Bringing Salesforce Opportunities to Underserved Communities: Red Argyle’s Partnership with the KORP Foundation
Introduction
A year ago, Red Argyle’s Founder & CTO, Tom Patros had the pleasure of meeting Christopher Banks (better known as CJ), Founder and Chief Executive Officer of KORP Foundation INC. CJ had an inspiring vision: to bring Salesforce education and employment opportunities to underserved communities in western New York. This vision led him to establish the KORP Foundation, a platform to turn this dream into reality by providing individuals with the resources, guidance, and opportunities to empower a new generation of tech talent with the skills to succeed in today’s digital world.
Embracing Diversity at Red Argyle
At Red Argyle, we have a rich history of hiring individuals from “non-traditional” backgrounds. Our team boasts a former cellist, actor, philosophy PhD, sociologist, and even a security guard, among others. Our philosophy is simple: anyone with the desire to learn and work hard can thrive in the Salesforce ecosystem. It’s incredible to see how people leverage their unique life experiences in their roles as Salesforce professionals. Some skills and insights simply can’t be taught—they come from experience.
The Perfect Partnership
When we connected with CJ, we found that he was already building the very program we had always dreamed of through the KORP Foundation’s PATHS program. It was a perfect match!
We are thrilled to be the first employer partner of the PATHS program. Originally, we supported the program’s first cohort by teaching classes once a week. Throughout the week, students study on Trailhead and saasguru, working toward their Salesforce Associate and Administrator certifications. Every student has proudly earned their Associate certification. On Thursday nights, they gather for “Lab,” where they collaboratively build a Salesforce app. Their chosen project? A Fantasy Sports League app!
Red Argyle Founder Tom Patros said of the program: “It’s challenging and eye-opening for the students to get to apply their studies and start to ‘think like Salesforce’. It’s also a delight for me to guide these students toward their own decisions in their architecture and configuration decisions. Best of all, it’s as real as Salesforce work can get – we’re training students not only how to build on the platform, but how to gather requirements, take ownership of workstreams, be adaptable in the face of uncertainty, and communicate as a team.”
Looking Forward: Apprenticeships and Beyond
Red Argyle is thrilled to have recently hired four PATHS graduates for year-long apprenticeships. These apprentices have joined our project teams, working side-by-side with experienced Argylers, and will receive the support and mentorship they need to succeed throughout the duration of their time with our team.
While we wish we could hire all the graduates, Red Argyle isn’t quite big enough for that. So, we ask other Western New York employers to consider taking a chance on these diverse, eager, PATHS program graduates by giving them an opportunity to become Salesforce professionals within your organization.
How to Get Involved
If you’re interested in learning more about how to support the PATHS program as an employer partner, reach out to Christopher Banks, Sheana VanDyne, or Tom Patros. Check out the website here: PATHS Program.
Argyler Spotlight: Meet Our New Apprentices!
We are so excited to introduce the apprentices we have hired from the PATHS program. Here they are in their own words:
Mara:
“Hi, my name is Mara Monroe. Not long ago, I was a young man working a Data Collection job driving a vehicle that collected air quality data as I drove. When I was suddenly laid off due to lack of funding, I was suddenly faced by the question, “What do you want to do with your life?” Not long after, I met my partner and their son and quickly realized that I had found the answer to my question: I want a happy and safe future for myself and my family. Now… how to make that happen. Just as the job search was beginning to feel hopeless, along came the PATHS program.
This program allowed me to learn the ins and outs of Salesforce and build my soft skills while using my downtime to spend time with my partner and child whom I now consider my son. Along the road I discovered a lot about myself. For one, I’m not a man. I started my transition in October of ’23 and I’ve never doubted it since. After several months of pouring over Trailheads, obtaining certifications, and speaking with Salesforce Professionals in our guest speaker series, I was lucky enough to be picked as an Engineer Apprentice at Red Argyle. I’m thrilled to be able to learn from the incredibly talented and knowledgeable team here, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity that the KORP Foundation and Red Argyle have provided me to make my dreams come true.”
David:
“I was a diesel mechanic for the last 12 years up until July of 2023. I’ve been married for 15 years and have 2 kids- my son William is 12 and my daughter Isabel is 10. I used to be an avid/passionate skateboarder from the age of 15 up until I broke my leg in August of ’23. Even before I hurt myself I wanted to pursue a less physically demanding job that would challenge me mentally. Salesforce was suggested to me back in 2022 but I honestly thought it was a sales related thing and wasn’t interested at first. After looking into what it actually was I became very interested and was presented with the opportunity to take a workforce development course. That course was through the KORP Foundation which led me to this amazing opportunity working as an apprentice at Red Argyle. Being as new to the platform as I am and feeling like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what can be done in Salesforce, I hope to learn as much as possible from everyone at Red Argyle.”
William:
“My name is William Miley and I got involved with the PATHS program by the suggestion of KORPs founder, CJ Banks. I was previously a recording studio owner and a manager in the music industry. I had no previous Salesforce knowledge or experience, but the program trained us in the use of Salesforce through modules on Trailhead. At first, I was just trying to gain a new skill, but I became highly engaged in the power of Salesforce, which led to the appointment of this internship. I enjoy playing sports like baseball, basketball, football, bowling, and pool, and fantasy sports (baseball, basketball, and football). I am also passionate about creating and listening to music and managing talent. I hope to reignite my admiration for programming while improving on my organizing and structuring skills with the Red Argyle internship. I hope that what I learn will enable me to pass on a lifelong skill that could be an introduction to the tech industry for younger adults in my circle.”
Justin:
“A little about my background: I got my degree in accounting from the University at Buffalo back in 2015, but was earning a living in automotive sales and decided to stick with that as I was already established in that industry.
What I hope to learn: I hope to learn how to best utilize my skills and past experience with CRMs in the Salesforce ecosystem, specifically in a consulting role. There are so many paths to take in Salesforce and I’m interested to learn where my skills and experience best fit and can be maximally useful. I’m also excited to see how all of the moving parts come together to provide the best possible client experience.
Personal Interests: Hiking/Camping/Road Trips/Exploring, Hockey, Live Music/Theatre – Trying to keep up with whatever my kids are into!
How I got into Salesforce: After spending so long in car sales I was starting to feel burnt out. Between the long, unusual hours, lack of holidays off, and hitting a personal growth wall, it started to make sense to look at other options. I had heard a bit about Salesforce prior but wasn’t really sure how to get into something like this. It happened sort of serendipitously that a friend introduced me to the KORP Foundation PATHS Program, which was focused on a Salesforce Admin cohort, and I really fell in love with learning about it more and seeing how I could use my past experience in sales within Salesforce and just the problem solving and building that goes into working in this field.”
Conclusion
At Red Argyle, we believe in the power of opportunity and the potential of every individual, regardless of their background. Our partnership with the KORP Foundation and the PATHS program is a testament to this belief. Together, we can create a more inclusive and diverse Salesforce ecosystem, one opportunity at a time.
Reach out to Christopher Banks, Sheana VanDyne, or Tom Patros to learn more about how to support the PATHS program as an employer partner.
