Governor’s Innovation Fellowship Ready for Launch in Stamford with 18 Recent College Graduates

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The Governor's Innovation Fellowship (GIF), administered by StamfordNext and supported by CTNext, has announced the first cohort of fellows for the program, scheduled to begin this month.  Sixteen companies in Stamford will be providing positions for 18 recent college graduates, urged to “Become the next generation of great leaders in Connecticut.”

Despite the challenges surrounding the national pandemic, GIF remains steadfast in its plans to launch, according to officials. As fellows, the college grads will have the opportunity to foster a strong network of professionals, while participating in workshops, seminars and social events throughout the year, organizers of the new initiative explain.

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In February, Governor Ned Lamont announced the launch of a state-backed initiative to retain Connecticut's greatest talent and place the most promising college graduates in some of the top companies in the state. This year, the GIF program will be based in Stamford, with plans to expand across the state in the future.

Graduates will be working for companies including: Curacity, Ellington Management Group, encaptiv, Ernst & Young, Fletcher Knight, Freepoint Commodities, Henkel, IronYun, ISG, McKinsey & Company, Noble Savages, Sema4, Synchrony Financial, Trebel Music, Tru Optik and Vouchr.

"This program comes at a time when our young professionals could really use assistance with creating a sense of community and growing a network," said Governor Lamont. "Congratulations to this extremely talented cohort of graduates. We look forward to hearing about your future successes."

"We reviewed nearly 200 applications for the inaugural cohort for the Governor's Innovation Fellowship," said Wesley Bemus, executive director of StamfordNext. "We considered whether we should hit pause on the program due to the pandemic, but what we know is that now more than ever, college graduates need to feel a sense of community during this unprecedented time.”

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Each fellow will receive $5,000 after 30 days of employment at the position. Payment will be in the form of a check and the grant money is taxable. Fellows must be Connecticut residents by August 2020, but Stamford residency is not required. Applications were due in March, just as the state was closing down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Positions include data analytics, marketing technology, engineering, computer programming, software development; preference is given to STEM-related positions.   Fellows also will receive mentorships and other support services.

“These young professionals will have an opportunity to grow their networks and experience what Stamford has to offer. While the program will likely start as a virtual one, we are hopeful that someday soon, this program will transform into in-person networking and social events. For now, we will help these college graduates start off their careers on the right foot, with a soft landing and a path forward," Bemus added.

The Governor’s Innovation Fellowship advisory board consists of “private and public-sector thought-leaders, combining the brain trust of for-profit organizations, higher-education institutions and economic development organizations to create and roll out a program that can affect change and retain top talent in Connecticut.” 

Members include Gov. Lamont’s daughter Emily, described as “a builder of organizations from startups to political campaigns. A graduate of Stanford Business School, Emily played a leading role on Governor Lamont's campaign. Previously, she advised and invested in healthcare startups.”  The Advisory Board also includes Nick Simmons, manager of Strategic Initiatives in the Governor’s Office.  He previously served as assistant principal and acting school leader at Success Academy Charter Schools.

Joining them on the Advisory Board are Glendowlyn Thames, Deputy Commissioner and CFO/COO at the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.  A former member of the Hartford City Council and Founding executive director of CTNext, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Connecticut Innovations, she is highlighted as “a dynamic change manager and business strategy leader spanning multiple industries.” 

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Rounding out the Advisory Board are Bob Vanech, CFO and Head of Revenue at Trebel Music, who has experience in fast-growth, high-energy, disruptive change-oriented organizations, specializing in startups, venture capital, M&A, closing deals, transformative organizations, corporate governance and sales, and Thomas Lehrman, Managing Partner at Teamworthy Ventures, who specializes in entrepreneurship, angel and venture investing, alternative equity investments, executive management, foreign and national security policy, and charter schools.

These 18 individuals were named to the inaugural class of fellows for the Governor's Innovation Fellowship:

  • ·         Christopher Connolly, Fairfield University           

  • ·         Adrian Cruz, University of Connecticut   

  • ·         Evan Duval, University of Connecticut             

  • ·         Jacob Gannon, University of Connecticut   

  • ·         Joseph Gauthier, University of Connecticut        

  • ·         Eunes Harun, Wesleyan University            

  • ·         Faizan Khan, Holberton School               

  • ·         Shawn Luciani, Yale University               

  • ·         Charlie McGovern, Union College

  • ·         Julia Medina, Eastern Connecticut State University

  • ·         Madison Miles, Cornell University

  • ·         Jack Moore, University of Connecticut

  • ·         Tasaya Northover, University of Connecticut

  • ·         John Oman, The Catholic University of America

  • ·         Meghan Palumbo, University of Connecticut

  • ·         Matthew Sabourin, Sacred Heart University

  • ·         Franklin Valdez, University of Connecticut   

  • ·         Dana Wachsmuth, University of Connecticut

"With the lessons we learn from this Stamford pilot, we hope to be able to expand the Governor's Innovation Fellowship across the state in the next two years," said Glendowlyn Thames, CTNext's executive director. "Keeping more of our brightest college graduates here in Connecticut will yield tremendous economic rewards for the state in years to come."

Applications for 2021 are now being accepted, and will be reviewed by a panel of Stamford-based business leaders & executives, who will select the pool of second round candidates. As the process proceeds, candidates will be invited to a private job board where private-sector positions within Stamford-based companies have been created just for Fellows to apply to. Positions can be obtained in one of two ways: Interview with one of the partner companies on the Fellowship job board, or submit the description for a position in Stamford which a candidates has already accepted. If the candidate and the job meet all the requirements of the Fellowship, then the individual can be accepted as a Fellow.