Customer Spotlight: Jopwell

Jopwell is the leading career advancement platform for Black, Latinx, and Native American students and professionals. They help companies connect with and recruit underrepresented candidates for jobs and internships. Since launching in 2015, Jopwell has attracted tens of thousands of candidates to their platform, raised more than $12M in funding, and established partnerships with more than 250 of the world’s leading companies across a wide range of industries, including tech, finance, healthcare, and more.

We spoke with Tani Brown, Chief of Staff at Jopwell, to learn about the origins of the business and what Jopwell means to her.

How did Jopwell get its start?

“The idea for Jopwell was born when our co-founders Porter Braswell and Ryan Williams were working on Wall Street. They were being called upon to recruit other candidates who looked like them, and knew there had to be a better way to attract top talent at scale while building a diverse professional community. So in 2015, they left finance to launch Jopwell.”

Why would you encourage companies or job seekers to use Jopwell?

“The year 2040 marks the start of the decade when people of color will be the majority in the United States. It is essential that companies begin making changes now so that their workforce is representative of the customer base they are trying to reach. To help enact this change, Jopwell creates true partnerships that empower employers to build more diverse companies.

On the candidate side, Jopwell allows for the creation of holistic candidate profiles to showcase work experiences, goals, interests and aspirations. This helps the technology to surface opportunities for roles across industries, including roles they may not have otherwise considered.”

How does Jopwell differentiate itself from the competition?

“Jopwell specifically creates career opportunities for Black, Latinx, and Native Americans. In the United States alone, Blacks and Hispanics make up 18% of the total ‘professional’ workforce despite being roughly 30% of the broader labor force. Without empowering these communities and implementing real change, the gap will continue to grow.”

How has Jopwell evolved over the years?

“We’ve expanded our offerings across the board—more partner companies, more campus opportunities for students, and more in-person events where members of our community can connect. We’ve also grown the scale of our events from intimate panels, fireside chats and networking mixers to our 400-person summit, Jopwell Talks, which we plan to host annually.”

What tools have helped fuel Jopwell's growth?

“Early on, we understood how important email marketing would be to our business, and we became early adopters of Mailchimp. The easy-to-use interface and user engagement reports have been essential to helping us grow and reach new audiences—be they potential partners, investors, or community members.”

Published: April 2, 2020