ETF@JFFLabs
The ETF@JFFLabs impact fund invests in innovative tech-based solutions that support the more than 75 million American adults who struggle to find meaningful employment.
Our Opportunity
Millions of adults struggle to succeed in the American labor market.
For these individuals—many of whom are women, people of color, and immigrants—barriers to skill development and employment opportunities inhibit their economic security and mobility. ETF@JFFlabs is committed to reimagining a more inclusive future of work—a future where technology is used to increase access to learning, employment, and economic mobility for all adults. We support promising entrepreneurs who are developing technology solutions to train and upskill low-income and low- and middle-skill adults and connect them to employment opportunities. ETF@JFFLabs works closely with the companies in which it invests to offer them flexible capital tailored to their business models and objectives.
Team

Progress

3,100,000
Million invested or granted
60%
Investment and grants made to companies founded or led by women and/or people of color
12,000,000
Lives reached
ETF@JFFLabs Impact Report
2020
Ryan Craig, managing director at University VenturesETF is seeding investments in companies that have the potential to tackle this challenge head-on, in ways that can help close persistent skill and talent gaps. They’ve found a great strategic partner in the team at JFF.
Portfolio

Who we invest and partner with

180 Skills*
Online career and technical education company building the next-generation manufacturing workforce

180 Skills*
Online career and technical education company building the next-generation manufacturing workforce
The 180 Skills learning system is a comprehensive, career & technical education solution for the manufacturing industry. The company has a library of over 700 competency-based courses in 34 competency areas aimed to educate students and upskill employees. The platform also includes courses on essential nontechnical skills, such as listening, conflict resolution, relationship-building, and group dynamics, that help improve team effectiveness.

AdeptID
Machine learning for inclusive job mobility

AdeptID
Machine learning for inclusive job mobility
AdeptID's models and API help to build personalized talent applications for the workforce without college degrees.

Anthill
Mobile-based talent platform for the reskilling and development of a deskless workforce

Anthill
Mobile-based talent platform for the reskilling and development of a deskless workforce
Anthill is a talent mapping platform that acts as a deskless personal coach for employees and provides insights for their employers to improve their working experience, wellbeing, development and internal career opportunities.

Bedu
Training and upskilling programs for in-demand fields

Bedu
Training and upskilling programs for in-demand fields
Company offering intensive, blended learning, short-term training and upskilling programs for in-demand fields like data, web development, design, marketing and business analytics.

Care Academy*
Mobile Learning to Upskill and Certify Adults for In-Demand Careers in Home Health

Care Academy*
Mobile Learning to Upskill and Certify Adults for In-Demand Careers in Home Health
CareAcademy provides an online education platform that home care agencies can use to train domestic caregivers to fill in-demand home health roles. The company’s track record proves that mobile (and blended) learning can increase access to employment opportunities in one of the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. economy—health care.

Cell-Ed
Literacy, Language, and Job Upskilling in the Palm of the Hand

Cell-Ed
Literacy, Language, and Job Upskilling in the Palm of the Hand
Cell-Ed proves that mobile learning is an effective means of giving people access to instructional materials. The company offers a tool that allows users to listen to lessons on a flip phone anywhere and at any time, giving millions of adults an opportunity to learn new skills even if they aren’t able to participate in traditional classes.

ChargerHelp
On demand repair application for electric vehicle charging stations.

ChargerHelp
On demand repair application for electric vehicle charging stations.
Chargerhelp! is the first and only on demand repair app for electric vehicle charging stations. The clean-tech start up’s commitment is two fold: creating an innovative solution within the electric vehicle (EV) industry that encourages climate change and job creation through workforce development across the United States. The company’s motto is simple: getting EV charging stations and people back to work.

Climb Credit
Responsible Lending Increasing Access to High-Impact Training Programs

Climb Credit
Responsible Lending Increasing Access to High-Impact Training Programs
Climb Credit is a technology-driven lender expanding access to high-quality, career-focused education by providing responsible loans for training programs with high return on investment for students. By improving access to financing for high-impact training, licensing, and credentialing programs, Climb Credit opens pathways to stable, high-wage, meaningful work.

Compt
Helping companies build & scale flexible perk stipends that delight teams.

Compt
Helping companies build & scale flexible perk stipends that delight teams.
Perk management software that helps companies build and streamline perk stipends that offer personalized perks for employees.

CreatorUp
Training and jobs for creative professionals

CreatorUp
Training and jobs for creative professionals
CreatorUp makes it easy and affordable for anyone to produce impactful videos for teaching, telling, and inspiring.

Edquity
College Financial Success and Emergency Aid Platform for Students

Edquity
College Financial Success and Emergency Aid Platform for Students
Edquity is a college financial success and emergency aid platform for students, ensuring all students have the financial means to get to college graduation. Two products, Edquity Plan and Edquity Rise, collectively support students through college financial matching, planning, financial aid award evaluation, cash-flow management and emergency resource referral.

Embodied Labs
Virtual Reality Patient Experience Labs for Healthcare

Embodied Labs
Virtual Reality Patient Experience Labs for Healthcare
Embodied Labs is an experiential education design company that specializes in creating and implementing empathy-based, patient-centered health curriculum.

FactoryFix
Online recruitment, hiring, and training platform for the manufacturing sector.

FactoryFix
Online recruitment, hiring, and training platform for the manufacturing sector.
FactoryFix is the largest online network of vetted manufacturing professionals! Our technology helps match companies to qualified candidates that have the exact skills and experience they are looking for.

Forage
Online mentoring platform that partners with corporations to design free “virtual work experience programs” for jobseekers

Forage
Online mentoring platform that partners with corporations to design free “virtual work experience programs” for jobseekers
Forage is on a mission to redefine the emerging talent experience. The platform believes that anyone, anywhere deserves the opportunity to land their dream job - regardless of their circumstances. Forage works with hundreds of organizations to make this a reality for the millions of users around the world who use the platform to gain the confidence and skills to achieve their dreams.

Hireguide
Making fairer, better interviews accessible to everyone

Hireguide
Making fairer, better interviews accessible to everyone
Hireguide is a public benefit corporation (BCorp) that uses conversational AI to personalize coaching so companies can recognize biases and eventually, eliminate them.

Honest Jobs
Helping people impacted by the criminal justice system find employment fast.

Honest Jobs
Helping people impacted by the criminal justice system find employment fast.
A job marketplace connecting individuals who were involved with the justice system with employers offering fair-chance hiring.

Level
Provider of flexible credit to gig workers to build microbusinesses.

Level
Provider of flexible credit to gig workers to build microbusinesses.
Level empowers people to build and grow microbusinesses with the portable financial benefits they need to prosper. Designed for micro-entrepreneurs who are building businesses on the rails of our labor marketplace partners, Level is the financial services platform which will power our growing on-demand economy.

Major League Hacking
Operates global student hackathons and project-based technology fellowship programs

Major League Hacking
Operates global student hackathons and project-based technology fellowship programs
Major League Hacking is a B corporation that hosts weekend-long invention competitions, or ‘hackathons,’ that cultivate community and teach computer science skills. Leveraging their hackathon network, they also recruit and place a pipeline of junior development talent into meaningful project-based fellowship externships and provide mentoring and management support to fellows. These individuals range from having little to no experience to self-taught or boot camp graduates. The fully remote 12-week fellowship links talent with companies working on high-impact software, data science and digital media projects.

Nepris*
Virtually Building Connections Between Students and Careers

Nepris*
Virtually Building Connections Between Students and Careers
A web-based platform that connects educators and learners with a network of professionals who can offer real-world advice and insights, Nepris helps users stay up to date on the latest trends in the labor market, providing them with access to firsthand information about what types of jobs are available and what skills are in demand.

MentorWorks
Non-loan financing (ISAs) for college & non-traditional students with career support

MentorWorks
Non-loan financing (ISAs) for college & non-traditional students with career support
MentorWorks expands student access to quality education and training – from degree programs to workforce development training programs – by providing Income Sharing Agreements (ISAs) origination, servicing and funding. MentorWorks has also developed its Talent Accelerator Platform (TAP), which provides free career development resources and programming open to the public that also supports funded students in gaining job placements, thereby supporting the ISA repayment model.

Mentor Method
Enterprise SaaS platform that provides a framework for companies to launch mentorship programs

Mentor Method
Enterprise SaaS platform that provides a framework for companies to launch mentorship programs
The Mentor Method is an Enterprise SaaS solution for employers that works to increase the retention, engagement, and leadership development of their employees. The Mentor Method does this by connecting employees with mentors via a patent-pending matching algorithm, creating custom mentorship programs that successfully advance professional development for employees and business goals for employers.

NewCampus
Education platform delivering business and leadership training

NewCampus
Education platform delivering business and leadership training
NewCampus is a business education platform for the modern workforce. The platform boosts the careers of working learners by helping them build their network, learn actionable skills, and be inspired by top business leaders.

NextStep
Mobile, tuition-free training and job placement platform for certified nursing assistants.

NextStep
Mobile, tuition-free training and job placement platform for certified nursing assistants.
NextStep is an innovative health care education and job placement company helping solve the accelerating caregiver crisis in the United States. NextStep trains and places workers displaced by automation and artificial intelligence with respected long-term care providers, benefiting both. NextStep’s blended-learning certified nursing assistant (CNA) program gives learners the opportunity to start a new, rewarding career and provides employers a solution to their critical workforce needs. NextStep also offers continuing education courses and the National COVID-Ready Caregiver Certification, which equips caregivers with the knowledge to keep themselves and those they care for safe during the pandemic

Nucamp
Bringing the best of online and in-person learning together

Nucamp
Bringing the best of online and in-person learning together
A company offering highly affordable, short-term coding bootcamps to prepare adult learners for web development and data science careers.

Onramp
Workforce solutions company, offering custom-built talent pipelines to increase tech candidates from non-traditional and diverse backgrounds

Onramp
Workforce solutions company, offering custom-built talent pipelines to increase tech candidates from non-traditional and diverse backgrounds
Onramp is a workforce solutions company, offering custom-built technical talent pipelines for corporate partners looking to expand their recruiting pools with high-potential candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.
Founded in 2018 by Lateesha Thomas, Howard Sueing, and Ian Inaba, Onramp works to solve the technology industry's talent shortage by creating career pathways for job-seekers regardless of previous academic or professional experience.

Owners
Providing training, tools, and mentorship to entrepreneurs

Owners
Providing training, tools, and mentorship to entrepreneurs
A platform that provides training, tools, and mentorship to entrepreneurs as they start, launch and grow their own home services company.

PAIRIN
Using Data to Break Down Soft Skill Barriers to Employment

PAIRIN
Using Data to Break Down Soft Skill Barriers to Employment
PAIRIN offers a suite of online tools that people who face barriers to employment can use to assess and develop their soft skills. The company’s track record proves that soft skills and mindsets can be objectively validated, measured, and developed.

Provider Pool
Online marketplace connecting nursing professionals with care facilities.

Provider Pool
Online marketplace connecting nursing professionals with care facilities.
Provider Pool connects healthcare organizations to healthcare professionals through an online marketplace. The self-serve platform was created with a mission to streamline staffing models. Provider Pool automates the HR process to offer direct access to a vetted community of professionals. Provider Pool has tech-enabled the task of hiring, recruiting and contracting for a more convenient and cost-effective option to staff healthcare organizations.

Pursuit
Empower adults learners to become software developers and launch careers in tech.

Pursuit
Empower adults learners to become software developers and launch careers in tech.
Through long-term intensive program, Pursuit trains adults with the most need and potential to get their first tech jobs, advance in their careers, and become the next generation of leaders in tech. Graduates are hired by leading companies like Pinterest, Kickstarter, LinkedIn, BlackRock, and JPMorgan Chase, and increase their average annual salaries from $18,000 to over $85,000.

QuickHire
Career discovery platform for the service economy workforce

QuickHire
Career discovery platform for the service economy workforce
QuickHire is a career discovery platform for the service economy workforce that partners with job seekers to find career fulfillment by finding the right job and advancement opportunities. This unique approach helps provide a better engaged and aligned talent pool for employers.

Ramped Careers
Job skilling platform for early career professionals

Ramped Careers
Job skilling platform for early career professionals
A career discovery and job skilling platform for early career professionals.

Signal Vine*
Texting to Nudge Adults Toward Opportunity

Signal Vine*
Texting to Nudge Adults Toward Opportunity
Signal Vine offers a two-way text messaging platform powered by artificial intelligence that educational institutions can use to engage students, staff, and employees. The system has proved to be an especially powerful tool when it is used to encourage—or “nudge”—adults with low skills to take action or pursue opportunities. Signal Vine helps increase the impact of workforce development teams

SkillSmart
Using Skills to Create Pathways to Employment

SkillSmart
Using Skills to Create Pathways to Employment
SkillSmart offers a skills-matching platform that can increase equity in hiring by helping adults find jobs or training opportunities based on all of the skills they’ve developed in life.

Stride Funding
Stride Funding offers students flexible ways to fund their education with Income Share Agreements (ISAs)

Stride Funding
Stride Funding offers students flexible ways to fund their education with Income Share Agreements (ISAs)
Stride is an Income Sharing Agreement (ISA) provider that partners with higher education institutions to provide access to capital for students pursuing an education in healthcare and STEM fields. To support students with program completion and job placement, Stride provides wraparound services such as study tools and interview prep.

Symba
Internship and apprenticeship management platform

Symba
Internship and apprenticeship management platform
Led by a young and diverse team, Symba is building a platform with a purpose—to open up the workforce. Symba helps businesses adapt to the future of work—adopting remote operations, investing in the next generation of talent, and committing to diversity and inclusion.

Upswing
Student services platform that helps educators improve retention of nontraditional students

Upswing
Student services platform that helps educators improve retention of nontraditional students
Upswing believes that a comprehensive solution to student success is the way of the future. Connect your own faculty, leverage outside resources, and have visibility into early alerts and analytics on student performance. You don't need to keep pushing products onto your students. You need a student success partner.
* These companies have exited our portfolio.
Advisors

Meet Our Advisors

Alison Ascher Webber
EdTech Center at World Education

Alison Ascher Webber
EdTech Center at World Education
Alison Ascher Webber develops and directs innovative projects that advance digital equity and leverage technology to increase the reach and impact of education and workforce programs. Alison co-leads Digital US, a national initiative to close digital skills gaps by 2030. She advises online learning and ICT4D initiatives including for the National Immigration Forum, UNESCO, and the Employment Technology Fund @ JFF. Previous roles include Education Director at mLearning company Cell-Ed and Associate Director at Avasant Foundation. Alison served as first Executive Director of the Leadership Training & Education Fund for janitors across California and helped form the award-winning Building Skills Partnership. Alison holds a Master’s in Education.

Patti Constantakis, PhD
Walmart.org

Patti Constantakis, PhD
Walmart.org
Patti Constantakis, PhD is a Director on the Economic Opportunity team for Walmart.org. She leads the Foundation’s Equitable Talent Systems portfolio that seeks to engage employers in more equitable hiring and advancement practices. She brings decades of experience working to increase economic opportunities for underserved adult learners. Previously at Digital Promise, Patti was the Director of Adult Learning and Workforce Development Initiatives where her work focused on using technology to build the literacy and numeracy skills of our lowest-skilled frontline workers. She also developed a competency-based digital skills program, backed by Facebook, for non-traditional adult learners and workers. Prior to Digital Promise, Patti was the Director of Product, Content, and Curriculum, at GreatSchools.org and was responsible for developing e-learning programs for teachers as well as apps and other electronic resources for immigrant parents. In the years prior to GreatSchools, Patti worked with several startups designing and developing products for community college students and other non-traditional adult learners.
Patti grew up on the U.S.- Mexico border and, as a Latina, is fully bilingual in Spanish and English. She earned her B.A. in Journalism and Spanish from New Mexico State University and her Ph.D. and M.A in Communications from the University of Texas, Austin.

Andrea Mainelli
Tyton Partners

Andrea Mainelli
Tyton Partners
Andrea joined Tyton Partners as a Senior Advisor in July 2015, bringing a wealth of strategic and operational executive-level experience in the for-profit and not-for-profit education worlds. She will be actively engaged in supporting existing client relationships, as well as identifying new opportunities for the Firm.
Andrea most recently worked for the College Board from 2010 to 2013, first as a consultant, then as a senior executive and key member of the leadership team where she was engaged in product strategy and go-to-market approaches, and led the US and International teams that were responsible for partnering with districts, states, foreign entities and higher education institutions to deliver College Board programs and services.
Prior to the College Board, Andrea spent nearly six years at Kaplan, Inc. in a variety of operating and strategy roles, culminating in CEO of Kaplan Financial and Real Estate, a division that delivered classroom, online and hybrid training, test prep and professional development to individuals who required certifications and continuing education to enter, practice and succeed in their professions. During her tenure, she oversaw the division’s growth and expansion strategy as well as all of its operations, leading the acquisition and integration of more than ten training companies and multiple new product initiatives, including the launch of its online education efforts.
Andrea has extensive experience working with for-profit and not-for-profit organizations on strategy and leadership engagements, and has served on and assisted both for-profit and not-for-profit Boards of Directors. She holds an AB in Social Studies, with a focus in international relations, from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.