1871 member Yolobe visited the White House last week for the Summer Opportunity Workshop and Champions of Change event. We sat down with Yolobe to learn more about this great opportunity.
For those unfamiliar, what is Yolobe?
Yolobe's mission is to improve the lives of teenagers and young adults everywhere by helping them make positive connections. Currently in beta, our platform will connect Chicago area teens with employment opportunities and resources in late Spring/early Summer of this year.
Tell us about the White House. How was it?
The White House Summer Opportunity Workshop and Champions of Change event brought together individuals from all over the country who are working to provide youth employment opportunities in their communities. Speakers included Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and Acting Secretary of Education John King. Yolobe was honored to be invited and meet others who are also passionate about making positive opportunities available to young people and helping them succeed. We learned a great deal from the leaders that we met and were able to share our work and unique perspective as a technology company from Chicago where there is also a community dedicated to this movement.
People out there in the community who are interested -- how can they get involved or help you?
We'd love to meet with organizations who have opportunities and resources and would like to connect with young people.
What's next for Yolobe?
2016 is a big year for Yolobe! We're growing as a company and we'll be launching with our beta group this Spring, working with our awesome partners, both organizations and youth, to make this a valuable tool that bridges the gap between community and young people. We will also be planning for our Spring 2017 Expo at Navy Pier.