Capital One Supports Posse Program and Future Leaders

Capital One's commitment to education and diverse leadership shines brightly through its partnership with The Posse Foundation, a national organization that identifies, trains, and supports diverse, low-income students with leadership potential. Since 2018, Capital One has been a dedicated Posse partner, particularly with Posse DC, providing funding, volunteer mentorship programs for students, and creating a valuable hiring pipeline. This partnership is more than just financial support – it's a deeply invested partnership shaping the future of promising young leaders.

“Posse is so proud to partner with Capital One, a company that values collaboration and teamwork. We love Capital One’s big investment in Posse Scholars and are grateful to them for helping these outstanding young people develop professionally and enter the workforce ready to lead,” says Deborah Bial, President and Founder of The Posse Foundation.

At the heart of Posse's work is the Dynamic Assessment Process (DAP), a unique evaluation method that goes beyond traditional academic metrics. The DAP is a selective process where nominated students engage in group problem-solving and other activities to showcase their leadership ability, communication skills, teamwork, and drive. Capital One volunteers play a crucial role in DAP Day, serving as evaluators and gaining a holistic view of each applicant. This involvement allows Posse to identify students who might be missed by traditional admissions criteria at highly selective schools but who can excel on campus.

“The DAP helps to identify future leaders by seeing the students deal with pressure while maintaining focus on having fun and being inclusive,” says Bradley Jiulianti, Executive Vice President of Card Data at Capital One, who also serves on the Posse Board. “Great leaders are able to manage those dynamics with ease and it’s amazing to see these young people thriving in that environment. When the DAP is at a Capital One location it feels so natural and I hope our environments can help bring out the best in the students.”

During a recent DAP Day hosted by Capital One at its McLean campus, 16 Capital One volunteers helped evaluate more than 100 students from across the Washington D.C. area. This effort culminated in five students receiving full-ride scholarships.

Joan Chen, a Posse scholar, who now works at Capital One as a Software Engineer, had first-hand experience with the DAP. 

“What’s really special about the process is that it’s not looking for the loudest voice in the room,” Chen said. “It’s easy to assume the loudest person is the most influential and the best leader. But what I learned is that being a strong leader is about being intentional, empathetic, a good listener, and a diplomatic facilitator. DAP day gave us space to explore our styles, which really shifted how I viewed leadership and myself as a leader.”

The impact of Posse's college access programs for minority students is significant. Approximately 57% of Posse Scholars are first-generation college students, and Posse sends students to college in groups of 10, providing them with a built-in community and network that helps them learn, grow, and graduate. Posse Scholars graduate at a rate of 90 percent, a testament to the program's effectiveness and the students' dedication.

“Posse is rooted in community and support from your peers — your posse!” Chen said. “I can’t imagine what college would have been like without my Posse at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Because there’s a Posse in every class and you get so much help from older Posse students who know the ropes when it comes to classes and college life. There are a lot of opportunities to connect with and learn from each other. It's all about having each other's backs.”

These scholarships represent an investment in the next generation of community leaders. Posse Scholars are not just students; they’re active, engaged members of their campus communities. 80% of 2017 graduating Posse Scholars were officers of a college organization, and 20 seniors served in student government. 

Capital One's partnership with Posse is a powerful example of how organizations can work together to create meaningful change. By supporting Posse's mission to identify, train, and support diverse, low-income students with leadership potential, Capital One is not only funding college educations but also investing in a more inclusive and equitable future. The collaboration helps create leaders who can tackle complex social problems and ensures that talented students have the opportunity to thrive.

“I hope that both Posse and Capital One can help each other – we’re both on a journey to build great leaders in every sense of the word,” Jiulianti said. “On that journey, it’s critical to understand that they can come from anywhere. I love the notion that great leaders don’t all have the same background but they all appreciate and accentuate the greatness of others and I see that concept on display in both organizations.”