STYLE 1 MEDIA >>> VENTURE FOR AMERICA LAUNCH

Venture for America Connects Top Grads with Careers in Underserved Cities

IAC Building, 555 West 18th Street, NY, NY | 07.28.2011 | by Merry Esparza

Style 1 Media 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.


For more information, please visit: Venture for America.