Training and access to entry-level jobs in tech sales and customer success provided by Diligent and SV Academy

Baltimore, Maryland, July 5, 2022 - Diligent, the global leader in modern governance providing SaaS solutions across governance, risk, compliance and ESG, today announced the launch of its new hub in Baltimore, along with a new free training program to upskill and recruit under-represented job seekers. The training program is launched in partnership with SV Academy, the largest learning community of diverse sales professionals. Up to 100 Baltimore-area residents will be accepted into the program, which provides career-ready technical and professional skills, and roughly 30 graduates from the first cohort in 2022 will be matched with entry-level jobs in tech sales and customer success at Diligent.

“Having lived in Baltimore with my family for four years, I know what a dynamic and talented workforce the city has,” said Brian Stafford, CEO of Diligent. “This, combined with the city’s close proximity to our DC and New York offices made Baltimore the perfect location to launch our hub and this training program. Diligent shares in the city's vision of building a diverse tech ecosystem and graduates from the program will bring a diverse range of skills, experiences and perspectives to their next roles at Diligent and other Baltimore-area employers."

The launch of the training program builds on Diligent’s continued efforts to invest in the development of go-to-market talent and further increase diversity in the technology industry. No degree or experience is required to enter the virtual training program, and part-time training options are available to accommodate caregivers and existing job schedules. All graduates will be eligible for up to six months of job search support and one year of job coaching from SV Academy.

“Nearly 80,000 tech jobs were added to the US in 2021, yet access to these roles has been limited, especially for women and people of color,” said Rahim Fazal, Co-Founder and CEO of SV Academy, who does not have an undergraduate degree. “Our goal at SV Academy is to democratize access to the tech industry. Working with leading software companies like Diligent to place our graduates in high-growth careers is instrumental to this mission.”

Applicants may choose between SV Academy’s Success in Sales Development or Foundations in Customer Success programs, with courses beginning as early as July 5, 2022.

“SV Academy has an extremely impressive track record of helping underrepresented groups to forge career paths in the tech industry, which made them a natural choice to partner with on this program,” added MarKeith Allen, Senior Vice President and GM of Mission-Driven Organizations at Diligent. “We are excited for the impact this program will have on Diligent, the Baltimore area and the technology industry as a whole.”

Interested applicants can apply here by July 22, 2022.

About Diligent

Diligent is the global leader in modern governance, providing SaaS solutions across governance, risk, compliance and ESG. Serving more than 1 million users from over 25,000 customers around the world, we empower transformational leaders with technology, insights and confidence to drive greater impact and lead with purpose. Learn more at diligent.com.

About SV Academy

SV Academy is on a mission to create $100B of wealth expansion for under-represented jobseekers. Founded in 2017, SV Academy supports over 400 SaaS employers with a highly connected community of rigorously trained, high performing sales and customer success talent. The company’s platform offers skills building, mentoring, job placement assistance and post-hiring support such as networking events and coaching, with 60% of its graduates being promoted in the first year. SV Academy was named #2 Most Innovative Education Program by Fast Company and is supported by OWL Ventures, Uprising, Bloomberg Beta, Kapor Capital, ReThink Education, as well as Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary’s Sound Ventures. To learn more, visit sv.academy.

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Emma Herrmann
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