Marketing Marketing
This Job Platform Is For Undergrads Who Get Nowhere On LinkedIn
The days of “it’s not what you know, it’s who
- October 20, 2017
- News
The days of “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” may be nearing an end now that college students can Handshake their way to better job opportunities.
Ever heard of Michigan Tech? The engineering school, located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is a full day’s drive from the nearest metro areas of Detroit and Chicago, and as a result might not be top of mind for corporate recruiters outside the Midwest. As Garrett Lord sees it, that’s a problem for many college students whose socioeconomics and alma matter (and yes, one often dictates the other) make it harder to clinch their dream jobs right out of college.
So in 2014, Lord cofounded Handshake with his former Michigan Tech classmates Scott Ringwelski and Ben Christensen, a “first LinkedIn,” in Lord’s words, that automatically equips college students with bare-bones professional profiles and lets employers get job listings in front of them earlier. Handshake’s cofounders see the platform as a counterargument to the so-called “pipeline problem,” the notion that there just aren’t enough skilled candidates–especially among underrepresented minorities–to hire for open jobs. That still-widespread belief lets recruiters justify retreading the same select handful of name-brand schools in their search for qualified hires.
“We want to help all students,” emphasizes Lord, who himself managed to score an internship and job offer at Palantir, but saw how others might not have the resources or resilience to do the same. So Handshake was built to automate many of the functions of a university career center, to match students with more internships, career fairs, and job opportunities based on their majors and interests.
(Palo Alto) June 24, 2020 —
While the pace of layoffs might be
Intellispark, an education
Zuckerberg-backed An …
Andela, a startup that’s setting out to train
- October 10, 2017
- News
Andela, a startup that’s setting out to train Africa’s best software developers and connect them with the world’s biggest technology companies, has raised $40 million in a series C round of funding.
The round was led by African VC firm CRE Venture Capital, with participation from GV (Google’s VC arm), the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), Salesforce Ventures, Spark Capital, DBL Partners, Amplo, and TLcom Capital. This takes Andela’s total funding past the $80 million mark and comes a little more than a year after the company nabbed $24 million in funding from major names that include GV and Facebook cofounder Mark Zuckerberg’s new foundation — Andela was CZI’s first-ever investment.
Founded in 2014, Andela runs a pretty unique program, insofar as it pairs some of Africa’s top students with companies seeking the best tech talent. It is also very selective. With more than 70,000 applicants across the continent so far, Andela’s six-week vetting process has heralded just a 0.7 percent acceptance rate — it really is about finding the best of the best.
Andela’s official HQ is in New York, but it has local hubs in Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda that have helped the company hire around 500 developers, to date. Those selected spend six months in a “rigorous onboarding program” before being matched with one of Andela’s partner companies.
“Andela is investing in our continent’s future technology leaders, who are already playing a much-needed role in solving both African and global problems,” explained Seni Sulyman, country director of Andela Nigeria. “With each new partnership, we are simultaneously proving to the global tech industry that brilliance is evenly distributed irrespective of gender, culture, or nationality. As we unleash an entire generation of technologists, we will secure Africa’s role as an equal partner working alongside the rest of the world to advance human potential.”
(Palo Alto) June 24, 2020 —
While the pace of layoffs might be
Intellispark, an education
Deborah Quazzo joins …
Remind, a leading K-12 communication
- September 28, 2017
- News
Remind, a leading K-12 communication platform, announced today that Deborah Quazzo has joined the company's Board of Directors.
As managing partner at venture capital firm GSV Acceleration, Quazzo brings more than 20 years of experience in the education sector to Remind, including a term on the Chicago Board of Education. "We're excited for Deborah to bring a ground-up perspective along with a thoughtful, high-level view of the sector," said Remind CEO Brian Grey. "Her background as an investor and adviser in education will be invaluable as Remind continues to gain traction in schools and districts."
Remind, which is currently used in over 90 percent of public school districts in the United States, introduced a paid product for schools and districts earlier this year. "I've been very impressed by how Remind has leveraged the network effects of K-12 penetration into a district sales model," Quazzo said. "But I was also delighted to see the passion that educators have for the product. It's an offering that makes a teacher's day more efficient, streamlines their communication, and provides more instructional time—that's an important impact."
One of the few female board directors in education technology, Quazzo also believes strongly in the value of diverse decision-making bodies. "Better decisions come from a diversity of views," she said. "It changes the breadth and tenor of conversations and helps identify blind spots that you can't see with a more homogenous group."
To Quazzo, this perspective is especially important in the education sector. "When you're building and selling a product into the K-12 system, which consists of extremely diverse groups of students, educators, and administrators, it's important to understand different communities and needs," she said. "And I think Remind is well-positioned to continue making a big difference."