Koru Announces Details Of June Career Bootcamp; Program Designed To Launch Graduates Into Meaningful Careers

SEATTLE, April 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Koru (www.joinkoru.com), a company focused on transforming the college-to-career landscape, today announced details of its June career bootcamp. From June 2 – 25, 50 participants will come together in Seattle for an immersive learning program that bridges the gap between today's college graduates and the needs of high-growth employers. As part of the June program, Koru will embed the participants at employer partners zulily and PayScale, where they'll gain career experience working on real business challenges and presenting to members of each company's leadership team.

"We help talented recent graduates land great jobs with innovative, forward-leaning employers," said Kristen Hamilton, Koru CEO. "Our participants will spend time to learn and practice skills that are valued at high-growth companies, get coaching from some of the best minds in business, and build a strong network of direct connections."

From start to finish, Koru's program is designed to launch graduates into their first career job with a great employer. The program is ideal for college seniors and recent graduates, and complements a high-quality, broad-based academic education and existing career development resources.

"As the talent market becomes more competitive, it's critical for businesses to use innovative solutions to ensure they attract and retain the best employees at every level of the organization," said Dave Smith, Chief Revenue Officer at PayScale. "We look forward to working together with Koru to identify the most promising early career talent."

In addition to zulily and PayScale, Koru's employer partner network includes REI, Trupanion, Smartsheet and Julep.

All program participants are guaranteed an interview with Koru's employer partners and many are expected to receive offers from the Koru employer network.

Caitie Mace attended Koru's January 2014 program with zulily. Mace was hired by zulily following the Koru program's employer interviewing process.

"My current boss was in the audience at our final group presentation," said Mace. "During the interview process, I took what I learned in the program and made it clear I wanted that job and was the right fit for zulily. I didn't give them another option."

Hillary Spanjer is an Eastern Washington University graduate who attended Koru's March 2014 program with SmartSheet. By tapping into Koru's networking opportunities, Spanjer interviewed at and was recently hired by Trupanion.

"During the program, I learned so much that I never learned in college," said Spanjer. "Having the experience of working in a great company like Smartsheet gave me a lot of confidence. I believe those skills and that confidence, as well as access to people in the Koru network of companies are exactly what I needed to land the job of my dreams at Trupanion."

Participants will also benefit from Koru's world-class executive coaches, who are focused on teaching, guiding and mentoring participants to land the right job at the right company. These coaches share advice and learnings from decades of their own career experiences. Previous executive coaches include Libby Johnson-McKee from Amazon; Jane Park, CEO of Julep, Dan Shapiro former executive at Google, Rachel Ligtenberg, VP at REI, Darryl Rawlings, CEO of Trupanion.

The deadline for applications for Koru's June program is May 5. Additional program sessions are available in July in Seattle and September in Seattle and San Francisco. Admission to the program is selective. For more information on Koru and complete details on upcoming programs, please visit www.joinkoru.com.

About Koru
Koru is transforming the college-to-career landscape with an immersive, experiential learning program designed to quickly make recent college graduates workplace-ready and place them inside high-growth work environments. Koru was founded by veteran entrepreneurs Kristen Hamilton, former co-founder at Onvia and COO at World Learning, and Josh Jarrett, former head of Higher Education Innovation for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and consultant with McKinsey & Company. Koru has raised $4.45 million in funding, led by the venture capital firm Maveron. Other participating investors include Battery Ventures, First Round Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, as well as a select number of individual investors. Headquartered in Seattle, Koru runs employer-embedded programs with partners like REI and zulily to give recent graduates the skills, experience and connections they need to get hired and make an immediate impact at leading companies. For more information on Koru and details on upcoming programs and partners, please visit www.joinkoru.com.

SOURCE Koru