Venture For America has a mission and that is to help college seniors and recent graduates on their journey to become entrepreneurs.
VFA is a nonprofit that places recent college graduates in two-year fellowships at startups and high-impact organizations across 14 U.S. cities.
VFA has now partnered with the Desai Sethi Foundation to launch The DSF Social Impact Fellowship for VFA, a social impact initiative that will allow fellows to work alongside local for-profit, nonprofit and government entities in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park that have been impacted by the pandemic and are carrying out social impact work in high-need communities.
Our ultimate goal is to support social change organizations that are meaningfully impacting the lives of low- and moderate-income individuals in our communities, particularly in response to the short- and long-term impacts of COVID-19, says Sarah Craft, director of the Detroit Venture for America.
“The pandemic exacerbated many racial injustices that Black and minority communities in our area already face – from health outcomes, to housing, to food access, to education, to employment,” she said. “This initiative will not come close to solving these systemic issues, but our hope is that we will be able to support social change. Many of these organizations are facing funding challenges due to the pandemic, which is putting their work at risk at a time when it’s needed the most.”
Awarded organizations will have the opportunity to bring on a fellow at a subsidized cost to implement their mission, while also getting ongoing support and technical assistance throughout the two-year period.
Interested organizations will go through an application process, run by the Desai Sethi Foundation and Venture For America, to determine eligibility and fit for the opportunity. Fellows will learn how social change happens on the ground, connect with a cohort of other mission-driven fellows and gain access to social change-based professional development opportunities with the Desai Sethi Foundation.
“When placing fellows, our main goal is to ensure they have meaningful employment experiences that help them become startup leaders and, eventually, founders. It’s also critical that organizations who hire them have a need for adaptable talent that can make an impact on day one,” explained Amy Nelson, ceo of Venture For America. “Our partnership with the Desai Sethi Foundation is a natural step in continuing this work, and will allow fellows to work in roles that give them a chance to fight an array of economic, health and safety issues these communities face, now exacerbated by COVID-19.”
We just want to help our community during these difficult times that we are living in says, Craft.
“If current college students or recent college graduates are interested in entrepreneurship and social impact, they should definitely connect with us. There are nearly 100 fellows and alumni in the Detroit region that would love to share their experiences with people interested in joining,” she added.
For more information about The DSF Social Impact Fellowship for VFA, signing up for an informational session or to submit an application, please visit https://ventureforamerica.org/social-impact-fellowship/.
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