There are many organizations right now currently doing amazing work providing opportunities for students and recent grads to pursue careers in the entrepreneurship and tech space. Several of these groups have specific missions that focus on groups traditionally left out of these fields such as low-income students, women, and minorities. Below we'll keep a categorized and updated list of programs and resources that we know and trust. Feel free to reach out to us if you would like an introduction to someone who has gone through these programs. 

Digital Wesleyan (Alumni Run)

Wesleyan takes pride in sending graduates to all corners of business, the arts and sciences, and academics. From Silicon Alley to Silicon Valley, there is one industry in particular in which the pervasiveness of the Wesleyan influence is unmatched: Digital Media. The purpose of this group is to help build awareness around the strength of the Wesleyan network in Digital Media. The hope is to leverage the internet to bring together the Wesleyan community, both offline and online. More Info

Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship (PCSE)

The PCSE supports students and alumni interested in creating and sustaining programs, businesses, and organizations that advance the public good. We offer workshops and trainings, specialized counseling and networking services, grants, and incubator workspace on Wesleyan's campus. More Info

Code2040 (Black and Latino Engineers)

CODE2040 creates access, awareness, and opportunities for top Black and Latino/a engineering talent to ensure their leadership in the innovation economy. CODE2040 is a nonprofit organization that creates pathways to educational, professional, and entrepreneurial success in technology for underrepresented minorities with a specific focus on Blacks and Latino/as. CODE2040 aims to close the achievement, skills, and wealth gaps in the United States. Our goal is to ensure that by the year 2040 - when the US will be majority-minority - Blacks and Latino/as are proportionally represented in America's innovation economy as technologists, investors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs. We are based in San Francisco and work with students, professionals, and companies around the country. More Info

Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code programs work to inspire, educate, and equip girls with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities. Girls Who Code aims to provide computer science education and exposure to 1 million young women by 2020. Together with leading educators, engineers, and entrepreneurs, Girls Who Code has developed a new model for computer science education, pairing intensive instruction in robotics, web design, and mobile development with high-touch mentorship and exposure led by the industry’s top female engineers and entrepreneurs. Since beginning in 2012, Girls Who Code to date has served over 3,860 girls in 29 states. More Info

Out for Undergrad

Out for Undergrad is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping high-achieving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) undergraduates reach their full potential in their careers. We are a network of volunteers from the professions we seek to serve. Many of us are graduates of O4U’s conferences. More Info

Kai Entrepreneurship

Kai Entrepreneurship (or Kai for short) is based out of Wesleyan University in Middletown CT. We're a completely student run 501(c)(3) non-profit (in formation) organization that creates programs and highlights existing programs that promote openness, inclusion, and community in tech and social entrepreneurship. Our focus on these principles springs from the troubling lack of diversity in the current entrepreneurship world and the technology industry overall, and we see college as an ideal time to encourage people of all interests and backgrounds to get involved. 

"Kai"

The sound "kai" has several meanings in Asian languages. In Chinese it makes up the word Kaishi which means "to start," in Japanese it makes up the phrase "kaizen" which is a business philosophy stressing continual improvement, and in Thai it means "egg" and reflects new beginnings. Above all else, it's just an awesome sounding name. 

Mission

Kai Entrepreneurship inspires and prepares liberal arts students to pursue careers in social and tech entrepreneurship. We bridge the skills gap so students can succeed. 

Principles

       1. Openness. All funded events and meetings have a substantial portion of the time open to the public.

2. Inclusion. Membership is inclusive, and active efforts are made to recruit women and minorities. 

                3. Community. Competition and collaboration among projects and groups are encouraged and celebrated. 

Structure

Kai Entrepreneurship Wesleyan is run by an executive team that directly creates and maintains Kai's staple programs. Our goal with this organization is to add pressure and urgency to diversifying entrepreneurship, and we do this by providing additional resources to supplement what Wesleyan currently provides to individuals and organizations pushing for diversity and inclusion.

Sponsors and Partners

The Wesleyan entrepreneurship scene boasts rich diversity compared to the entrepreneurship and tech world as a whole, and we’re proud to work within such a progressive community. We’d like to thank our partners and sponsors for their help and support of our mission, and encourage everyone involved with us to utilize all the organizations available here at Wesleyan.