Help Us continue Our Work!

CILI was founded in 2019 by entrepreneur and human resources executive Perry Sholes, in response to disparities he observed in Louisiana while working with leading consumer products companies. He recognized the need for an organization that connects local first-generation college students—who often face compounded racial and economic barriers—to corporate employers. We are ready for opportunities within companies throughout the New Orleans Region and Louisiana for mid to high wage careers in industries that transform and facilitate economic growth.

Help Us continue our work!

Here is what your Donation or Auction Item Purchase Impacts?

$15 per hour = 1 hour of professional experience for a CILI Fellow!
$90 = 6 Hour WORKDAY of professional experience for a CILI Fellow!
$450 = 1 WEEK or 30 Hours of professional experience for a CILI Fellow!
$3,600 = 8 Weeks or Summer Internship experience for a CILI Fellow!
$500 = Pays for Lunch for a Monthly Immersion Session.
$1,000 = Pays for (1) Fellow to attend our (3 Day) Cohort Kickoff Retreat in December in each year. Cohort #7 = 50 New Fellows

CILI Auction - Celebration of 5 Years of Impact!

From 2021 to 2025