You love engaging with people, focusing on the details, bringing structure to chaos, and passionately working to create a friendly work environment. You naturally bring joy to those around you, are ambitious and hungry, and feel most satisfied when your work has deep, meaningful impact. At Defy, your challenge will be to use that passion, attention to detail, and energy to help our team grow Defy’s life transforming work throughout NYC and beyond.
We look for the following when evaluating new teammates:
Culture fit: we have a crazy fun/ambitious/spirited culture that is passionate about redeeming lives and restoring communities. We strive to display heart, empathy, and resolve in our daily interactions with one another.
Execution machine: you thrive under pressure, consistently meeting expectations and commitments on tight deadlines, all while managing a variety of tasks and relationships in an efficient and meticulous manner.
You will develop broad-ranging relationships with powerful C-level executives, scrappy entrepreneurs, savvy investment professionals, social changemakers, and corporate partners.
You will develop broad-ranging skills: marketing, program coordination, public relations, communications, networking, customer service, and hustle.
Although Defy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we take pride in our application of corporate best practices and operate as a lean, results-oriented startup. This high-impact opportunity is perfectly suited for a young professional looking to transition out of the corporate world.
Responsibilities
Recruit volunteers and mentors for program activities and events
With the help of our Event Planners, prepare materials for certain volunteer events
Manage communication between volunteers and Entrepreneurs-in-Training, as needed
Input and update volunteer information into database tracking systems
Provide customer service, as needed, to Entrepreneurs-in-Training, volunteers, and donors
Attend and facilitate certain program events on weeknights (several per month)
Requirements
Impeccable written communication skills with meticulous attention to detail
Strong verbal communications skills with the ability to interact successfully with a diverse constituency while maintaining a professional demeanor
Superb time management and organizational skills while working under pressure
Familiarity with databases and proficiency with Microsoft Office applications
Exceptionally high level of honesty and integrity
Friendly, flexible, confident, and assertive
Internal fire that drives achievement; competitiveness, goal-orientation and love of a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment
Highly industrious and resourceful, consistently executing tasks with a sense of urgency
Ability to receive constructive criticism and make changes accordingly
About Defy Ventures
The mission of Defy Ventures is to transform the lives of business leaders and people with criminal histories through their collaboration along the entrepreneurial journey.
Defy harnesses the natural talent of currently and formerly incarcerated men and women, and channels it towards the launch of successful careers and the creation legal, profitable businesses. Defy’s programs include intensive character and leadership development, competition-based entrepreneurship training, executive mentoring, financial investment, and business incubation. In our signature business event, Entrepreneurs-in-Training (EITs) engage with corporate leaders from around the world in Shark Tank-style business pitch competitions that award seed financing to winning ventures.
To date, Defy has:
Served 400+ Entrepreneurs-in-Training (EITs) across 11 states (majority in NYC/Bay Area)
Increased graduates’ income by an average of 83% and achieved an employment rate of 95%
Achieved a recidivism rate of less than 3% (national recidivism rates are 50-70%)
Created a national expansion strategy that leverages a blended online learning model to bring Defy’s program to people with criminal histories and their families throughout the U.S.
Financed and incubated over 100 startups founded by EITs that have created over 200 employment opportunities (in addition to the EITs/founders)
Disbursed $400,000+ to EIT’s startups through business pitch competition awards and microloans
Engaged 3,000+ executive volunteers from hedge funds, investment banks, venture capital and private equity firms, Fortune 500 companies, and entrepreneurial ventures. These volunteers contributed 13,000+ hours as business pitch competition judges, mentors, training center faculty, resume editors, and business coaches
Been showcased in national media including Fast Company, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, Forbes.com, The Harvard Business Review, and Richard Branson’s blog.
Founded in 2010, Defy Ventures provides a scalable solution to the outrageously expensive problems of incarceration and recidivism in the United States. With more than $6 million in private funding from executives and foundations, Defy is well on its way to achieving its vision of equipping formerly incarcerated men and women to defy the odds.
How to apply
To apply, please email your resume to careers@defyventures.org and write “Development Assistant” in the subject line. Optionally, you may include a customized cover letter that discusses what motivates you to work for Defy.
For more information on Defy Ventures, please visit our website at www.defyventures.org.