Before founding Venture for America, Andrew Yang ran two companies — one went bust, the other was acquired by the education company Kaplan in 2009. In between starting the two organizations, Yang spent five years shadowing other entrepreneurs, an experience he says was essential in creating his successful business. Yang’s new organization, Venture for America, places college graduates in fellowships with start-up companies across the country. The mission is twofold: to give these recent grads a chance to learn from other entrepreneurs, making them better equipped to start their own businesses, and to provide companies in struggling cities like Detroit and Pittsburgh with talented employees who traditionally gravitate toward larger cities.
Yang sat down with NationSwell to explain how VFA can play a big part in boosting the American economy.
Tag: millennials
The Coolest Jobs Aren’t Just For Millennials Anymore
The digital landscape is changing right before our eyes. The fastest growing demographic on Twitter is the 55-65 year age bracket, which has grown 79% since 2012. Seasoned pros are going digital and that means the coolest jobs, fellowships, and internships are not just for twentysomethings or millennials. Teach For America has recently made a concerted effort to tap into the Internet’s fastest growing group by stepping up recruitment efforts away from college campuses. The non-profit recently partnered with Encore.org, a site dedicated to people over 50 starting a second or third career, to help reach the coveted age group. “For every teacher getting ready to move on, there seems to be someone at the conclusion of another line of work eager to get into a classroom and mentor the next generation of students,” says Marci Alboher, author and Vice President of Encore.org, “If you thought Teach for America was just for high achieving twentysomethings, think again.”