FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT FORKAIA®
What is Forkaia®? Forkaia’s state of the art internship platform trains students to become employees in their field. Forkaia® is like an NFL Combine for college students but instead of sprinting and jumping, they code, analyze data and write business plans and prepare for their careers.
What is Forkaia’s mission? Forkaia® started 3 years ago by giving college students a chance to participate in our company, get real life experience and grow. We wanted to encourage students to build their ideas and start their own startups. We built multiple programs to help you learn new skills, develop your talents and get the work experience you need so they can go further in their professional careers. Today, we have helped over 1000 college students get work experience, get into grad school and land the jobs they want.
What are the background of Forkaia® users? Forkaia® has a very diverse team of engineers, computer programmers, data scientists and business professionals from the top Universities on the planet.
What is STEALTH? Forkaia’s parent company, STEALTH is a one of a kind Venture Studio that’s building disruptive companies positioned to fundamentally change existing markets. We find, build & invest in AI startups & early stage technology companies that are disrupting the present in service of a better future. Stealth will invest into large-scale cloud compute, attracting and retaining talented people, building AI supercomputers and startups that use AI to improve human life. As we grow these businesses, we also hope to help many of you enter the field of AI, and do the important work of building an AI-powered society.
Can you give some examples or STEALTH startups? Below are a couple examples but there are many more companies in the portfolio.
What does Forkaia® mean? There are two meaning behind the name Forkaia®.
First meaning is a combination of the words ‘fork’ and ‘ai’. ‘Fork’ in computer science means a process that creates a copy of itself which is precisely what we’re doing with our Idea Lab using AI at scale. Our platform allows ideas to fork off and multiply. What we’re doing in the Idea Lab will result in tools and services that are hard to imagine today.
Kaia also happens to be the name of the founder’s daughter. He wanted to do something special for her so he named the company for Kaia.
What’s the deadline to apply to Forkaia® programs? Our programs are held year-round. You can apply whenever you're ready.
Do I have to be a student to join? No
What qualifications do I need to apply for Forkaia®? We don't use specific KPI's to determine new hires because it's such a personal thing to our organization, instead of numbers we put more emphasis on culture fit, aptitude and your ability to learn things you don't know. We look at how well you do in ambiguous environments working on open (and pivotable) projects without expending too many company resources. We look for people who are young, smart and hungry. We never get seduced by a glittering résumé. What you know is not as important as how your brain is wired for thought, how your brain is wired to ask questions, this is what we’re interested in.
Do I have to have work experience? No. A shared passion is far more important than education or relevant work experience. We want people who are loyal and motivated and afraid of being put into a box. Participants get a concierge, a mentor, unlimited support and resources to ascertain that they have the best experience ever.
Can I work remotely? Yes. Forkaia® is a Virtual First company. Remote work (outside an office) is the primary experience for all employees and the day-to-day default for individual work.
Do you have any offices? Yes we call them studios. Forkaia® Studios are collaborative, on-demand spaces all over the world. Every employee aligned to one of our offices will have access to a Studio. To ensure a fair and consistent employee experience, we felt it was important to be prescriptive about how these spaces are used—so Forkaia® Studios will be specifically for collaboration and community-building, and employees will not be able to use them for solo work. Utilization of Forkaia® Studios will vary by team needs, so we may set up new ones as our geographic distribution and employee concentration changes.
What’s your company phone number? We don't have a phone number you can call but please don’t misunderstand this as any lack of interest! We’d love to answer your questions. We know the decision to omit phone support is unusual, but after experimenting with different approaches, we’ve found that starting with email enables us to provide the fastest response. We focus on providing fast and high quality responses by email, so you’re always talking to a human that can help first-hand.
Is it hard to learn the Forkaia® platform? No it’s very simple and Plug N’ Play: the platform allows users to get right into creating, designing, coding, and building.
Who are the Idea Lab Startup founders? STEALTH. And possibly you. Our mission is to piece together unicorns with the right teams, you could be be a big piece of the puzzle. Find out more about Equity Ownership
WORK ENVIRONMENT & CULTURE
What’s the work environment like? We have a collaborative environment where we discuss challenges and ideas openly. We cultivate performance & leadership through empowering other team members, diversity of thought & a commitment to an inclusive culture that values hard work, focus & discipline. Everything from quick design questions, philosophical discussions, to fun ideas for our technology – nothing is off limits. We are an engineering-driven organization; everyone here makes product decisions. We try really hard to create a work environment that:
Supports the company mission
gives employees freedom and flexibility
preserves human connection and company culture
sustains the long-term health of our company
Retains a learning mindset.
To what extent would I have the flexibility to work on my own ideas? We give every person at Forkaia® the freedom and power to enable their entrepreneurial spirit and pursuit of their passions, while taking away the many risks that come with going away from an employer and trying to start a business on their own. You have 100% flexibility to work on your own idea. You can build whatever you want here. We give you full autonomy so you can build a new product, website, app, business or even make a movie if you like. The Combine is a pretty good opportunity to try some things out before committing to one thing.
Do I have employee freedom? Absolutely. you can work from anywhere on whatever you want, anytime you want. We put the controller in your hand so you can navigate your very own work experience, customized to your needs. Simply pick your team, pick your position and play.
What’s my work schedule? There's no set schedule, we encourage employees to design their own schedules. As our workforce grows more distributed, this will help balance collaboration with needs for individual focus. We have always prioritized impact and results instead of hours worked. You can work whenever you want as long as you log in your hours each week here
Can I work alone? Yes. Working remotely and in different time zones is tricky because you have to wait until everybody responds in order to break up tasks...this slows things down tremendously, by the time everybody communicates the project could be finished. We work mostly individually, sometimes in teams but never in teams of more than 3 people. We only add teammates if there’s a need for another teammate which you can request at anytime here
How can I get help? Forkaia® has always prioritized creativity and collaboration as key to building a thriving business. We’ve invested in a holistic ecosystem of resources, including a dedicated team, mentors and a personal concierge to support our users and track our progress by measuring impacts on productivity, engagement, and culture so we can continue to adapt. There are plenty of smart people who can help in your Forkaia® journey, you can email us anytime here
How much do I get access to? All of it. At Forkaia®, we aim to be the most transparent company in the world so we give you access to all of our platforms, startups, programs, tools, proprietary technology, and talent. We’ll give you access to as much information as possible to spark your own ideas, imagination and creativity. We believe every single person is equal in value so we consciously built the company with no hierarchies. We built a flat corporate structure to eliminate power distances and to make sure everyone is always accessible, including the CEO who could be reached by phone, email or text here
THE PLATFORMS
Who would benefit from Forkaia® platforms?
Students looking for Work Experience
Seniors graduating soon who need help finding a job
Students looking to get into tech or AI
Students who need professional career branding, networking and connections
Students who want to apply what they’ve learned
Why Work With the Forkaia® Accelerator? Getting a startup from idea to Series A funding is not easy; there’s an endless slate of challenges to overcome. The Forkaia® Accelerator is here to maximize your chance of success and accelerate getting your company to market. We provide the capital, expertise, and resources to accelerate the work required to minimize risks in your startup, help you rise above the noise, and make your company more attractive to new investors. More answers to your Accelerator questions here
Why Forkaia® Talent Agency? Big firms recruit from our Talent Agency. Our interns received offers recently from Apple, Alphabet, Facebook, Tesla, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Amazon, Microsoft, Snapchat and more. A number of these interns were from non-target schools. A lot of companies follow us and consider Forkaia® work experience a huge positive on your resume. You will get more interviews after working for us. Our students are from Yale, Columbia, Stanford, NYU, Johns Hopkins, Berkeley, CalTech, Carnegie Mellon, Princeton and many other top schools. Many of our students go to graduate school. Our reference can help you with that. More answers to your Talent Agency questions here
How can I receive equity? We believe in fairness and sharing that's why we created Round Z. We share equity with the whole team.
THE COLLEGE COMBINE FORKAIA® INTERNSHIP
When can I start the Combine? There is no set start date - you can start whenever you’re ready.
Do I need to do anything to prepare for the Combine? No.
Is the Combine flexible? The Combine is very flexible. You can work on your own time, whenever you want from wherever you are on any project you like. You can work on one or all 300 start-ups, do strictly Agency work or a mix of both, it’s up to you. You can login your hours interchangeably.
How can I be successful in this program? The Forkaia® Combine is for scrappy people who take initiative. You select your own tasks and deadlines; we’ve built the platform and are providing you with the tools and freedom to get out there and start writing, coding, creating, designing, building or whatever it is that you want to do. This is a rare opportunity (at the ideal time in your life) but there is very little hand-holding in the startup world, if you feel like this is not for you you can opt out at anytime here
Are there any specific fields for the program? We prepare students in a variety of fields including Data, Tech, Design, Finance, Consulting and much more.
What positions or roles can I work? Click here for a list of current positions. Email us if you don’t see a good fit we’re probably leaving some positions out
What is the weekly time commitment for this program? We require at least 20 hours a week
How long is the program? 2-3 months
Can I extend the program? Yes
Can I receive Academic Credit for Forkaia®? Students may receive course credit for Combine. Staff will work with the school/advisor on achieving desired learning outcomes and completing all necessary paperwork.
Any chance of full-time return offer? Yes. Though you must really stand out as Full-time jobs at Forkaia® are very competitive.
Do I receive any certifications? Diplomas and Certificates upon successful completion.
Would there be any recommendation letters after internship completion? Yes we furnish letters of recommendations, job references and employment verification; whether you want to apply for Grad school or get a job having Forkaia® on your resume gives you a big boost and competitive advantage. Program participants also receive a Completion Completion certificate and final evaluation, concierge, mentorship, guidance and continuous feedback on their work so they can improve and become the best in their field. Our past interns have found the Forkaia internship experience immensely fulfilling which has made our organization one of the Top desired Companies to work for
Can I make money working on the Idea Lab startups? You don’t make an hourly wage or salary but if you blow us away during the Combine, we will make you a job offer or even give you equity in one of the startups. You can request Equity on any project at anytime to get the conversation started.
Can I make money working on Agency Projects? Yes. Clients will invite you to work on projects based on your profile. You select what you want to work on and how much you want to make. There’s no limit on how many projects you can work on or how much money you can make.
How much can I make? As much as you want; you set your Agency rate.
How much can I set my Agency rate at? Whatever you feel your market value is but it caps off at $999/hour
How much do I get from my Upwork money? It’s all you. You keep 100% of what you make on Upwork. Pay varies per project.
When do I get Paid? When project is completed and funded.
How do I get Paid? Venmo, Zelle, Paypal or check. You must be Legally eligible to be paid. You can work on Agency projects even if you’re not eligible for receiving payment. This is your gig economy sandbox: the goal is to build your portfolio and gain experience.
When and How are Tasks assigned? Almost never. We like picking tasks instead of assigning them. You can select the task you want to work on OR ask us to assign you one
How many tasks can I pick? We suggest you select one task at a time until you get the hang of things.
What’s the deadline on my projects? Deadlines vary per project but We care a lot more about the quality and usefulness of your work than a quick turnaround time. If it’s not good, don’t turn it in. You can get feedback anytime you want here
What technology can I use? We’re Tech Agnostic. You can use the technology you prefer
Are there any instructions for turning my work in? Yes, please follow the Work Protocol
Where do I submit my work? Submit your work here when you’re done
How do I pick up a new task? Whenever you're ready you can pick up a new task here
What do interns receive after this internship? Upon completion of the program, Interns will receive a Performance Assessment report, a Completion Certificate and a Recommendation letter. Click here to see real samples
Do you provide training to interns? If yes, which position & what kind of training? Yes. Business, Data, Artificial Intelligence, Venture capital and Technology Startups via Startup X Academy. All your students get free access to these training courses and receive certification upon completion
What’s the interview format? Length? Content? 30 Minutes on Zoom, we cover questions regarding technical skillset, applicable work experience and career goals and needs. Here are some of the questions we may cover in the interview.
Do you have any basic requirements for interns? (Technical & General) If yes, please list by position. None. There’s a Variety of tasks with a level of difficulty that ranges anywhere from easy to extremely complex; the experience is invaluable for most people.
Can interns choose where to work? Student’s can customize their experience. Interns choose the company, position, start date and duration. Interns work with innovative companies that are tailored to their interests; they'll be able to choose from different teams and startups and switch between them based on their educational and career aspirations.
How much workload is assigned to interns? They are assigned Daily or Weekly? One task at a time, assigned consecutively. There’s never any downtime because we have a very long to-do list. Some tasks take a couple of days to complete and some take as long as 4 weeks, it depends on the project and task. We give the interns the flexibility to work on the tasks they find interesting from our task menu so they stray engaged.
How often do you check the performance of the interns? Constantly, We like making sure they are understanding their tasks and have everything they need in order to become successful. This is very important to us, we check in on interns every couple of days; their supervisor, concierge and support team are on top of their tasks and activities on a daily basis.
What Internship Positions are currently available? For a full list of positions click here
Where can Interns work from? We’ve built the Forkaia® Cockpit (Workspace) so you can work from anywhere on whatever you want, anytime you want. We put the controller in your hand so you can navigate your very own work experience, customized to your needs. With the best user experience so it feels like you’re playing a video game. It’s very Plug N’ Play so you can get right into Coding, designing and building.
What apps will participants use? Slack? Zoom? Forkaia®, Email and Zoom.
What skills and objectives will they accomplish? It all depends on what they want to work chances are we have a project for them in that sphere. Most participants work on data, coding and business skills. We post all the tasks we need help with in their portal and they choose the ones they like. The internship helps interns develop career competencies and transferable skills such as problem solving, teamwork and effective communication.
What else can Interns expect? During the internship, interns receive continuous guidance, role modeling and motivation with unlimited access to mentors and performance coaches. All interns are assigned a supervisor and mentor who will teach them valuable skills everyday. Our team provides interns with essential tools like one-on-one meetings for constructive feedback, letters of recommendation, job references, and an evaluation certificate. Interns also get an opportunity to participate in learning experiences and activities and chance to network with professionals throughout the Forkaia® ecosystem.
Do Interns have help? Absolutely. Every intern gets assigned 1) a Supervisor 2) their own personal Concierge (Assistant) and 3) the entire Support team to help make their experience unforgettable. And each department checks in on interns every couple of days to make sure of that.
Do you hold Meetings? We check up on interns on a daily basis so we are always communicating with each other. And we’re always available for a meeting when requested.
Is there an internship Timeline? Yes. Here’s a timeline for an eight-week internship. There are shorter and longer versions of this timeline but everyone goes through the same process.
Day 1 Onboard
Day 2 Concierge Introduction
Day 3 Support Team Onboarding Completion Check-In
Day 4 Startup X and Agency Sign up
Day 5 Supervisor Follow Up
Day 8 Concierge Follow Up
Day 11 Support Team Check-In #1
Day 12 PANDA Accelerator applications
Day 15 Concierge Check-In # 2
Day 19 Supervisor Check-In # 2
Day 24 Support Team Check-In #2
Day 28 Talent Agency
Day 30 Concierge Check-In # 3
Day 35 Supervisor Check-In # 3
Day 39 Support Team Check-In # 3
Day 44 Concierge Check-In #4
Day 49 Support Team Check-In # 4
Day 55 Exit Evaluations
Day 60 Get Completion Certificate
Day 70 After Completion | Post Program Follow Up
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