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Listen to this articleBy Jailene Adorno
Whether you’re a college freshman or a professional looking to connect to new and innovative companies, Jopwell has your back! Jopwell—“job opportunities done well”—is a twofold company, helping Black, Latino/Hispanic, and Native American professionals find jobs and giving different companies the opportunity to tap into a more diverse talent pool.
Candidates create profiles which they can customize and even upload their resumes to show off who they are, what they know, and what they are passionate about. By doing so, they are able to explore a wide range of opportunities. Recruiters from companies then have their own pages where they can curate change and make their company values come alive.
“Jopwell has built the platform for making that connection, making that process more efficient,” says co-founder Ryan Williams.
The inspiration for Jopwell came from the founders’ own experiences while on the job hunt. Founders Ryan Williams and Porter Braswell met while working on Wall Street. After building a friendship, they both came to realize that they had gotten to where they were professionally because of their involvement with diversity programs in the past—they were two of the few men of color on that Wall Street trading floor. However, they also understood that not everyone had the same opportunities that they were exposed to.
“Other industries really struggled with diversity recruitment,” says Williams. “Companies are seeking diversity because they know it makes the company more innovative.”
When Williams and Braswell initially had the idea for Jopwell, they went out and spoke to recruiters and college students to see if there was interest. They were still working on Wall Street, but they wanted to make sure that there was a market for this new venture. While their idea was set, some of the challenges with starting Jopwell were figuring out how to build the software, and get even more people interested.
“[We were] two non-technical, finance guys trying to do something in technology,” says Williams with a chuckle.
Williams also spoke about his and Braswell’s experiences participating in Y Combinator, once the company started to grow. As two men of color who were founders of a tech company, they wondered how receptive others would be to their new, emerging startup.
“That was really interesting, realizing how niche this might seem to individuals who had not gone through this struggle,” says Williams.
With Jopwell’s team of twenty-five motivated and driven employees, and its growing number of employment and internship offers, Williams is humbled by how quickly the company is expanding.
One story that Williams shared from his experiences with Jopwell was about a student from Fordham University. She wasn’t exploring opportunities in technology, but then through Jopwell, she heard about an upcoming event. It was there that she really connected with one of the recruiters at Etsy and started working for them soon after. This is one of many success stories that truly exemplifies the mission of Jopwell.
“The excuses that hold you back from exploring the ideas you have, are often just that—excuses,” says Williams. “Start pursuing that idea you have.”
Sign up for Jopwell today to connect with innovative companies! For professional resources and other valuable tools, be sure to check out The Well.
