Today, Zaka Connect (Zaka™), a career advancement and professional development platform for first and second-generation immigrant professionals, announced its general public availability after six months in beta. Zaka was built to address the lack of visibility, community, mentorship, tools and resources, and cross-cultural programs specifically for immigrant professionals.
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Built by immigrants for immigrants, Zaka is the premier networking community and professional blueprint for first and second-generation immigrant professionals to advance their careers, unlock opportunities, and make their American dream a reality. (Graphic: Business Wire)
Zaka provides a complete B2B and B2C solution with hundreds of hours of on-demand workshops, training, and coaching sessions featuring more than 100 of the nation’s top immigrant executives and over 7,000 subscribers. It has garnered support and training from immigrant leaders across business sectors, including Accenture, DoorDash, Goldman Sachs, Google, LinkedIn, Morgan Stanley, Nerdwallet, Northwestern Financial, Redbull, Reddit, and Spotify.
Immigrants are integral to America’s success and have an undeniable impact on the economy. Nearly half of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children, and companies spend thousands of dollars to hire and sponsor talented employees. As population demographics evolve, the US economy will hinge on its ability to attract, develop, and transition diverse immigrant professionals from college to the corporate workforce.
“I wish Zaka existed when I first started my career,” shared Arvin Patel, Chief Licensing Officer Nokia, and advisory board member to Zaka. “I am in the rooms as companies discuss the future of work. Training and empowering our talented immigrant professionals is essential to long-term success. Zaka fills a critical void in the professional development space for corporations, and I’m honored to be a part of this movement.”
“There are unspoken rules working in corporate America that us immigrants don’t know, there are nuances below the surface that you need to understand to navigate and thrive,” added Annie Jean Baptiste, globally renowned tech executive and author of Building for Everyone. “It’s much harder navigating your career without guidance, I see Zaka as a significant hub to help immigrant professionals grasp these unspoken tips, and practices while fostering a tight-knit community.”
Zaka was founded in 2019 by Greg Maurice, a media and entertainment executive and Haitian immigrant, and co-founded by Devika Brj, an author, a first-generation immigrant, and former sales and people leader at Google and LinkedIn, in response to the negative rhetoric and media stereotypes of immigrants.
“My experience as an immigrant was invisible in every DEI conversation and employee resource group,” added Greg Maurice, founder of Zaka, on his career journey and navigating multiple identities as an immigrant professional. “Not only was I one of the few people of color in many spaces, I had to grow in my identity as an American while there was a part of myself that no one understood. You don’t have to explain yourself anymore at Zaka. We get it, and we know the political rhetoric and what you see on TV about immigrants isn’t indicative of our contributions to America.”
Zaka offers corporate, academic, and organizational partnerships and three individual membership tiers ranging from free to $39.99/mo, as well as:
- 100+ hours of on-demand workshops
- Monthly career coaching sessions and Q&A with immigrant leaders and executives
- My Journey, a weekly podcast hosted by Paul Herman, a first-generation immigrant and motivational speaker
- Monthly newsletter
- Curated workshops and advisory solutions for businesses, universities, and organizations
- Strategic networking, events, and community building with and for like-minded immigrant professionals
Read more and become a member of Zaka Connect here.
About Zaka: Built by immigrants for immigrants, Zaka is the premier networking community and professional blueprint for first and second-generation immigrant professionals to advance their careers, unlock opportunities, and make their American dream a reality. Learn more at www.zakaconnect.com.
About Greg Maurice: Greg Maurice was born and raised in Haiti before moving to NY at the age of 13. His career began in digital media at ICR Inc., a top-10 Investor Relations firm. He then pivoted to entertainment where he served as the Director of Marketing and Acquisition at eOne, where he led their Black film division. His passion for serving underrepresented talent eventually led him to CSS Entertainment where he currently heads up the Black vertical as Sr. Director of Acquisitions and acquires entertainment content that is licensed to Netflix, HBO, BET, Hulu, Showtime, Starz, Allblk, Amazon, etc. Greg’s passion for transforming the careers of immigrant professionals was birthed through his own challenges creating the “American Dream” in corporations that struggled to create environments where immigrants are set up for success. His mission is to help the immigrant community thrive in their professional and personal lives through the resources provided through Zaka. Learn more at: www.gregmaurice.com.
About Devika Brij: Devika Brij is an author, career advancement expert, and champion for creating empowered professionals by enabling them to embrace their position as the driver of their careers. She is a former sales leader who spent her career in tech across companies like Google and LinkedIn. As a first-generation immigrant, Devika experienced several challenges that drove her to learn, adopt and create the blueprint for successful career acceleration in competitive, corporate environments. She has 12+ years of experience creating professional development frameworks that enable professionals of color to thrive in their careers and master effective self-advocacy. As the CEO of Brij the Gap Consulting, she partners with clients including Reddit, Visa, Meta, Morgan Stanley, Pinterest and many others to develop BIPOC professionals globally. Her mission is to help every immigrant thrive in their careers by offering career advancement education and exclusive coaching to the Zaka community. Learn more at www.devikabrij.com.
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