10 years ago, Venture For America was born on the premise of creating economic opportunities in American cities by mobilizing the next generation of entrepreneurs and equipping them with the skills and resources they need to create jobs. 

Our commitment to that mission hasn’t changed — but our impact on the cities and communities that we work with has grown to be so much more. We recognized that we weren’t quite telling the whole story. 

We’ve helped more than 1200 leaders and founders create economic growth across the United States and we serve as an onramp to entrepreneurship for underrepresented groups. 

We know our Fellows and Alumni care greatly about social impact and recognize their ability to have a positive effect on the community around them. They see Venture For America not only as a way to advance their own economic or entrepreneurial ambitions, but as a way to create change. With our eyes on the next 10 years and greater long-term success, we seized the moment to evolve our brand to match the energy and charisma of our one-of-a-kind community. ⁠⁠

Alongside strategy and brand studio Niftic Agency, we set out to tell our story truthfully and authentically, which started with listening to our Fellows and Alumni – the very people who make up our wonderful community. Interviews, focus groups, and surveys gave us nuance and detail as we began to weave the fabric of our story, deeply understanding the need to prioritize approachability and inclusivity in our updated brand – only then could we ensure that our message would be heard by everyone. Our Company Partners and local supporters also joined in this conversation in building the story of our impact on local businesses and the broader community.   

A Logo that Embodies our Fellows’ Unique Journeys

To emphasize the unique connections and personalized pathway or Venture of each Fellow, we created a custom monoline treatment of the keyword ‘Venture’ making the logo a memorable and recognizable feature of the brand. 

  

Paying homage to the work and brand equity Venture For America has built over the past decade, we opted to maintain the mostly red, white, and blue palette – infusing a unique twist of colors that balance the energy and vibrancy of the organization with the valuable work in each VFA city. The overall palette combined with the approachable type invite a broader audience to listen in and join our community.

Venture For [You]

We reimagined how the logo could be used throughout the brand in a unique, unifying way. Highlighting cities, events, and initiatives with a custom wordmark to strengthen the core brand and add personalization on a local level. A beautiful and flexible concept that can be easily extended into broader initiatives and campaigns. 

Telling a Visual Narrative

We use the new line treatment as a functional tool to lead the eye – to weave together ideas, messaging, people, and places all within the Venture for America brand. We utilized this treatment to signify the distinctive pathways and strong connections, to add context and local representation, and to provide visual indication and a tool for content flow.

Bringing Focus and Intention to the Digital Experience

We redesigned our website to not only elevate the brand but also successfully guide prospective Fellows through what to expect from our Fellowship. Personal and intimate stories from Fellows and Alumni give insights into the Venture For America experience. Finally, we tell our story as authentically as it should be.

As we launch into this next chapter of Venture For America, we’re honored to be a part of so many inspiring stories, and look forward eagerly as we usher in the next 10 years of leaders, founders, and startups into our ever-growing community. The approachability of our new brand is not a dismissal of the momentous accomplishments of our community. Instead, it’s a recognition of them and a call-to-action to bring even more entrepreneurially-minded stakeholders into the fold of our empowering work to multiply this impact.  

Many college seniors, by pressure of family or society, seek financial success and ostentatious prestige during their job searches. Gilded opportunities in finance, consulting, and technology promise to catapult them into a bankable career. Others pursue medicine or law, professionalized careers that offer social status, a semblance of stability, and, in the case of the former, a brush with saving lives. Another set are the ones who don’t fall into either of those buckets. 

These are the ones who want to strike it out on their own and make an impact, however defined. We are desperate for these aspiring change makers in a world plagued by climate change, inequalities, and social injustices. Yet, college seniors who prioritize impact above all else may miss out on the most important aspects of work: the experience of the job and what transferable skills they can gain. 

Don’t Miss Out on the Other Important Parts of Work

Many undergraduates who want to do something impactful with their degree aspire to use educational privilege to create an impact. They may not have the clearest vision of that impact, but they know they want their professional output to matter beyond just a financial bottom line. Even though we actively encourage our current and prospective community members to make an impact with their careers, it should not be the sole determinant of work satisfaction. Work is more than just a title, role, and, crucially, the mission an organization works toward. It’s also about the day-to-day experience of work itself.

Over the past few years, the Recruitment Team at Venture For America encountered hundreds of seniors and recent undergraduates intent on creating an impact with their careers. Many of those who become Fellows want to work at a mission-driven company or, for the more socially entrepreneurial-motivated Fellows, a product or service they can really get behind. At times, the desire to make an impact obscures the parts of work that matter day-to-day. That is, the mundane things like the coworkers one collaborates with, one’s manager, and the unique culture within a team. Of course, we want Fellows to find work at mission-driven organizations that have strong core values and offer professional growth. However, finding a job that fits all of these often proves challenging. 

Check the Data

At VFA, we have data on the Fellows who end up transitioning from their original jobs. In the past few years, about 17% of Fellows experienced a voluntary or involuntary job change over the course of their two-year experience. Our Fellows aren’t out of the ordinary when it comes to job transitions within their two year experience with us. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in January 2020, the median job tenure for people between the ages of 20 and 24 was 1.3 years.

This data suggests that some recent graduates and job seekers may be focusing on priorities that are counterproductive to their goals. Sure, sometimes life’s best lessons are learned experientially and the hard way, but it’s probably better to avoid those troubles altogether if we can. Rather than solely focus on impact, new graduates may find fewer headaches if they also envision what type of experience they want to have at work. Below are the types of questions we encourage Fellows to ask themselves to ensure it stays top of mind:

• What sort of work environment have I flourished in? Which ones stifled me?
• What experiences and skills do I need? Do I need them in a specific industry?
• What are examples of when someone managed me well? Poorly?
• What values matter to me in any group setting I’m in?
• What can I contribute to a team? What do I hope a team will contribute to me?

Find Alignment

None of this is to say that job seekers should not pursue the fields that are much needed in our society, rather, they should not let the field be the only factor at play. The data show that individuals in the early stages of their careers may avoid a lot of anguish if they pay attention to the experience of work itself. (This is also an ongoing call for startups to create safe, inclusive, and healthy cultures.) If they can align their own work culture and environment needs with those of a company, they’ll stand a better chance to learn the early-career skills needed to make a bigger impact. After all, for many graduating today, the first job will be one of many in a long, shifting career. It will literally pay to be flexible and develop skills needed to adapt to the 21st century work environments.