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Here at KS WELI, January is “Jess January”, a month devoted to honoring Jessica Vollman.
Jess' family started the Jessica Vollman Foundation (JVF) to honor her legacy after passing in 2020.
As a UT alumna and passionate leader for female entrepreneurs, Jess' personal mission led to JVF's: “promoting career advancement for women globally through access to education, closing the skills gap, and job flexibility."
As a proud UT Alum, Jessica discovered KS WELI in Fall of 2020. Aligned with KS WELI’s mission to “empower women to lead,” Jessica’s family believes she would have been involved with championing the next generation of courageous and creative leaders today.
Honoring the legacy of Jessica, JVF has partnered with KS WELI to offer grants and sponsorship opportunities to leaders that are a part of KS WELI's FoundHER Program.
Each year, JVF chooses a grantee they believe most aligns with JVF’s mission. We are thrilled to announce the 2023 JVF Grant Recipient, Sophie Sanchez, of STEM Muse this year.
STEM Muse
Sophie founded STEM Muse, which strives to increase the recruitment, retention, and, ultimately, the success of women in STEM careers by connecting women in higher education with women who are more advanced in their careers.
EmpowHER Hour, sponsored by JVF
In addition to supporting KS WELI FoundHERs, JVF also sponsored this month’s EmpowHER Hour. This week, we hosted Jessica’s dear friend, Caroline Page where she explored the importance of being mission-driven in your work and how that leads to finding your passion. 50+ attendees got to learn from a UT alum who has spent her career focused on developing and educating young people and donor families on the issues of poverty. Our students were able to hear directly from Caroline about why it’s never too early to incorporate service into your life and career, and the importance of focusing on your mission while finding ways to give back.