Andre Peart
Untapped Solutions, a participant in the Westchester Innovation Network (WIN), will receive a $150,000 start-up grant from Google to grow its online employment platform.
Untapped Solutions, formerly known as ConConnect, is one of 46 U.S. recipients of this year’s Google for Startups Black Founders Fund and Latino Founders Fund. Untapped Solutions helps individuals facing barriers to employment by connecting them with employment resources, mentors, and networking tools via an easy-to-use app.
“We are honored to be accepted into the Black Founders Fund, which will support Untapped Solutions as we grow into a national platform that connects job seekers with employers,” said Untapped Solutions’ CEO Andre Peart, a Yonkers native.
This is the second Google grant for a participant in WIN, a Business Council of Westchester (BCW) initiative designed to connect innovative products and services with local partners to support their development. Last year, WIN innovator Lessonbee received a Google grant to grow its online children’s health education platform.
“The WIN initiative was designed to be a launch pad to growth and new investment. The Google grants for two of our tech innovators validates our value pitch to WIN participants,” said Dr. Marsha Gordon, the BCW’s president and CEO. “We look forward to seeing more of our WIN participants enter funding programs like the Google for Startups Initiative.”
Beyond $150,000 in equity-free cash, participants in the Founders Fund program receive sales and fundraising training, technical support from Google mentors, up to $100,000 in Google Cloud credits, and mental health coaching from a team of Black and Latino therapists.
The Google grant is the latest success for Untapped Solutions. In 2022, WIN helped Untapped Solutions reach new audiences for its job-resources app through a match with the Yonkers Housing Authority. The collaboration ignited policy initiatives making it easier for previously incarcerated people to qualify for rental leases.
