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By Jailene Adorno

Color Magazine

For black, Latino and Native American professionals looking for jobs, and for companies hoping to tap into a more diverse talent pool, Jopwell has become an increasingly popular platform.

Founders Ryan Williams and Porter Braswell saw the need for the company while working on Wall Street.

After becoming friends, Williams and Braswell both realized they had achieved professional success largely through their involvement with diversity programs. However, they also understood that not everyone had the same opportunities they had, even as companies, too, were seeking to diversify their workforce.

鈥淥ther industries really struggled with diversity recruitment,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淐ompanies are seeking diversity because they know it makes the company more innovative.鈥�

When Williams and Braswell initially had the idea for Jopwell, they went out and spoke to recruiters and college students to gauge their interest. They were still working on Wall Street, but they wanted to make sure that there was a market for this new venture.

After they were convinced there was a need and interest, their next challenge was figuring out how to build their platform鈥檚 software and attract clients.

鈥�(We were) two nontechnical finance guys trying to do something in technology,鈥� Williams said with a chuckle.

Jopwell provides job seekers with a platform for creating a customized profile to share with recruiters. Employers, in turn, can create their own profile pages for job seekers to explore.

鈥淛opwell has built the platform for making that connection, making that process more efficient,鈥� Williams said.

Williams also spoke about his and Braswell鈥檚 experiences participating in Y Combinator, a California-based seed-funding accelerator. As two men of color and founders of a tech company, they wondered how receptive others would be to their emerging startup.

鈥淭hat was really interesting, realizing how niche this might seem to individuals who had not gone through this struggle,鈥� Williams said.

Williams shared a story that encapsulates the appeal of Jopwell. A Fordham University student uninterested in technology heard about an upcoming event through Jopwell. It was there that she connected with one of the recruiters at Etsy and started working for the company soon after.

鈥淭he excuses that hold you back from exploring the ideas you have, are often just that 鈥� excuses,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淪tart pursuing that idea you have.鈥�