Venture for America, a New York-based nonprofit and fellowship organization that trains recent graduates for work at a startup company, announced its latest cohort of 173 fellows from around the country, five of whom will now take on roles at Pittsburgh-based startup organizations.
These five fellows are to be placed in roles at for further on-hand training and experience, potentially leading them to full-time jobs at these employers following their fellowship. VFA has placed about 1,500 fellows since its founding in 2011.
The five fellows named to Pittsburgh-based organizations and their respective placements are:
- Sylvia Cummings, Civic Champs
- Emma Dawson, Civic Champs
- Micah Headly, Innovation Works
- Emily Sjoberg, Expii
- Daniel Zunino, Conserv
Megan Butler, VFA's recently appointed community director of Pittsburgh, said in a statement to Pittsburgh Inno that she is thrilled by the latest group of fellows that will begin work at Pittsburgh-based startup organizations.
"They are motivated and ready to drive change in our start-up community. They’re also excited about building up Pittsburgh specifically — three of our fellows this year are alumni of Pittsburgh universities," Butler said. "In my role as community director of Pittsburgh, I’m also always looking for opportunities to connect our fellow and alumni community with all of the wonderful resources that exist for entrepreneurs in our region specifically."
Over the course of the two-year fellowship, VFA will support its fellows with coaching, mentorship opportunities and programming.
Since its 2015 launch in Pittsburgh, Venture for America said it has gone on to have over 30 fellows work at 34 local startups and startup-related organizations.
