Andrea Ellis
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Austin, TX USA
"There’s no wrong way to be involved in community."
Career Roadmap
Andrea's work combines: Education, Non-Profit Organizations, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I recommend just getting out there and trying things. There is no wrong way to be involved in community. Try to hone in on an aspect you're interested in and then find an opportunity to try it out. If it ends up not being the right fit, try something else. Just keep moving and keep showing up for your community.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Marketing
Rockhurst University
Graduate Degree
Communication and Media Studies
New York University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I went to grad school at NYU, merging my love of video production with my passion for education.
2.
Early in my career, I taught youth and adults video and film production through informal education programs.
3.
I spent nearly a decade at the Kansas City Public Library, building free digital media labs for teens to explore robotics and storytelling.
4.
My work in education advocacy helped me deepen community ties and push for learning equity.
5.
A casual happy hour conversation led me to apply for a role at the Kauffman Foundation and it changed everything.
6.
Now as the director of strategic initiatives, I help align our team’s efforts to fund programs in entrepreneurship, education, and workforce development.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
It's not okay to fail.
How I responded:
I've worked with a lot of young people who are afraid to fail. It's okay to fail. That's part of the learning process. I encourage people to try the thing they want to do even if they're scared. Even if you don't do it right. The reality is that you probably won't do it right the first time or even the first fifty times! That's okay. Just get out there and try. Build up your resilience and perseverance. I also encourage you to take advantage of the resources offered to you. They really do help.