Flockjay takes flight
Training and supporting the next generation of tech sales leaders
When I graduated college over a decade ago, like most of my friends, I had no idea what was next. All I knew was that I had to be financially independent. So, having never been taught any practical finance skills, I took a finance job in the summer of 2008. The idea was that I would learn finance at my day job, and then teach financial literacy in city high schools in my free time, paying it forward. After living through the Recession, I spent a decade working in finance and helping build financial literacy non-profits from the South Side of Chicago to Harlem. I saw how fast the world was changing and wanted to spend more time understanding what skills would be required for tech jobs that also weren’t being taught in school. I soon moved to San Francisco, left my day job, and started working for start-ups all over the Valley.
I quickly noticed something unexpected: even the best companies had difficulty hiring and retaining top sales talent with the necessary digital fluency. There was no credential — no certification — that told companies what made a good tech salesperson. Simply put: no one teaches sales, no one knows how to hire for it, and there’s no correlation between where you went to school (or if you went at all) and how well you’ll do. Over 50% of roles in top tech companies are “non-technical,” and sales reps are often among the highest-paid employees in tech. That led me to a larger conclusion:
You don’t have to learn code to build a future-proof career in tech. You don’t even need a college degree.
I saw an opportunity to support companies like Gusto, Airtable, Zoom, and Atrium hiring top tier sales talent while paving new pathways into tech. I wanted to empower people to find new opportunities and to create a new career track — no matter your background.
Enter Flockjay.
Flockjay is an online academy that trains jobseekers from non-traditional and underrepresented backgrounds for future-proof jobs in tech sales and significantly increases their income in 12 weeks (our graduates see an average salary increase of 250%). The program is remote, so it’s inclusive by definition — it doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you do or how old you are. Our students come from rural Arkansas to the East Side of Detroit.
The proof is in the results: we place our graduates at the highest levels of the tech industry, and the program is absolutely free until graduates are hired.
We’ve had all types of students, from people who have literally launched rockets for NASA and SpaceX to a grandmother from Lithonia, Georgia, who stopped running the family Bojangles and became a top-performing sales development rep at Gusto.
Flockjay is about community.
Our founding principle is that birds fly farther and faster together. Getting that first job in tech is as much about learning to adapt in new environments that change at breakneck speeds as it is about technical acumen. It’s a new culture, especially for those who don’t come from backgrounds exposed to the quirks and idiosyncrasies of the tech world. College doesn’t prepare you for this.
Flockjay helps you take flight. Sure, you start at Flockjay when you start taking classes. Our community and hiring pool is large, and we ensure that you’ll succeed — students not only get job-ready skills and actual interviews at top tech companies, but you learn from industry leaders, build a real network with colleagues and alums, and get support well after you’re hired.
We’re invested in every student. We front the bill for the highest caliber education in tech sales taught by industry leaders — and we only get paid if you get a job. We not only want you to roll right into a new gig after you finish our comprehensive course but to be a leader in your new role — and a resource and asset to the next class at Flockjay. Jules Allen, a March 2019 graduate who was placed at Resolve says:
“I found a community of fearless people who have my best interests at heart. It allowed me to bring a valuable skill set to a new career. A literally hit-the-ground-running toolkit that allowed me to focus on learning my new employer’s product rather than how to do the mechanics of the gig.”
Our community-driven ecosystem extends to our investors, too. Today, we’re proud to announce a new round of funding totaling $2.98 million — and 50% of our funders are female and 50% are people of color. The round was led by Lightspeed, with participation from Coatue, Serena Williams, Will Smith, Y Combinator, F7, and others.
These investors have committed to support both Flockjay as a company and the individuals who pass through our sales honors training program.
“The current educational system isn’t equipped to train the sales teams for tech companies where the tools, software, and networks are evolving faster than any four-year university is capable of keeping up with,” Matt Mazzeo, lead investor at Coatue, says. “Flockjay is the default training ground for the world’s best sales teams and the most accessible on-ramp to better-paying technology jobs around the world.”
“At Serena Ventures, we are strong believers that diversity in the workforce drives better results. Flockjay is helping to add more diversity,” Serena Williams says. “It is helping make everyday lives of everyday people better by giving them the skill and opportunities previously not afforded to them.”
So what’s next for Flockjay?
That’s up to you. Refer a friend who is looking for a career change. Refer a company looking to hire tech-savvy salespeople with backgrounds as diverse as their customers. Stay connected after you enter the workforce and help our current students the way alumni helped you.
On our end, we’ll be using this infusion of cash to hire more teachers, support more students, and build best-in-class software to help our grads do their jobs better.
And to all the folks in tech who say they want to make the world a better and more equal place. Put your money where your mouth is. Be a guest in our class. Mentor those who need it. Come to Flockjay and help with interview coaching. Hire top talent outside your normal circle.
Because upward mobility should be for everyone. Flockjay is trying to change that. You can be a part of it, too.
We’re thankful to our first students, our team, and our investors for supporting us on our journey.
We are always looking for empathetic and entrepreneurial individuals who want to build the vocational school of the future. If you’re interested in chatting, reach out to hello@flockjay.com, or check our open jobs.
— The Flockjay Team
Read more on Flockjay’s funding at Fast Company
Join our next class and hire from us at https://flockjay.com
Read more of our student stories at https://medium.com/flockjay.
Follow us @FlockjaySchool.
