First Candidate was created to solve unemployment. Named after the long-term unemployed, we’re committed to creating new opportunities for businesses, individuals, and society as a whole. Working with supporters, employers, journalists, and industry leaders, we’re on a mission to create inspiring work for every person who wants it. To our founders, it was clear that the media had the power to influence public perception, inspire change and make a difference. The written word has power, and we intend to use it. The concept began as First Ink, a space that partnered out-of- work people with journalists and writers who could tell their stories. The goal was to challenge perceptions and demonstrate that unemployment can happen to anyone through no fault of their own. But that approach only addresses one side of the issue, and we wanted to be more; an intelligent, multi-faceted solution. The people best placed to deliver that solution are industry leaders and academic experts, so the concept of First Ink grew to include a petition platform. That still wasn’t enough. To beat unemployment, you need jobs. Another poorly designed job portal advertising uninspiring vacancies might provide a few people with employment, but we knew it wouldn’t solve any long-term problems. The answer was simple; we needed a disruptive job site with advanced profiling, social elements, and next-generation features that matched candidates to employers based on the passions and long-term needs of both. We needed First Work. Still just a concept, First Candidate was beginning to take shape. The platform was missing only one thing; a job creation element. Enter First Crowdfund, the work creating machine that turns promising startups into stable businesses and employers. Together, these three elements make up First Candidate, the social revolution that’s changing how we view unemployment. But the journey isn’t over yet. In fact, it is only just beginning.