BASTA

🔥 💥 Basta’s First-Gen Summit in partnership with Bloomberg Returned Bigger Than Ever!🔥 💥 What a day! After six years, we partnered with Bloomberg to revive the First-Gen Summit, and the energy was incredible! This event was about more than exchanging business cards—it was about finding community and building a lasting support system. First-gen students and executives from leading industries gathered to share their career stories, forge genuine connections, and envision the future of work together. A tremendous thanks to all who made it possible: Vanessa Luna, Nancy Cutler, Kathleen McGevna, Perri Mingo, Etienne Vazquez, Giselle Abreu, Julia Freeland Fisher, Michael Collins, Latarria Coy, Jibreel Jalloh, Soré Agbaje, Keyshawn Wright, Winston Fisher, Alejandro Perez, emcees extraordinaire Harmony Gilliard, O'Neil Edwards, and our amazing team at Basta.  Nancy Cutler shared: "Bloomberg is thrilled to partner with Basta to revive the First-Gen Summit convening the incredible talent and drive that we've witnessed firsthand in First-Gen students and professionals."  As our founder Sheila Sarem put it perfectly: "First-Gen Summit is just a container for the brilliance that is happening. Today, we heard a handful of stories and there are thousands more." And wow, did that brilliance shine through! 💯 Real Talk & Real Impact Michael Collins dropped this gem about executive responsibility: "When you're bringing someone up on the elevator, don't make them wish they took the stairs."Let that sink in! It’s not just about opening doors; it’s about ensuring people feel welcomed and supported once they’re inside. 🤝  Leadership and Responsibility Winston Fisher shared: "The value of your life is measured by how much you are engaged, not by your consumption." He emphasized how first-gen talent doesn't merely join companies – they energize organizations and elevate performance across the board. ✨ From Surviving to Thriving Basta Alum Keyshawn Wright delivered an important message: “To the students in the room, … you can manifest these kinds of opportunities. You are capable of thriving and not just surviving.” His reminder to professionals: “Create that space for young professionals to be their authentic selves. First gen magic is a real thing, with untapped talent ready to make an impact. Check out the video below for a brief recap of First-Gen Summit 2024! Partner with us to build a workforce where first-gen talent thrives and leads. Connect with us today: https://lnkd.in/e3pxrna9 #Bloomberg #firstgensummit #Basta #FirstGenMagic #CareerEmpowerment #StudentSuccess #NetworkingForChange #Mentors #firstjob #work #careerdevelopment #networking

Fall 2024 Basta Fellows: A Season of Growth and Achievement! As the first phase of the Fall 2024 Fellowship comes to a close, we’re proud to celebrate the achievements of nearly 65 first-generation college students who have spent this fall preparing for career success. Here’s what they’ve accomplished: 🚀 Attended 3 in-person workshops, where they honed essential career skills and expanded their professional networks. 💻 Completed 10 virtual career readiness sessions, building standout job portfolios and sharpening their job search habits. 🤝 Participated in exposure events, connecting with industry leaders and gaining valuable insights into diverse career pathways. None of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our incredible team: ⭐ Our Content Facilitators—Chante' Chambers, Daniel Swersky, Geraldin Noemis Diaz, Kaili Sanderson, and Mahamadou Jagana, MA for leading impactful sessions. ⭐ Our Career Success Managers—Alistair Scott, Mohamed Barry, Nicolette Cabbell, and Renee M. Durett—for guiding fellows with expertise and care. ⭐ Our partners—Alejandro Perez, Deborah Toro, and Tia Yellowday of BNY Mellon as well as Annie Hopkins and Jose Jacob Arce of Deutsche Bank—for supporting our mission and hosting transformative workshops. ⭐ Our volunteers who shared their time, expertise and connections to level up Fellows’ networking and interviewing skills. ⭐ Last but not least: Basta's Fellowship leadership team Amber Field, Ed.D. and Jusna Perrin, CPCC. What’s next? Fellows will bring their momentum into the next part of their journey, actively pursuing career-pathway jobs through job search calls, personalized coaching, and deeper connections with our employer partners. To every single person who's been championing this cohort – YOU are building a future where first-gen students don't just enter the job market, they TRANSFORM it! 💖 And to our Winter Cohort—you're up next! We can't wait to meet you in January! #FirstGenSuccess #CareerRockstars #FellowshipJourney #DreamBig #CareerTransformation #FirstGenMagic #Basta #Deutsche #BNY #JobSearch #NetWorking

Only 48 hours left to apply to become a Higher Ed Partner for G-SWEP (Google Software Engineer Program), a unique Google X Basta collaboration that combines technical expertise with real-world success! Higher-Education Institutions should apply if: ✅ You want exclusive access to G-SWEP for your first-gen undergraduates majoring in CS or related fields. ✅ You want to see measurable improvement in your students’ technical/coding skills. ✅ You want to boost your students’ confidence and readiness in technical interviews. ✅ You want access to career readiness resources and live workshops, powered by Basta’s industry-leading content. Find out everything you need to know about the application and program here: https://lnkd.in/epXQqME6

🎉 #FirstJobFriday Spotlight: Kenneth G.'s Breakthrough Moment! Sometimes, inspiration strikes when you least expect it. For Kenneth, that moment came during the Basta First-Gen Summit just a few weeks ago. As he listened to professionals share their stories, he was reminded of why he'd chosen this path: to make financial services more accessible, transparent, and user-friendly for everyone. "The personal stories of all those professionals in the room deeply resonated with me, reigniting my core motivation," Kenneth shares. "The insights and inspiration from the summit became my source of confidence, empowering me to approach the upcoming interviews with renewed self-assurance." Then, as if the universe was listening, an email from Deutsche Bank landed in his inbox that very same day, inviting him to their SuperDay interviews. The networking practice he gained at the First-Gen Summit became his secret weapon, turning pre-interview jitters into unstoppable confidence. Now, Kenneth is stepping into an Analyst role at Deutsche Bank's Technology, Data, and Innovation Division. As a Computer Science grad with a math minor, he's passionate about how technology can reshape financial systems. “As I enter my first full-time role, I aim to learn from the insight of others and continue to employ the interpersonal skills I crafted with the help of Basta—staying warm, staying human.” "The labor market runs on warm introductions," Kenneth shares, reflecting on a key lesson from Julia Freeland Fisher at the First-Gen Summit. Instead of being just another resume in the stack, a warm introduction means having someone in your corner who can speak to your abilities. To all job seekers out there: Your breakthrough might be just around the corner. Stay curious, stay connected, and never underestimate the power of staying warm and staying human! Congratulations, Kenneth! 🚀 The future of fintech is brighter with you in it! #firstgenmagic #networking #warmconnections #Deutsche #fintech #fintechcareers #financejob #techcareers #CareerJourney #TechInFinance #FirstJobSuccess

Connecting Education and Careers through First-Gen Success Basta’s insights reveal a powerful truth: building purpose-driven connections—especially with senior professionals—is a game-changer for accelerating the careers of first-generation students. This strategy is a key solution to tackling the underemployment many students face after college. To drive impact, colleges must create multiple spaces for students to forge these connections. Whether through mid-career and senior alumni networks, strategic industry partnerships, or bringing experts directly into career services, opportunities are endless. Our partnerships with NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) and Google showcase how these initiatives can come to life and deliver results. NYU SPS: Through Basta’s Discovery platform, NYU SPS accelerates their students’ college-to-career journey with personalized, data-driven guidance. They meet students where they are—whether they are seeking internships, jobs, or exploring career paths. Google G-SWEP: Basta’s unique partnership with Google offers the Google Software Engineer Program (G-SWEP), a standout opportunity for students aiming to break into tech. With one-to-one mentoring from Google Software Engineers and Basta’s live career readiness workshops, students gain unparalleled access to career-building tools and experiences including technical interviews prep. 📣 College and University Leaders: Want to bring G-SWEP to your campus? Apply to be a Higher Ed partner here: https://lnkd.in/epXQqME6 LESS THAN ONE WEEK LEFT TO APPLY! 📣 Talent Acquisition Leaders: Contact us to learn more about our partnerships with companies here: https://lnkd.in/e3pxrna9 A big thank you to Christopher Tignor, Angie Kamath, Donnell Debnam Jr., David Faibil, and our very own Sonia Atsegbua for sharing our collective story. And a huge thank you to the Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Foundation, Randy M. and Yassi Davoodi for supporting our work in innovative ways, including the production of this incredible video! #firstgenmagic #techcareers #highered #NYUSPS #Google #firstgen #googlemagic #futureoftech #closetheweathgap #knowledgeandinformation #HBCUs #MSIs

🚨 TEAM ALERT! 🚨 Basta has been leveling up with an influx of cross-sector talent and the impact is already undeniable! 🔥 As we are developing our next phase of growth and expansion, we knew we had to #BuildForTheFuture. Our foundation-building phase is where we’re investing heavily in experts across tech, product, marketing and career guidance. And let us tell you, our new team members are bringing the 💥! Jusna Perrin, CPCC Karla Sordia Lozano Kendra Gaunt Mildred Armstrong Smith Ted Wolf Mariam Sow Vincent R. Renee M. Regina M. Yanique Francis-Richards Jhonny Perez This interdisciplinary team is primed to increase our reach and impact for first-gen students of color across the country. With our staff feeling deeply connected and proud to be part of this work, under the leadership of Nicole Tommasini, Basta’s Senior Director of Business Operations, we're also creating an environment for innovation, collaboration, and impact like never before through intentionally designed in-person spaces.  As Basta’s founder Sheila Sarem emphasizes: “If we’ve learned anything since 2016, it’s that change is the only constant, and the best preparation for the world on the horizon is to surround ourselves with brilliant, committed, creative people.” That’s why we're future-proofing Basta with the brightest minds around. Check out the video for a sneak peak into what it’s like at Team Basta! 🚀 LET’S GO! 🚀

🎉 Happy #FirstJobFriday! Join us in congratulating Tasfiha Saba, a recent graduate of Lehman College, as she's about to start an exciting full-time position as an IT and Data Analyst with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene! Tasfiha, a Computer Science major, has worked hard to land this role, where she'll use her technical skills to drive meaningful change and support the well-being of her community. 👉 With guidance from her Basta coaches, Mohamed Barry, Xenia M., Junior Manon, MPA, and Alyssa H., Tasfiha honed a key interview skill: crafting technical responses. “In public health and data analysis roles, communicating data effectively is essential,” she explains. “Learning to turn complex data sets into clear, insightful visuals helped me showcase my ability to deliver valuable insights.” 👉 Her advice for fellow job seekers? “Never give up and keep applying. Each application helps you improve and brings you one step closer to your goals. I realized that to stand out, I needed to approach each question strategically, especially behavioral and technical questions. Through mock interview practices, I was able to practice explaining my technical skills in a way that was clear to both technical and non-technical interviewers.” 🚀 Congratulations, Tasfiha! Your dedication to using data and tech to improve public health is truly inspiring. We can't wait to see the amazing things you'll accomplish in this new role. Cheers to the start of an exciting career! #firstgenmagic #interviewskills #careergoals #careeradvice #network #mentorship #firstgen #firstjobfriday #bridgethegap #publichealth #nycjobs #basta #nyc

🌟 Exciting moments from our recent Pathways at Pzena event! 🌟 A sincere thank you to the Pzena Investment Management team and Karina Fin Meindl for hosting our Basta fellows and continuing to build pathways for first-gen talent into the dynamic world of investment management. Pzena team members opened up about their career paths, challenges, and what makes investment management rewarding. Fellows walked away with practical insights and a clear view of opportunities in the field. Fellow Louis Chen shared about the experience: “The visit to Pzena showed me what's possible. Their focus on employee growth, strong market performance, and welcoming culture stood out at every turn. As a first-generation professional, these connections and conversations help make the financial services industry feel more accessible.” From understanding core industry trends to gaining tips on developing impactful careers, the session was both enlightening and empowering! #InvestmentManagement #PathwaysAtPzena #Basta #FirstGenMagic #CareerDevelopment/

Yesterday, the last House race was called. With the rhetoric of this election cycle, it can be easy to get caught up in some polarizing partisan positions, like eliminating the Department of Education or mass deportation - both of which could have a significant impact on our greater Basta community. But, we don't have to go down rabbit holes. Instead, we can use this opportunity to get more informed about the law, the structures of our government, the role of Congress and the power that exists at the federal, state and local levels. We are committed to this type of civic education here at Basta because it’s a powerful antidote to fear, uncertainty and paralysis. Economic mobility can only thrive when paired with civic power.  💡 If you know any great civic-minded podcasts or resources, drop them in the chat! By understanding the role of government at every level, we can better understand how to use those levers for good.

The Countdown is On! 🚨 Flash 24-HR Fellowship App Drop, Apply Now! Apply by 5PM 11/15/2024 for the Basta Winter 2025 Fellowship! Secure 1:1 career coaching, exclusive networking, and insider tips to land your dream job at top companies. 75% of Basta Fellows get hired within 6 months - don't miss this chance to launch your career. Link to application: https://lnkd.in/gFWdmsSS #firstgenmagic #basta #fellowship #winter2025 #careerguidance #networking #jobs #work #careersuccess #collegestudents #careersearch #jobapplication #jobsearch