No one is completely self-made. Whether it is personally or professionally, growth is achieved through people helping people, and people providing opportunities for people. At some point, each of our lives has been and will continue to be positively impacted by others. This impact comes in many forms; it comes from parents, teachers, coaches, co-workers, clients and mentors, and it comes from books, columns, and social media, too. The way we grow as individuals and organizations is through the sharing of knowledge – by listening, learning, taking action and then sharing those experiences with others to help guide them along their way – and through relationships that lead to new opportunities. With this in mind, Memphis based startup, CareerQuo, is making access to growth opportunities easier than ever through their online collaboration platform. Although founded in Memphis, having a virtual platform allows users to connect and remain connected around the world and to access content experts from other countries, which are both important facets for creating continuing growth opportunities.
In response to COVID-19, CareerQuo has made their platform completely free for users (known as Players) and mentors (known as Coaches).
You can access its service in five simple steps:
1) register online and create either a Player or Coach profile
2) select a field of interest or area that you need assistance with
3) if you are registered as a Player, peruse Coach profiles and select one you would like to receive help from based on their expertise, experience and availability
4) select a type of session whether it be life coaching, career coaching or networking
5) once a type of session is selected, schedule a time to have a video conference.
Group video sessions are also available, plus branding as your organization’s own social video network. Nonprofits have been reaping the benefits of CareerQuo by using the platform to remain engaged with their clients while having to remain socially distant during this time.
Although the founders of CareerQuo, Venki Mandapati and Derrick Reives, are providing a powerful resource for connecting, networking and mentorship, they, like the Players they serve, have received advice and feedback along the way to help them continue to grow. “I’m a resident at Crews Center for Entrepreneurship at University of Memphis. That’s where it all started two years ago at an early pitch competition where I had the opportunity to present this idea and won first place. That really boosted my confidence to take the idea to the next level. Since then, we were selected for an accelerator where we got lots of great mentors who helped us build a prototype. Going through competitions and hearing from a lot of judges has really helped us to hone a lot of entrepreneurial skills that we needed at the time, not just with building the prototype but hearing from people who have experience in our specific domain” explains Mandapati.
Looking toward the future, CareerQuo wants to build equal opportunity for anyone seeking career or life coaching across the globe, starting in Memphis, but growing exponentially over time. “Ultimately, we want to give back to the community in every way possible through our virtual platform” says Mandapati. “The world is crying out right now for us to come together, so this is a way for us to come together and help one another” echoes Reives. Whether you’re a student, parent, individual, school, business or nonprofit, to learn more about how you can get involved with CareerQuo visit www.careerquo.com or send an email to contact@careerquo.com.
