About Us
VaiLocal is the hyper-local jobs board for teens and young adults.
Since 2019, we have been trusted by dozens of local organizations and hundreds of young people in the search for jobs, internships, volunteering positions, and tutoring opportunities.
Our Mission
To be the technological replacement for "Now Hiring" signs and word-of-mouth hiring.
Our Story
VaiLocal (formerly the Student Opportunities Network) was created in April 2019 by Giuseppe Di Cera, then a student at Ladue High School and now a Stamps Scholar at the University of Chicago.
We are backed by research
We connect local companies to local talent because the present and future of talent acquisition is local. A July 2022 study from researchers at the US Census Bureau and Harvard University showed that 60% of young adults live within 10 miles of where they grew up, while 80% live within 100 miles of where they grew up (United States Census Bureau 2022).
On the local level, small businesses create 1.5 million jobs annually, accounting for 64% of all new jobs created nationally (Fundera 2020). In 2022, 33.2 million small businesses account for 46.4% of US jobs (PolicyAdvice 2022). However, according to a CNBC Small Business Survey, 52% of small business owners say it has become more difficult to find qualified people to hire compared to one year ago (CNBC 2022). By talking to business owners in our own community, we have seen how companies crave local talent yet struggle to attract them.
Filling this void, VaiLocal provides added value to businesses and prospective employees. By taking a more nuanced and hyper-localized approach, we have a proven ability to help young people secure positions with local organizations.
Team
We are VaiLocal – we have been working for young people and local organizations since 2019 – learn more about us below!
Giuseppe Di Cera is a Stamps Scholar and junior at the University of Chicago studying Economics and Molecular Engineering. He is also a first-generation Sicilian American and the son of Italian immigrants.
Giuseppe founded this company in April 2019 when he noticed how his peers struggled to find substantive jobs because they lacked networks of connections to secure opportunities. He experienced this problem himself and wanted to make an impact on the local community.
Over time, Giuseppe has worked at St. Louis Scott Gallagher, Washington University School of Law, the United States Senate, Capital Innovators, Royal Caribbean Group, and the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, where he has published health economics research alongside Tomas Philipson, the former Economic Advisor to the President of the United States.
Outside of school and work, Giuseppe is on the Board of Directors of the United States Senate Youth Alumni Association. He is also a UChicago Maroon Key Society member, serving as a principal advisor to university administrators.
In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing soccer, and cooking.
Bridget Moench is a junior at TCU majoring in Film, Television, & Digital Media and minoring in Communication Studies.
In addition to school and work, Bridget is a Video Production Intern for TCU Athletics, the Daily Delta Chair for Tri Delta, a Student Filmmakers’ Association member, and a manager for a TCU student life account. She hopes to continue working in digital media when she graduates college.
Paul Cavalieri serves as the associate director of small business operations at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Paul manages and builds the educational and experiential offerings in Polsky’s small business portfolio, supports students interested in closely held and family business, and serves as a resource to local businesses on a variety of operations topics.
Paul has an MBA from the University of Colorado, a master of science in education from Long Island University, and a bachelor of arts in journalism and government from American University.
Sam Loiterstein is currently a senior at Ladue High School who will pursue an undergraduate business degree in the fall.
He is captain of his school's wrestling team and a Link Crew member. He is also the principal bassist of the school program and plays guitar. Outside of school, Sam serves as the vice-president of programming of BBYO St. Louis Council and serves as the Ladue representative for the Federal Reserve's Student Board of Directors.
Danny Mendoza is currently a sophomore at the University of Chicago studying Economics and Data Science. He is originally from Miami, FL, and is the son of Mexican immigrants.
Danny has worked extensively in non-profit organizations, creating Karate Kids Helping Kids and co-founding A Soccer Life Foundation. At school, Danny works as the Alumni Relations coordinator for the men’s athletic organization, Order of the C. Danny is also a member of the Men’s Varsity Soccer team at UChicago and helped earn the program’s first national championship title in December 2022.
In his free time, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading, watching movies and shows, and exploring the city.