Growing up on the Southside of Chicago (and being born to a 13 year old mother), Chris Motley knew he wanted to pursue success and empower others to be successful.
Though he started out in difficult circumstances, he made his way to Columbia University, eventually securing a job with Goldman Sachs as a trader. Three years later, he had decided he needed more clarity on his career’s direction. He began to attend Kellog’s part time MBA program while also working for 1888 Mills as the Executive Vice President of the division he led. With the company, he aided in development of a new production facility in sub-Saharan Africa. Motley realized that replicating the assessment experience during his time with 1888 Mills worked equally well with his friends and other users. From there, Motley began working on making the idea become a reality. Understanding inefficiencies of the job hiring process, Motley pitched his idea during a Startup Weekend event in 2011. Attending the same event, Kunal Pardabia heard Motley’s speech and realized that he too had a different calling. From there, the two connected on their interests and built a partnership. Pardabia says, “Consulting and banking might be the most lucrative roads, but there are other ways to align yourself with your passions”
With a little help from the Founder Institute Chicago chapter, Motley and Pardabia grew Better Weekdays into a company that helps students and professionals navigate the frustration of getting hired. The two released a beta version in 2012 and ran it under the philosophy that if people are prepared and authentic, having access is the key to having an enriching career.Better Weekdays’ provides both a platform allowing job planning and job seeking that aligned with a seeker’s preferences and compatibility. The startup currently targets students and alumni from top universities, in hopes of creating more opportunity for those who are ready to hit the ground running right after graduation. Concurrently, Better Weekdays also assists education systems receive funding by providing their alumni a better means for job searching.
Better Weekdays has received a lot of support including St. Louis University and DeVry University. The company has also raised $1.5 Million in capital and aims to help more universities provide a way to help their students shape their future.
Graduates of the Founder Institute are creating some of the world's fastest growing startups, having raised over $1.85BN in funding, and building products people love across over 200 cities worldwide.
See the most recent news from our Grads at FI.co/news, or learn more about their stories at FI.co/journey.
