Mizuho Americas and Pursuit Launch AI Nonprofit Build Corps

An innovative new AI training initiative supported by a Mizuho USA Foundation FutureReady Grant.

Mizuho Americas and Pursuit   announced that Pursuit has received a three-year FutureReady Grant from the Mizuho USA Foundation to expand opportunity through technology and workforce innovation across New York City.

“AI is rapidly reshaping every job, not just those in tech,” said Nick Simmons, CEO of Pursuit. “The AI Nonprofit Build Corps ensures that communities who have historically been left out of tech revolutions are equipped to lead in this one. With Mizuho’s partnership, we’re proving that AI-powered workforce pathways can strengthen both people and the organizations that serve our city.”

Supported by Mizuho Americas’ signature grant, the AI Nonprofit Build Corps is a new initiative offering a training program that prepares participants to become AI-native experts, known as Pursuit Builders. Following their completion of the program, Builders take assignments at nonprofit organizations, helping them to develop and implement impactful AI capacity while gaining paid, hands-on experience applying AI to real-world challenges.

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“Mizuho is committed to investing in the future of work in ways that are both innovative and inclusive,” said John Buchanan, Chief Information Officer, Mizuho Americas and Mizuho USA Foundation board member. “By supporting the AI Nonprofit Build Corps initiative, we’re helping AI adoption expand opportunity for organizations that serve our communities and for New Yorkers ready to contribute to an AI-enabled economy.”

The AI Nonprofit Build Corps initiative simultaneously addresses two urgent needs. Entry-level roles across industries increasingly require AI skills while traditional pathways to those jobs are becoming harder to access, particularly for New Yorkers from economically disadvantaged communities. At the same time, nonprofits serving those communities often lack technical expertise required to modernize their operations and respond to increased demand for their services.

By connecting AI-native talent with community-based organizations, AI Nonprofit Build Corps can create a bridge between workforce opportunity and social impact.

The program creates a virtuous cycle:

• Builders gain paid, real-world experience applying AI in professional settings, building portfolios, confidence, and networks that accelerate long-term career mobility.
• Nonprofits gain practical AI capacity that strengthens their operations, service delivery, and ability to meet community needs.
• New York City benefits from a stronger workforce and a more resilient social sector—helping ensure the AI economy supports broad-based growth rather than leaving communities behind.

“New York is one of the world’s great innovation centers, and it is also home to a valuable nonprofit ecosystem that underpins economic mobility,” said Liz Ceisler, Chief Human Resources Officer, Mizuho Americas, and Chair of the Mizuho USA Foundation. “We’re proud to partner with Pursuit to bring AI-enabled talent into that ecosystem while supporting the training and development of AI-ready professionals.”

The AI Nonprofit Build Corps will be launched in New York City and is designed for scale, creating a replicable model for how AI-native workforce development and community-based organizations can grow together.

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