Board Member Ross Hinkle (Liveset); Jacob Cohen (Detroit Venture Partners)
Andrew Yang
DJ Shakey
Jessica Gordon and
Nicole Menlow
Atmosphere
Atmosphere
