Today is my last day as CEO of Venture for America.  I will be succeeded by Amy Nelson, my colleague and partner for the past several years.  I’m sure she will take VFA to new heights.

This is the second time I’ve stepped down as the CEO of a company.  The first time, I thought that people would miss me.  They didn’t.  But I felt grave pressure to achieve something and make my departure count.  I left a great job and felt like I should only do so if I did something meaningful.

That was in 2011 when I left my education company to start Venture for America.   My goal was to enlist hundreds of talented young builders to become entrepreneurs and leaders in growth companies to create new jobs and opportunities around the country.

If you had told me then what the next six years would hold, I wouldn’t have believed you.  In the last six years, I’ve visited and worked in each of Venture for America’s eighteen cities, the vast majority of which I’d never been to before.  I’ve seen businesses that employ dozens of people and touch thousands of lives started by young entrepreneurs that I’d recruited out of college just a few years before.  I’ve seen hundreds of idealistic, mission-driven college graduates evolve into managers, leaders and founders and most importantly stronger, kinder human beings.  I became the head of a community that believed in the power of amazing people to change the country and world for the better.

Venture for America has grown beyond anything I could have imagined.   And I’ve grown with it.

There have been fun and frivolous experiences too.  Speaking on a panel with Will.i.am and Rosario Dawson moderated by Tom Brokaw.  Introducing my wife to President Obama at the White House.  Attending the movie premiere of the documentary ‘Generation Startup’ about VFA Fellows in Detroit and getting an IMDB credit for playing myself.  Standing in line with the cast of Silicon Valley at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit – Ehrlich is a tool in real life too it turns out.  The most fun has been becoming friends with people I’d admired from afar only to find that some of them shine in private well beyond their stellar public reputations.

Venture for America has been the mission of my life and the high point of my career.  It has made it easier to travel away from my two young children – I believe in my work so strongly.  It has transformed my personal life and my sense of place in the world.

And yet, I have to admit that stepping away feels like the right thing.

It feels right because the organization is in such good hands with Amy, whom I’d urge you to follow and read about.  She has an incredible background – from a small town outside St. Louis, high school valedictorian, first in her family to go to college, brother in the air force, single mother as a 22-year old, fundraising executive, MBA graduate, wife, mother and leader.  She has been the day-to-day head of Venture for America these past months and will make the organization even better and stronger, in part because she lives the mission.

It feels right because the people I’ve met and become friends and allies with will continue to be the people I work alongside in the times ahead.  I am changing roles, not planets. There is still much work to do and no better group to do it with.

It feels right because Venture for America is about personal evolution and growth.  It’s about tackling the biggest thing that you care deeply about and trying to make it better.  The problems I set out to address with Venture for America – regional inequities, a lack of dynamism and entrepreneurship, a need for optimistic high-character builders and new opportunities – are still there.  If anything, these issues will only grow with the oncoming automation wave.  I find myself so emboldened by VFA’s success that I am doubling down on finding more solutions to problems that seem destined to grow more daunting over time.

Leadership can mean many things.  Sometimes it means stepping aside and letting the next generation go to work.

Thank you for your friendship and support.  Please do continue to rally around Amy, Venture for America and our Fellows.  We must ensure that the mission of Venture for America rings through the ages.  A dedicated group of the right people can indeed change the world.  I’ve lived it and been the beneficiary of this truth.  Making this true for as many people as possible is our best hope for the future.

Yours gratefully,

– Andrew

We are currently hiring 2018 Summer interns. Learn more here.

 

We’ve had an incredible summer here at VFA thanks to our incredible interns. We’re so grateful for all of their hard work and contributions during this busy season and wish them continued success. #internsforamerica

By Miranda Ditmore | This post originally appeared on Babson Blogs. 

One my favorite things about interning for Venture for America were the six other interns I got to work with, and live with this summer. Therefore for my last blog post, I decided to profile them as a way to say thank you, and to show others examples of what makes a great co-worker. From oldest to youngest, here are the Interns for America:

Dre: DeAndre, or Dre, is from Oklahoma and attended Oklahoma State University where he held leadership roles in an insane amount of organizations (seriously I think he lives in a world where there’s 40 hours in a day). He just graduated and was interning for VFA in between returning to OU for law school. In essence, he has his life figured out while the rest of us are still having an identity crisis every other minute. On top of that, Dre was easily the most styling one in all of training camp. From a red velvet shirt, to overalls, to a different hat every day Dre had more style in his off days than I had during prom. I had the privilege of running check in with Dre every morning and let me tell you, if Sofia Vegara was standing next to us Dre would still be receiving more compliments. But at the end of the day he deserved them all; if not for his style then for his incredibly kind, laid back, and hardworking nature.

Where do I see Dre in 20 years?: Taking his corporate law money and starting his own fashion business whose profits go to creating scholarships for low income students of color.

Devron: Devron is from northern Cali and is currently a rising senior at Kenyon College studying philosophy. Devron was our resident marketing goddess who slayed the intagram game. Her VFA Instagram stories, all the photos she took, even her wardrobe screamed aesthetic. As the marketing intern Devron was given basic blanket instructions for training camp, and didn’t always have a direct supervisor present to report to. Some people would take that flexibility and abuse it, but not Devron. Every time you turned around she was ready with her camera, and would immerse herself in projects that would come out incredible. Even when she was sick for a long period she didn’t let it distract her from her job. On top of all that, she was laid back, hilarious, and always down to have reflective conversations about life. What more could you ask for?

Where do I see Devron in 20 years?: Working in interior design either in New York, Cali, or London using her ~aesthetic~ eye.

Brent: Brent is from outside of Philly and is currently a rising senior in Penn State who switched from finance to entrepreneurship. Brent was the showman and future VFA star of the interns. Extremely extroverted, hilarious, and easy to get along with, Brent had a tendency to walk into a room and leave with 10 new friends. However his enthusiasm and persona didn’t make him any less detail oriented or hard working. As the only guest experience intern he took on an immense amount of work, a large portion of which was literally running around driving guests places and getting stuff for the team. He did so without flaw, and still managed to answer emails at the speed of light. Brent came into the internship wanting to be a Fellow and he’s leaving more confident than ever in that desire. And quite honestly with his dedication, strong values, and great sense of humor, I can’t see him anywhere else.

Where do I see Brent in 20 years?: After working in start-ups and starting his own business, Brent will use his time, money, and schmoozing skills to work in politics. Even though he hates politics.

Serena: Serena is from Boca, Florida, and is currently a rising senior at Vanderbilt University studying human organizational development. Serena is what we like to call the forever camper. From camper to camp counselor to training camp, Serena’s enthusiasm, positivity, adaptability, and large collection of scrunchies helped make her an amazing VFA camper…. I mean intern. Serena was always there to help when needed, and would never question why the help was needed or if she was able to do it. She just jumped in to provide support. For example, she had no previous AV experience prior to the internship but she soon become the AV queen, lugging the equipment back and forth and setting up the livestream each day of training camp. In addition, Serena’s creativity and time management skills provided a fresh yet reliable outlook on the projects were given. Serena might be leaving camp soon, but she’s taking her creativity, competency, and interpersonal skills with her!

Where do I see Serena in 20 years?: Running her own business that intertwines social justice and creativity, such as supporting local artists or afterschool arts programs.

Devon: Devon (not to be confused with Devron) is from Delaware and is currently a rising junior at Georgetown studying government. Even though she was the development intern, she was more of a jack of all trades jumping in whenever people needed help, which just speaks to her time management skills and willingness to support others. Devon is incredibly down to earth, genuine, and humble which made her immediately easy to get along with. But she’s competent too- so much so that I can’t think of an area of business she would be bad at. When she is not supporting you at work, she is most likely still cheering you on within your personal life, making you laugh, or being self-reflective. Overall, this independent and well-rounded gal was an amazing coworker, and an even better friend.

Where do I see Devon in 20 years?: Working at a social justice oriented startup/nonprofit in communication by day, running a political podcast by night.

Zion: Zion, originally from Austin, Texas, is now a rising sophomore at NYU Stern and was the baby veteran of the interns. Zion joined VFA as a spring intern and stayed on for the summer, therefore she took on larger more work intensive projects like running the fellows website. Yet she handled her workload efficiently and with a detailed oriented eye, all while remaining a team player and helping others if they needed it. From a personal standpoint you could always rely on Zion to be incredibly kind, laugh at your jokes, join you on an adventure, or show you good food. Overall, Zion’s work ethic and kindness is going to propel her to amazing places in the future. If I had to bet on one intern being a dark horse and ruling the world (positively) it would be Zion.

Where do I see Zion in 20 years?: Going from consulting in the corporate world to consulting for non-profits, or businesses she feels add value and give back to the world.

At the end of the day, what made the interns so amazing was their ability to be extremely competent and independent in their work, yet humble, kind, and supportive when it came to the team. I hope I can find co-workers in the future I enjoy working with as much as I did this summer.

This post originally appeared on Babson Blogs.