In the midst of COVID-19, it’s no secret that a lot of people felt lost. There were many students who had lost internships and many small businesses were struggling to stay afloat. Sofia and Matthew wanted to help by connecting students with small businesses for short-term paid projects, looking for different ways to engage students and bring diversity and equity into business. Traditionally, unpaid internships tend to favor more privileged individuals, so creating paid opportunities built a foundation for a more diverse clientele base.

Their mission is to create a more diverse and equitable employment among college-aged students that better prepare them for post-graduation life as well as helps small businesses. Sofia and Matthew launched Rize during summer 2020, and since then they’ve worked with approximately 700 students from 25 different universities through 60 short term paid projects, helping students to get more access to the necessary skills to succeed in small business environments.

Sofia and Matthew credit their membership in Delta Sigma Pi as a launching point for many of their personal and professional growth, as well as a place they surrounded themselves with many self-starting, like-minded individuals. They encourage Deltasigs to build relationships with other brothers and be to new ideas and opportunities. "The more effort you put into your experience as a Deltasig, the sooner you’ll see the benefits." 

Sofia and Matthew are excited to further promote the many benefits of student talent. Students are valuably, they have unique skillsets and they can help companies grow. They also hope to implement Rize into career centers around the country to help propel the next generation of business leaders into the future.