Extern

Extern, originally founded as Paragon One, is a consumer education company headquartered in New York, NY, with a fully remote team of 35 members. The company operates in the education sub-industry and is part of the Y-Combinator W17 batch. Extern is known for inventing the remote Externship, a novel form of real work experience integrated with learning, aimed at helping anyone discover and launch their career through professional experiences available anywhere, anytime. The company has created and powered Externships for a wide range of companies, from Fortune 500s to startups, enabling tens of thousands of students to build real work experience. Extern leverages software and industry experts to streamline Externships for both students and companies, envisioning a world where work experience is accessible as a form of education regardless of background, experience, or socio-economic status. The company aims to drive rapid mobility and upskilling for a new economy. Externships are offered in various fields including consulting, marketing, sales, product management, and finance, and are designed to be flexible and remote, accommodating 10-15 hours a week to fit into participants’ schedules. Backed by Foundation Capital, University Ventures, Learn Capital, YCombinator, and Jason Calacanis’ Launch Fund, Extern provides real-world business projects from real companies to help students build their resumes. The company has served over 20,000 externs, with many landing jobs or internships with Fortune 1000 companies. Externships can last anywhere between 2 to 8 weeks, with participants expected to invest about 10-15 hours per week. Extern also offers a platform for companies to run scalable professional experiences for students and early talent without the burden of staffing, setup, and support, and helps higher education institutions produce more gainfully employed graduates by integrating Externships into their curriculum.