My name is Alexes Salazar, I am from San Antonio, Texas, and have recently graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio. I want to preface this experience of Training Camp by giving a little insight about the feelings I had leading up to it. As I graduated I knew that the VFA family was something I wanted to be a part of and that Training Camp would be an experience that not many people get to have. Even so, the feelings that were stirring inside me were filled with fear, nervousness, and an understanding that this would create a core memory for me to remember for the rest of my life.

Through these two weeks of Training Camp there were many speakers that stood out to me, but the one that impacted me the most was Lorenzo Gomez. He grew up in San Antonio (just like I did) and his story centered around having a “personal board of directors.” Hearing where he started and where he built himself to be was almost like looking at a future that I hoped I could achieve. He had an entire slide dedicated to the same grocery store I grew up going to (the nostalgia).

The rigorous nature of Training Camp taught me a lot, there were many small anecdotes that built my understanding of what entrepreneurship is, what a change-maker is, and stories of people who built impactful, socially motivated businesses that are changing the world. Not only that, the other Fellows very much left a huge impact on me and together we curated an experience that made these two weeks unforgettable. Being in a room with people of all different backgrounds and seeing the success and potential everyone has to be the building blocks for a better future was extremely inspirational.

Overall, Training Camp was a great experience and leaves me with a lot of happiness and comfort to know that this small scary step was very worth it. Two weeks away from home is not a big deal for many people but it is an experience that I have never had the opportunity to have until now. I write this small diary after Training Camp with a new community, a new perspective, and a lot of excitement for what else is to come.

Hello VFA Community! My name is Bijoy Shah, I am a 2022 Venture For America Fellow, and I recently graduated from Boston College where I studied Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good. When thinking about the Fellowship, I loved and was nervous about the 13 cities. Coming from the suburbs of Chicago and going to school in Boston, I knew how to navigate big cities and loved being a part of that community. On my drive to Wayne State for Training Camp, all I could think about was how nervous I was to go through another “college orientation” or “welcome week” environment. What I forgot was that everyone was in the same boat as me, which made for the start of some great friendships.

Everyday during Training Camp, we would listen to a wide array of guest speakers to learn about our personal brand, networking, and everything in between. These workshops each taught me something new about myself but the most important part of Training Camp for me were the spontaneous events the Fellows planned together at night. We did everything from watching a “free” Elton John concert on a rooftop outside Comerica Park to taking a group biking tour around Detroit. Exploring a brand new city with brand new people was way more fun than I had anticipated. This is what made my training camp experience so special and is the reason why a few of my peers and I have committed to visiting all 13 cities before the end of our Fellowships. I can safely say that I have VFA friends to visit in all the cities (and a couch as well)!

On top of the other Fellows, we also met important leadership in the VFA Community and they were able to answer questions about the organization and its future. This session was a great way to see that everyone in the VFA community cares about the Fellows’ success and will help us in any way possible. This was also a great launching pad into what comes after Training Camp. The ‘22 Fellows are already excited about giving back to VFA and helping with selecting the next class of Fellows – I know I am! I’m very excited about creating a bigger name for VFA at Boston College and encouraging more students to take this, more non-traditional career path. Personally, I am already thankful that I did and I am very excited to start working for a Company Partner in just a few short weeks.

Training Camp was a great way to kick off my VFA experience and I am looking forward to engaging with the community for these next two years and beyond!

Hello, my name is Grace Tate! I am from Michigan, a recent University of Michigan graduate, and a 2022 VFA Fellow!

During Training Camp, I had the experience of a lifetime! What was so special about Training Camp is the support we all had for each other. Outside of our free time we had to create memories such as trivia and karaoke nights, touring Detroit, and hosting picnics for one another. In the span of two weeks, it allowed us to form deep, lifelong bonds with individuals with similar passions and goals.

A memorable moment for me was the accountabilibuddies activity we did. In this activity, we each reflected on goals we wanted to accomplish in our own personal and professional life. After assessing these goals we then found partners within our cohort that could help motivate and encourage us to be the best versions of ourselves.

From this hour and a half long activity, I was able to find many “buddies.” Some buddy groups included finding Fellows that could help me start my own business, potential business partnerships, and those passionate about saving the environment. We have now vowed to continuously check in with each other after Training Camp and set bi-montlhy meeting dates.

What really stood out to me from this activity is it showed how much similarity, encouragement, and respect the Fellows have for one another. While we had only known each other for a few days, there was still genuine care and relatability.

Also, in Training Camp, we had the privilege of hearing from author and entrepreneur, Lorenzo Gomez, who spoke to us about the importance of building a network and how this network can push us to succeed when we unknowingly doubt ourselves. Using this knowledge with the accountabilibuddies activity, it really emphasized the importance of Training Camp and our connection among the Fellows.

All in all, Training Camp was a lifetime experience to create authentic relationships, and helped me align more with my goals. The perseverance, creativity, and care I noticed in each Fellow without a doubt excites me to see the future of startup leaders, those making an impact in their community, and CEOs.

Venture For America’s mission is to create economic opportunity in American cities by mobilizing the next generation of entrepreneurs and equipping them with the skills and resources they need to create jobs. Becoming a full-time founder poses a financial burden and risk that many early-stage founders are unable to take. Our Accelerator is an opportunity for Fellow Founders to more comfortably take big leaps towards launching and growing their businesses.

Fellow Founders can join the Accelerator after they’ve completed our two-year Fellowship and participated in programming: ideation sessions to identify problems and brainstorm solutions; validation challenges to validate their product or idea; and pitch opportunities to further validate their business in the market.

What is the Accelerator?

The Accelerator is a three month program for Fellow-Founded Companies that are pre-Series A and have a minimum viable product. It’s also zero-equity and provides a $2500 monthly business stipend, access to a network of peers, mentors, subject-matter-experts, and investors, and a chance to win up to $10,000 in prize money at a Demo Day.

The 13-week curriculum is broken down into four blocks: product, growth, operations, and fundraising – all ranging from two to four weeks in length. Each block is designed to optimize the Founders’ ability to learn a new skill, tool, or process with a blend of virtual workshops, templates, exercises, mentoring sessions, peer-to-peer counseling, and a capstone event. Each of the 13 weeks allows for flexibility, but holds a rough structure that requires between 10-12 hours of programmed time from the Founders and 1-10 hours of at-home application exercises.

After the program, Fellow Founders will be able to: build and maintain a personal ecosystem that can be leveraged at any moment; grow in healthy confidence and mindset to sustain them on their founder journey; and have a habit of iteration and testing in service of creating founders that can contribute anywhere, not just build what they entered with. We endeavor to instill an iterative mindset within each entrepreneur that leaves the Accelerator; with the ability to apply it to sales, product, fundraising, hiring, and more for the entirety of their career.

This Year’s Cohort

After receiving an unprecedented number of applications, and an intensive selection process, we’re excited to announce our 2022 cohort of six companies:

Cardii.io | Destin Bell ‘20, San Antonio – A gamified fitness app helping make cardio fun, engaging, and addictive by making it a giant team game of turf war.

Kahenmei | Kylie Long ‘19, Charlotte and Baltimore – The first better-for-you Asian American baking mix brand.

Developmate | Christian Garcia ‘17, Denver – Creating an all-in-one solution for streamlining the real estate development process, starting with site selection.

Encircle | Ben Weinberg ‘18, Birmingham – A grief wellness app that helps grievers get sustained support from their closest friends and family.

Humblebrag | Chukwudi N. Kanu ‘20, San Antonio – A collaborative workspace where innovators can get help with their key business needs from their network of advocates.

Slay Naturals | Breonna Massey ‘20, Baltimore – A skincare line focused on simplifying skincare routines with moisture-focused products.

Stay Connected

Stay tuned to Venture For America’s social channels for more information and updates on this year’s Accelerator cohort..

Hi! My name is Omkar Borse and I am a 2021 Venture For America Fellow based in Philadelphia.

Since August I have been living, working, and exploring the City of Brotherly Love. Reflecting back, it is hard to believe that it has already been two months in Philly for me. From day one, the pace has been rapid. Between getting myself settled in the city and getting up to speed on projects at work, I have had little respite. But that’s not a bad thing.

My work at ChargeItSpot has been exciting. As a Product Manager at an evolving company I am involved with projects where I have autonomy and responsibility to complete tasks with the room to learn and grow. I feel well supported by my peers and my manager, Michael Weinberg. I already feel confident in my contributions to the company and am enthusiastic about how I will develop in my role. 

After work, there is never an evening where something isn’t going on. From wine nights to Volleyball For America games to trying new restaurants, I have enjoyed myself and have gotten closer to the Fellows around me.

My living situation is a large part of my positive experience; I live with three other 2021 VFA Fellows. Between the four of us, we have been able to lean on each other when we have problems and lend a hand when putting together various Ikea furniture. The location and size of our living arrangement has allowed us to comfortably host, allowing us to get to know and enjoy the company of many of our fellow Fellows.

There have been opportunities to learn about the city and the community as well. I met local entrepreneurs at a Philly Startup Leaders event and was able to speak with those beyond the local VFA community. During Welcome Weekend, I learned about exciting new technologies at Exyn. Further, I was moved by the stories and perspective of Chrissy, our tour guide for the Philly neighborhood tour hosted by Philadelphia Experiences; she spoke candidly about her experience growing up in a tough environment and how that impacted her.

Fall Welcome has made me eager to learn more about my city, its culture, and the technical entrepreneurial ecosystem. It already has allowed me to form strong bonds to those in the VFA community. My time in Philadelphia has been nothing short of phenomenal.

As I moved to my VFA city, one quote that my academic advisor told me began to linger in my mind. I remember the quiver in her bottom lip and the shakiness from her almost forced smile as she said, “Each experience will be what you make it.” 

Coming to Philadelphia I began to see that quote come into fruition. I know that moving to a new city is challenging and it consists of a whirlwind of emotion, but it is the most liberating experience I’ve ever endured. As I moved to my city I knew that I wanted to leave with the mindset of being open-minded and seizing every opportunity. I wanted to learn as much as I could and submerge myself into the culture. 

Early on I had the privilege to build a sense of community with a few Philly Fellows and got to know them beyond the professional four walls of Venture For America. I loved getting to hear their unique stories and the pivotal moments in their lives that led them to where they sat today. I learned that through laughter hope is fostered and through hope success is built. 

Starting a new job was terrifying, but add on being a certified perfectionist and wanting everything to be perfect. However, as I stepped foot in my office on August 9 my colleagues embraced me and welcomed me with open arms. My CEO even took us out for a new hire welcome happy hour and I got a chance to grow closer to my team. Subsequently, during our Philly Welcome Week, I got the opportunity to attend a Philly neighborhood tour  hosted by Philadelphia Experiences and the Philly Community Director, Gulsun. While in attendance, I enjoyed learning how the other half of Philly lives. 

When I moved here from New York I got a choice to choose a more rural area but not everyone gets that choice. As we navigated through the streets of West Philadelphia I gathered so much knowledge, history, and got to see Philly in a new light. The experience taught me to pay attention to my privilege. Before that experience I was oblivious to the fact that a woman of color could be biased or have privilege. I thought there was no way that someone like me who had been oppressed for centuries could even have the slightest bit of privilege, but the truth is everyone has privilege. We all have things that propel us above someone else or give us leverage in certain situations. Mine just happened to be me being a college graduate from New York City having the privilege to join an amazing community with vast opportunities. 

On the tour I got a chance to look my privilege straight in the eye and challenge the world as I knew it in my head. Hearing about the minimum wage here, which is $8.75, in comparison to New York, which is $15, and continuing to grow forced me to wake up. It also forced me to be appreciative of the pretty pink walls that I was protected by by my middle class single parent and the lifestyle their sacrifice afforded me. I got to see poverty in working class communities. I got to see murals and learn about the history of it all. Most importantly, I got a chance to create my own narrative of how I’d see Philly and how I wanted to shape my experience. From that I saw that, yes, each opportunity will be what you make it but also, sometimes, the grass is only green where people nurture it. Gentrification is changing the game for so many people and it is a plague that is moving fast and ferociously. Ultimately, I do believe that each experience will be what you make it and so my advice is to make every moment count whether it be in your daily interactions with people or your individual encounters by yourself.

Hey!

I’m Jad and I’m glad you’re here! 😄

I’m an information systems and global supply chain graduate from Wayne State University who grew up in the Detroit-Metro area (Shout out to Motown!). Let’s talk about life as a new Fellow!!

Match!

After witnessing the challenges the 2020 Class had while searching for roles during the pandemic, I, along with many of my fellow Fellows, was a little nervous about what opportunities were available and if I’d find a good match! 😬

I knew my number one priority going into Match was finding the best opportunity, regardless of industry or city. For me, that meant a company with less than 15 people and direct mentorship from a founder or senior leader. However, the mental strength to follow through with such a priority caught me off-guard. The courage to decline roles you’d do well in to look for jobs you’re about 40% confident in, can be a bit counter-intuitive. But hey, “There is no courage without risk.” 💪

After an extensive interview process, and a lot of awkward moments, I accepted an offer at an eight person, remote-first, Fellow-Founded, software company working directly under the CEO. Exactly what I was looking for! As with many startups, the crew at Gather tailor-made a role they believed I would be a good fit for and would best benefit the organization’s growth in the People Ops space.

Getting Situated!

Even though our company is remote-first, the founders wanted us to be a part of a similar Cleveland community they were a part of during their Fellowship. So we were asked to move to Cleveland. This honestly was the toughest part for me, as much as I tried to be city-agnostic. Have you heard about the Cleveland Balloonfest or the Cuyahoga River Fires? If not, I highly recommend looking into them. These historical events and the “beef” between Detroit and Cleveland was the only knowledge I had of the city. On top of it all, I had arguably the worst shawarma sandwich I’ve ever eaten in Cleveland. 🤮

However, upon arriving in Cleveland, we were welcomed by the fourth largest VFA community in the nation. The Cleveland Fellows organized welcome buddies for everyone, set up “CoffeeGos” for us to meet the older Fellows, and provided recommendations for places to eat, play, and learn. The community really did a great job at making us all feel welcome and has been present throughout our entire introduction to the city. Two Fellow Founders and VFA Alumni even hosted a networking event to introduce us to the Cleveland startup community during our Welcome Weekend. 😊

What’s Ahead!

Overall, Cleveland still doesn’t have as good of shawarmas as Detroit, it is what it is 🤷‍♂️, but it does have a lot to offer! Like a great Fellow community, a growing entrepreneurship ecosystem, one of the largest theatre districts in the U.S. and many opportunities to help the city develop. I’m super excited to learn directly from the Gather founders, work with an awesome team (Shout out to Ari ‘21, Emily ‘21, Alex ‘16, Brooks ‘16, and John ‘16!), and spend some more time with the amazing people that are part of the 2020 and 2021 VFA Classes.

I’m Weak for Week Four

You have 20 seconds to surprise me. 15 slides to keep my attention. 

Training Camp Week Four Takeaway: The most important skill is to be able to tell your own narrative. 

Who am I

I’m Tiana. I built a screaming robot in NYU Shanghai. I did that because I’m a fan of project-based learning. That’s why I’ll be a Marketing and Sales Director at TinyCircuits promoting fun STEM learning. 

So About TC

The best place for me to start talking about Training Camp (TC) is the structure. TC is thoughtfully organized to be action packed, applicable, and teamwork oriented. It’s intense. What looks to be a one week challenge feels to be a one day venture. There are a lot of half-sleepy, half-adrenaline late nights where you’ll be bonding with your team and cranking out deliverables. The only difference to Week Four is that the challenge is individual to give everyone a chance to practice public speaking.

Not only are the challenges action packed, applicable, and teamwork oriented, but so is the rest of Training Camp. VFA is constantly seeking to improve Fellows’ experiences, even with the ice breakers, the speakers they curate, and the surveys after every session. My favorite sessions of Week Four were Growth Marketing and Product Development 101 because our speakers’ had expertise, clarity on their field, and an ability to explain frameworks plainly and succinctly. Three important takeaways I keep from Week Four are: 1) know your rights, 2) find a personal Board of Directors, and 3) learn to tell your narrative. What differentiates VFA is that it prepares Fellows for success not through hard skills, but by teaching them the more elusive mysteries of how to navigate the workplace and build lasting relationships. We were lucky to have an HR startups session to understand how to protect ourselves and hear Lorenzo Gomez explain his concept of a personal Board of Directors, people who give you support and real talk when you need to course correct. No one makes it on their own. 

Andrew Albert, ‘16 Fellow and VFA Director of New Orleans, hit it on the nail for this week’s theme: telling your narrative. Your billion dollar idea is worth nothing unless you can communicate its value to investors, partners, and customers. Your ability to pass job interviews relies on you being able to condense your experience and strong suits in a compelling way. Your success at a job includes being able to convince your teammates that this is a good idea. Having to tell a Pecha Kucha, a story with 15 slides, 20 seconds per slide, and only images on the slides (NO WORDS!) was an important exercise for us all. 

But of Course the People

With TC being virtual, I had my doubts, but what made it amazing was having like-minded individuals who were in for some friendly competition, keen on building camaraderie, and created an atmosphere of exciting creative buzz. I was also in the unique position of organizing a Fellow-led event where I had the privilege to hear other Fellows open up to each other about their backgrounds. Yes, TC is TC because of official events like Credos (Fellows volunteer to be vulnerable and tell a story to the whole Class), but also because of Fellows taking the initiative to connect and host their own events. TC is what you put into it.

Conversation after conversation, I’ve heard that the reason ‘21 Fellows’ joined VFA is because the cohort and existing Fellows are amazing and inspire them to become better people. These are not my stories to tell, but Fellows are building businesses, creating art from oceanic waste, compiling scholarship funds for those who can’t afford college, bartending, running the best bagel shop in Detroit…every Fellow has an interesting story. Many Fellows come from a place of resilience and courage. We share similar values of creating opportunity for myself and others, taking space and making space, having empathy, and assuming positive intent.

VFA’s Five Credos

• My career is a choice that indicates my values
• There is no courage without risk
• Value creation is how I measure achievement
• I will create opportunity for myself and others
• I will act with integrity in all things

VFA is committed to what it says it is committed to; bringing on Founders of different backgrounds to speak to us, showing us that it is possible to be entrepreneurial, no matter where you come from. It has created a space where Fellows can bring their authentic selves. And the cherry on top: my Pecha Kucha made it to the top ten this week! 🙌

Onwards

If you’re looking for a community to better yourself in, and gain confidence as an entrepreneur, this is the place to be. 

I can’t believe it — I’m an entrepreneur and I have a job!

Venture For America’s mission is to create economic opportunity in American cities by mobilizing the next generation of entrepreneurs and equipping them with the skills and resources they need to create jobs. Our Accelerator serves as a foundational piece of a Fellow’s Fellowship experience if they have entrepreneurial ambitions. 

Fellow Founders can join the Accelerator after they’ve completed our two-year Fellowship and participated in programming: ideation sessions to identify problems and brainstorm solutions, validation challenges to validate their product or idea, and pitch opportunities to further validate their business in the market. After leveraging these opportunities, Fellow Founders who have a keen desire and preparedness to take the next steps to turn their passion into a full-time business venture seek out our Accelerator. 

What is the VFA Accelerator?

The Accelerator is a four month virtual program for seven to eight Fellow-Founded companies in the market validation to early traction stages. With VFA’s mission to support Fellows en route to their entrepreneurial dreams, the Accelerator is zero equity and provides Founders with access to more than 50 business and industry mentors across the country, weekly one-on-one accountability and support meetings with the VFA Team, and a community to grow with, since the companies competing are just like theirs. Since the Accelerator cohorts are traditionally small, the program’s curriculum is closely designed to meet the companies’ specific business challenges. At its conclusion, Founders get an opportunity to pitch to the broader Venture For America community at Demo Day, and can win up to $10,000.

Overall, the goal is that upon completing the Accelerator, Fellow Founders have clear next steps for their business, have made significant progress on their business, are more confident in their ability to found and grow a company, have had access to mentorship and learnings that are otherwise difficult to engage, and feel supported by VFA’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

This Year’s Cohort

After an intensive selection process we’re excited to announce our 2021 cohort of six companies: 

• Athlytic Inc. | Ashton Keys ‘19, Detroit & Jared Eummer ‘19, Cleveland – A fully-integrated marketplace that connects student athletes with endorsement partners.
• bubuleh | Jordan Star ‘16, Pittsburgh – A sustainable and genderless clothing brand that celebrates Yiddish, Jewish heritage, culture, and family by putting older ideas and beliefs into conversation with newer aesthetics and styles.
• Halal Beauty | Adeel Afshar ‘19, Baltimore – 100% Halal Certified Cosmetics for Muslims who want to look and feel beautiful without compromising on their faith.
  
• Kuna Swimwear | Kathryn Booker ‘19, Cleveland – A closed-loop swimsuit company dedicated to protecting our oceans.
  
• Oasis-X | Mike Lee ‘18, Philadelphia – Decentralizing the agricultural industry by equipping cultivators with open and accessible tools to power the future of food, medicine, and materials production.
  
• Zapenda | Stella Safari ‘13, Detroit – For the African Diaspora who cannot access quality African fabrics and tailoring, Zapenda provides this customized experience. Unlike other emerging African brands, Zapenda offers customization and one of a kind pieces that are handmade by professional tailors in the Congo.

Stay Connected

Stay tuned to Venture For America’s social channels for more information and updates on this year’s Accelerator cohort. 

Hi! My name is Sri Varre. I’m a 2021 VFA Fellow from Columbus, Ohio, and a recent graduate of The George Washington University where I studied International Affairs and Economics.

After two challenges, more than 80 on Zoom, seven social events – I’m exactly halfway through Training Camp. To be completely honest, it’s been extremely challenging for me to truly feel connected to everyone in my Class given the virtual environment. However, after this week, I have felt the most at home and part of a community. Two of my highlights of the week came from the Self-Care in Startups and Deep Dive DEI sessions.

The Self-Care session took place earlier in the week and wasn’t anything transformational, but it was the shared sentiments about mental health that we all talked through that made it worth it. Caroline Hatfield, a VFA Detroit Alumna and therapist, walked us through the process of healing (heal, grow, soothe). She emphasized that this process was especially critical for us Fellows because 49% of entrepreneurs have a mental health condition compared to 32% for other working professionals. It was so refreshing to hear mental health being talked about transparently and genuinely. My favorite part was when one of my peers, Brianne, talked about how she spent the last semester in college doing so much at such a fast pace and how she is trying to slow down, take a step back to reflect, and focus on herself in this next chapter of her life. I was like, finally someone else that understands that a fast pace of life isn’t the version we should all strive for and maintain. We ended up talking in the Zoom chat throughout the session and afterward about how we aren’t “adulting” unless we are prioritizing ourselves, exploring hobbies, and defining ourselves with non-work-related obligations.

The next day my week got even better because of the one-on-one conversations I had during the DEI session led by Nicole Avant. Having spent the past three years writing, researching, and working on DEI initiatives, I was so excited to learn more about my biases and how we can work collectively to push the needle forward on racial, gender, and identity-related conversations within and outside of professional settings. We did two different exercises with our partners. During the first one, we had three minutes to write assumptions about our partner (what are his/her hobbies, favorite genre of music, where was he/she born, what is his/her religious affiliation). I was shocked because a lot of my responses about my partner were accurate, but it was fascinating to learn why we thought what we did about the other. In the second exercise, we shared what we had drawn individuals from various racial and gender identities doing and our assumptions around each of these groups. I shared that I drew an Asian woman as an engineer, but I was about to draw her as a creative because those are all the Asian women I follow and look up to on social media. My partner asked me why I didn’t draw her in a creative field, and I talked about how I grew up seeing South Asian women within my family and social circles go pursue white-collar jobs that were “prestigious” by a cultural standard. In response, he said, “Well I hope you pursue a creative path, whatever that means to you because you deserve to live out your dreams while making your role models proud.” Hearing a stranger that I had talked with for less than 15 minutes tell me this just made me feel so valued. I always thought I was crazy for wanting to be an entrepreneur, but I know now that I need to try for my own sake but also to inspire the next generation of young South Asian girls.

Week 1 of Training Camp has ended. I have a lot of feelings at this moment. To understand them though, I need to give some context on where they come from. For my journey to this moment has been a long one, hard fought, and arduous.

Having interned for VFA in 2016 I had the luxury of attending an in-person Training Camp. So I had expectations. When I heard that Training Camp would be virtual I was worried. To me, the greatest value of VFA is the community and the people. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to meet as many people or form real connections with them. I was worried that training wouldn’t be as involved or interesting in a virtual format. I was worried that it wouldn’t give me the same feelings that I had in 2016.

My worries were rooted in my previous experience. An experience that sold me on VFA, and inspired me to be a part of this community. When I applied to VFA I had just been introduced to entrepreneurship. I had heard the word before but didn’t really know what it meant until my Intro to Entrepreneurship class in college. After that, I was hooked. I couldn’t get the idea that this was what I was meant to do out of my head. So I looked for internships where I could get some experience at a start-up and see entrepreneurship first hand. I ended up applying for VFA.

Once accepted, I had a conversation with myself. I recognized the value of this opportunity and I was not going to let it go to waste. I was going to work harder than I ever had before, and learn as much as I could during this internship. I was taking 2 summer classes, accounting and marketing, but I was confident I could still be a great intern.

I set off to Brown University for TC2K16 with the Team and the Fellows. I was immediately infatuated by the whole shindig. The guests who came in for training were amazing. Their trainings were real and valuable. Most of all though, the Fellows and the Team were some of the best people I had ever met. There was this aura of possibility and belief in the future that was intoxicating and infectious. I noticed myself believing more in my abilities. I was coming up with more ideas. I challenged my beliefs, learned new perspectives and grew. I met some of the smartest, hard-working, and amazing people I have ever met, and who I still talk to today.

At the end of Training Camp I felt that I had accomplished my goal. That I had worked harder than I had ever worked before, and that the Team and the Fellows valued me and the work I did. I knew that entrepreneurship was what I wanted to do, and that VFA was the way I wanted to do it. I wanted to be a part of this community because it inspired me to be a better version of myself. It felt like home to me.

Fast forward 2 years and I am a senior in college approaching graduation. I applied to the Fellowship class of 2018 with maximum confidence, borderline hubris, and expected nothing but the best. I thought, “the VFA Team has seen how hard I work and that I can contribute value to a team. They have seen me at my best. I’m sure they will want me to be a part of this community.” I rushed through the application process. Wrote my essays in a couple hours and submitted it. I sat back and waited for the next step.

About a week or two later I got an email from the Team. It said that my application to the Fellowship had been denied. My stomach dropped to my toes as I read that line. Sitting in the living room of my off-campus house with my roommates all talking and having a good time, suddenly everything was quite. My eyes were fixed on that one word, “denied.” As my brain ctrl + alt + delete rebooted, a wave of existential dread washed over me.

I had no idea what I was going to do. For the next few days I crumbled. I skipped classes. I didn’t see any friends. I sat thinking about the future, and what I was going to do in my life.

This had been the one thing in my life to that point that I really wanted. I wanted it so bad I could feel it in my bones. I felt like I had earned my spot in the Fellowship already, and being a part of the community was one of the few things that truly mattered to me. Yet, they didn’t want me. And if they had seen me at my best, working my hardest, and they still didn’t want me to be in their organization, then who would…? If this was the one thing I felt I truly wanted and I couldn’t do it, what could I do? It felt like I had finally found my home, only to be told that I wasn’t wanted there. It was the first real failure of my life, and it crushed me.

After about a week of sulking and self-destructive behavior, I went for a walk. It was a beautiful spring evening in Bloomington, IN. As I walked around the campus, I reflected on the past 2 years. I asked myself, “have I really been working hard for this? Have I given my all to be a part of this community that I treasured so dearly? Is this really what I want?” When I was truly honest with myself, I knew that I hadn’t worked as hard as I could. That I had assumed I would be welcomed into the Fellowship with open arms, and because of that I hadn’t been working to do everything I could to make sure I would be a prime start-up employee. That I had been over-confident in my abilities instead of working to strengthen and master my skills. I knew I could have and should have done more. But I knew that I did really want this. I still had that feeling that I was meant to be a VFA Fellow. I knew I still wanted to be a part of the VFA community. So I asked myself, “if this is what I want, will I let this be the end? Is there anything I can do to still be a part of this community?”

In that moment I knew that this would not be the end. I remembered that you can still be in the Fellowship 2 years after you graduate. I trusted the VFA Team, and if they thought I wasn’t ready for the Fellowship then I trusted that decision. So I went back and reached out to the team for some feedback. The next week I got on a call and listened to the reasons my application was denied. There were 2 main points, the first being that my essays made it seem like I loved VFA more than aligned with the mission of the Fellowship. The second was that they felt that my resume at that moment would make it tough for me to find a position during match.

So I thought about this some more. I asked myself, “do I really want to be a Fellow? Do I just love VFA and the Team? Or do I actually align with the mission and believe in the goals of the Fellowship?” I knew that the Team was not the only thing I loved about VFA. I knew I aligned with the mission. I knew I was willing to work to prove it, and to show them that I was serious. So I thought about what I could do to become a better start-up employee. Sales was something people had always told me I should do, and that it was an incredibly valuable business skill. So I figured I would get a sales job and work for 2 years. During those 2 years I would learn as much as I could about sales and business. After 2 years of hard work and learning as much as I could I would re-apply for the Fellowship.

So I set out to do just that. I got a sales job at Schneider Transportation. I worked hard there for 2 years. I studied sales books, read sales blogs, and learned as much as I could about the business and industry I had chosen to work in. And I found success. I was good at my job, and I liked sales. But I didn’t love the industry and I knew this was only a stepping stone. The Fellowship was always in the back of my mind. After 2 years I was ready to move on, and one day on LinkedIn I saw a post from VFA, “the 2021 Fellowship application is now open.” My eyes lit up. I was ready. I had worked, and sacrificed for 2 years all for this moment. Now I was ready.

Here I am now, writing my Week 1 Training Camp diary. And this journey is what I am looking back on now as I ask myself how I feel after the first week of TC. Virtual Training Camp has pleasantly surprised me, and dispelled the worried I had before. The trainings have been amazing, the website challenge was definitely a challenge, but still a great experience, and the people are more amazing than I thought they could be. I have met so many amazing people in my class, and already forged some real connections. I am filled with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, gratitude, and vindication.

I know the the last 2 years were absolutely worth it. I know that this is where I want to be. The cloud of existential dread that once loomed over me has dissipated. I am so grateful for everything in my life. I am amazed at the talent of my peers and feel lucky just to share a Zoom call with them. I am excited for the next 3 weeks of challenges and seeing the amazing work we produce. I feel a sense of purpose, community, and belief that I haven’t felt since that summer of 2016. For the last few years there were many moments when it felt like I was lost. Now, it feels like I am finally home and my heart is full.

Earlier this week I sat down at the desk I had just dragged upstairs into my childhood bedroom to log on to the first of many zoom meetings. It was at that moment when all that lay ahead of me truly occurred to me for the first time. While the first week of Training Camp has been a full-circle moment for me, virtual Training Camp has been a fun twist. In 2019, as a rising junior in college, I completed a summer internship with Venture For America. As an intern, I supported the operation of Training Camp for 2019 Fellows. It was my dream internship. As the only black intern out of five, and the only one from a non-prestigious university, the significance was tangible to me. I remember being simply in awe of all the Fellows I met with the opportunity to hear their stories, their aspirations, and experience their community.

How it feels to be writing today, as a 2021 Fellow, is hard to describe in words, but I’m grateful for the opportunity. What I’ve certainly felt in this first week of Training Camp is growth. I had the opportunity back in 2019 to sit in on the very same Indigo Assessment workshop that I participated in this past week. The Indigo Assessment is a collection of short questionnaires meant to place you into a personality type based on four factors (Dominance, Influencing, Steadiness, and Compliance) similar to Meyer-Briggs. This is in addition to insights that identify one’s strengths, weaknesses, and working style. I’m a sucker for a personality test or any structure for self-reflection. I think the context of VFA was the true catalyst for this week’s breakthrough.

It was incredibly rewarding to reflect on how I have changed and how I haven’t changed in the last two years. It was really exciting to see that I’d developed some important skills in the last two years like negotiation, continuous learning, and people advocacy. The score that places my personality though, hadn’t shifted much at all. Just like two years ago, I have a low D(ominance) score and a low I(nfluencing). This means I’m generally non-confrontational and cooperative. I’m also generally reflective and listen more than I talk. On the other hand, I scored high on S(teadiness) and C(ompliance). This suggests that I’m patient and thrive within a structure. Now, this is all according to the insights of my results but is reflective of who I and others know me to be. In the two years between my internship and my Fellowship, I’ve come to accept and revel in the truest version of myself. Maybe a non-confrontational and patient lover of rules, isn’t how you would describe an entrepreneur. But after a bout of imposter syndrome and several insightful, informal conversations with my fellow Fellows, I’m confident there is a path to entrepreneurship for me. If not, with this amazing community around me I sure I can actualize one.