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About Us
Built to Prepare People—and Strengthen Workforces.
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The Ideal Candidate prepares emerging professionals with the communication, leadership, and workplace skills employers expect—then helps organizations build stronger, more prepared talent pipelines.
Our Origin
About The Ideal Candidate
The Ideal Candidate began with a clear workforce problem.
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After 10 people were placed in technology roles through a university program, only three remained beyond 90 days. The challenge was not talent or technical ability. It was workplace readiness.
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Kevin P. Davenport founded The Ideal Candidate Inc. in 2016 to close that gap through practical training, professional development, and employer-aligned preparation.
ONE MISSION.
TWO ORGANIZATIONS.
ABOUT The Ideal Candidate
The Ideal Candidate Inc. is our workforce training and talent-solutions company. It provides direct training, certification, curriculum licensing, candidate preparation, and talent-pipeline services for employers and workforce partners.
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Ideal Candidate NFP is our tax-exempt nonprofit impact arm. It uses donations, grants, and foundation support to expand access to training, scholarships, paid work experiences, candidate stipends, and employment opportunities.
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The organizations have separate EINs and financial operations, but work toward one shared mission: preparing people for opportunity while helping employers access talent ready to perform.
Us By The Numbers
OUR IMPACT
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23,158 people educated and/or placed
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7,158 job placements
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56 university partners
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72 organizations and hiring partners
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Impact across 33 cities and 11 countries
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12-time nationally recognized organization
Awards
Awards and Recognition
Stellar Champion Award
Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council
Microsoft TechMaker Award
Microsoft & World Business Chicago
Influential Business of the Year
Northwest Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
WHERE WE ARE GOING
We are building a scalable training and placement ecosystem that prepares talent before day one.
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Through direct training, train-the-trainer licensing, digital learning, employer partnerships, and supported placement pathways, The Ideal Candidate is helping people enter the workforce with confidence—and helping employers hire with greater confidence.