Do you have a social impact startup? Looking for some mentorship? Looking for funding? Then look into applying for the CivicX Accelerator by the end of August. I’ve been proud to be a mentor for the program for the last three years. I started when I worked for PwC Digital and am proud to continue to be a mentor with my new job as VP of Consulting at Clearhead. At Clearhead we help solve for Fortune 500 and large nonprofits biggest problems with product and UX.
The problem the CivicX folks are trying to solve this year:
How might we improve educational outcomes and ensure workforce success for youth in Detroit and the Great Lakes region?
The reason:
In the U.S., 16-24 year-old young adults are 3x more likely to be unemployed than the rest of the population and a growing number lack workforce-ready skills, creating the largest gap in over 20 years. In Detroit,the youth unemployment rate is among the highest in the country at nearly 30 percent.
So what are they looking for:
The Civic Accelerator is seeking applications from early stage for-profit and nonprofit ventures, based in the Midwest or interested in expanding to the region, who are disrupting education and workforce development.
The Fall 2016 Civic Accelerator – a 10-week entrepreneur boot camp and investment fund – will accelerate innovative, scalable ventures that improve educational outcomes and prepare youth for the 21st Century workforce. If this is your startup, I would love to hear more in the comments, and you can apply here.