Braven's mission is to empower promising, underrepresented young people – first-generation college students, students from low-income backgrounds, and students of color – with the skills, confidence, experiences and networks necessary to transition from college to strong first jobs which lead to meaningful careers and lives of impact. At the universities and colleges which partner with Braven, Fellows earn course credit while gaining valuable insights and experiences that are designed to accelerate job attainment within 6 months of graduation. After seeing positive results in three other US markets, Braven launched in New York in the Spring of 2020 in partnership with the City University of New York and Lehman College, undeterred by the challenges of doing so in a virtual landscape. To date, Braven has served nearly 400 students and is on a path to serve more than 1,800 students within four years.

This investment is part of Credit Suisse's philanthropic commitment to Future Skills, which aims to equip young people with the skills and education needed to gain meaningful employment and fulfill their potential. This donation continues a multi-decade commitment by the Credit Suisse Americas Foundation to empower underrepresented young people. Through this and other partnerships, Credit Suisse upholds our responsibility to be more intentional about advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, internally and externally, by leveraging our platform and resources.

"We're both proud and thrilled to partner with Braven," said Eric Eckholdt, Executive Director of the Credit Suisse Americas Foundation and Head of Corporate Citizenship Americas. "The organization embodies what we think is critical to building a more inclusive society – a deeper cooperation between employers and the education system so that all have pathways to careers that provide for self-sufficient, choice-filled lives. Along with their bold and innovative mission, we admire Braven's spirit, leadership and ability to bring together the many stakeholders who make this possible. It's an honor to support them, especially at this critical time during their expansion in NYC."

"We are thrilled with and grateful to Credit Suisse for this partnership" said Kilsys Payamps-Roure, Executive Director of Braven-NYC. "It is invaluable as we work to grow our local impact over the next three years to help New York City foster a more equitable, strong and inclusive economy and help hundreds of incredible Lehman College and CUNY students from humble beginnings on their path to economic success and the freedom it brings."