3 KIPP Students Receive Dreamscape Scholarship to Jumpstart Career Pathways in Tech
New York, NY – [June 22, 2022] – Today Daversa Partners and KIPP Public Schools, a network of public charter schools announce Marionna Harris, Favour Asu, and Mirochclavia Salomon as the 2022 recipients of the Dreamscape Scholarship. This scholarship program is committed to mentoring these three amazing scholars as they bring bold, innovative thinking to their workspace and their community, and act as a catalyst for change.
“I am thrilled for this first cohort of KIPP Dreamscape Scholars,” said Tevera Stith, Senior Director, KIPP National Alumni Network. “These scholars are the next generation of leaders and through our partnership with Daversa Partners our alumni will be equipped with the support they need to reach their ultimate career goals.”
Daversa Partners, technology’s premier executive search firm launched Dreamscape in 2020, a business unit dedicated to ensuring there is Black representation on the boards and executive teams of the most important technology companies and investing firms of our generation. Each finalist submitted a presentation and pitch on how they would use $150,000 to solve a current problem in their own communities.
“We are incredibly excited by our partnership with KIPP,” said Clinton Browning, head of Dreamscape. “Dreamscape and Daversa Partners is committed to making sure there is Black representation at the leadership level, and we believe that Dreamscape can serve as a catalyst for change. Through mentorship, scholarship, and support, the Dreamscape Scholars program will foster a KIPP alumni community of innovative thinkers, life-long learners, and future tech industry changemakers.”
Dreamscape Scholars will receive:
- Stipends for critical expenses and last dollar tuition and room & board support
- An annual paid summer internship with the Dreamscape Team or one of its partners every summer during college
- A one-on-one mentor from the Dreamscape team who will support them through educational and professional pathways
- An invitation to KIPP’s Alumni Summit which includes registration and travel expenses
Marionna Harris, KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory
Marionna Harris is headed to Jackson State University in the fall, where she intends to major in Computer Science and help change the statistics for Black women and women of color in STEM. For her Dreamscape Scholars application, Marionna presented a proposal to address gun violence in her San Francisco community, by building a youth-focused community center. This facility would offer basic necessities like food, clothing, and bathroom facilities, as well as providing a safe space for students to learn and thrive after school. Her vision also includes an “Each One Teach One” mentorship program, where young adults would be matched with formerly incarcerated community members or others trying to move forward from challenging circumstances.
Favour Asu, KIPP Northern California – KIPP King Collegiate High School
Favour Asu will be attending San Jose State University in the fall to study Computer Science. He hopes to push for greater innovation in tech that makes people’s lives more convenient and equitable. For his Dreamscape application, Favour proposed creating a nonprofit organization called Teen Hope, focused on suicide prevention in his hometown of Oakland, CA. Recognizing that suicide is a leading cause of death among 10- to 34-year-olds in the US, and that teens having suicidal thoughts are often afraid to seek help due to stigma, Favour envisions a teen-led organization that offers peer-to-peer counseling in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. His plan includes an advertising campaign to reach local community members.
Mirochclavia Salomon, KIPP NYC – KIPP New York City College Prep
Mirochclavia Salomon is excited about attending the University of Pennsylvania this fall, where she plans to explore her interest in Medicine. For her Dreamscape Scholars application, Mirochclavia proposed a community center to address housing insecurity in West and North Harlem, where more than 2,000 students live in shelters or temporary housing. Called Future4Families, this facility would offer wraparound services including temporary housing, food, clothing, career guidance, and mental health services. Mirochclavia envisions this center as a haven for families in Harlem, with community members volunteering and donating.
About KIPP
KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of 270 public charter schools dedicated to preparing students in educationally underserved communities for success in college and life. KIPP schools are part of the free public school system and enrollment is open to all students. Started in 1994 as a middle school program, KIPP has since expanded to enroll over 115,000 students in all grades from PreK through high school. Nationwide, KIPP students complete their bachelor’s degree at three to four times higher rates than the average for students from low-income communities.
About Dreamscape
In 2020, Daversa Partners considered ways the firm could uniquely and effectively make an impact focused on intentionality and inclusivity. The result was Dreamscape, the firm’s largest stand-alone business unit which is dedicated to ensuring there is Black representation on the boards and executive teams of the most important companies and investing firms in technology. “Modern technology is one of the greatest opportunities for wealth creation and societal impact — with most of the financial returns accruing to the founders, early employees, board directors and investors in the breakout startups from each generation. Moreover, diverse executive teams and boards of directors’ lead to better results — they drive higher returns, decrease risk, and increase key performance metrics. However, Black executives have largely not been afforded the same opportunities in tech startups and venture capital.” Dreamscape was built on the premise that the tech community does not, in fact, have a pipeline issue, but rather it suffers from an access problem to diverse leaders – this business is committed to creating industry wide equity and transformation.