Career development nonprofit born during pandemic focuses on helping first-generation students

A fun aspect of my job as an executive recruiter is talking to people who are changing society: C level executives at SAAS (software as a service) vendors, chief digital officers and chief data officers at Fortune 1000 firms.

I often bring up one of the nonprofits I volunteer with — MESA — and the local software executives who volunteer their time mentoring SAAS entrepreneurs.

Another nonprofit I love is Driving Forward, which helps first-generation and under-represented college students on their journey to a meaningful career.

Driving Forward was founded by Marv Richardson and several other Chicago-based technology executives. Richardson was a longtime Minneapolis resident, raised on a farm in Manitoba, educated in Winnipeg and recently CIO of Health Care Service Corp., one of the country's largest health insurers.

Driving Forward came out of the pandemic, when there were widespread cancellations of college internships. It provides internship opportunities, overseen by volunteer corporate mentors. Students participating are often the first in their families to attend college.

Though the program has some large corporate partners, it focuses on smaller companies that might not otherwise have internship programs.

Since it was founded three years ago, Driving Forward has rapidly expanded. Though the founders are information technology executives, the program is not limited to IT students or companies.

The nonprofit currently has three offerings: flagship case study, an eight-week internship program rooted in business case competition and professional skills development; mentorship, including one-on-one coaching to develop soft skills, prep for interviews and build a network; and corporate internships, in which students are matched with partner companies.

"As a first-generation college student myself, I deeply understood the value of internships and corporate connections in landing that first good job," Richardson said. "When my employer and others canceled hundreds of thousands of internships in 2020, Driving Forward was born and started making a difference for students immediately."

For more information on how to participate as a student or a corporate sponsor, visit Driving Forward's website, drivingforward.org.

Isaac Cheifetz, a Twin Cities executive recruiter, can be reached through catalytic1.com.