Hellos and “See You Laters”
The importance of a good team is no secret. Everyone writes about it. Even we do - (hi Bob and Lisa). A few months ago, we released our Strategic Plan filled with exciting projects, new and old -- and the need for capacity to make it all possible. Today I am excited to put a spotlight on some changes happening to our team this season.
- Aaron T. Walker, founder & CEO of Camelback Ventures
Big Changes and New Names
Elizabeth Bates, the OG program director, leading our new Investor Fellowship
Elizabeth has led the programming for our Camelback Fellows for the past few years, and we are excited to announce that she’s taking the reins on a new project: the Investor Fellowship. This new initiative is born from the recognition that we will only reach the full potential for entrepreneurs of color with a different funding environment. This program is backed by partners, including J.P. Morgan Chase, 1863 Ventures and Surdna. Learn more about the program here.
Elizabeth: Thank you for building and refining the Education Fellowship. We’ve been through the gauntlet, and we’ll keep fighting the good fight. I’m excited to see what we can build next. -atw
Amanda Tien, our foundational creative and marketing director, transitioning to consultant
For the past few years, Amanda has built the Camelback brand - the blog, website, swag, partnerships, tone and voice, 300% increase in applicants. Since the early days, Amanda had told me she wanted to write a novel. At the end of 2018, Amanda will transition to a Consultant role with Camelback, while also continuing to freelance and pursue creative projects. You can follow her journey at www.amandatien.com
Amanda: I love your empathy, wit, and passion that you bring to every single meeting and project. I am so grateful you were a part of our journey, and to have been a part of yours. We’ve always got your back. -atw
Charles Corprew, our new program director
Charles Corprew, New Orleans native and community leader, is our new program director for our Education Fellowship. Charles is a social impact founder and has twenty years of experience as an educator; we know that he is committed to changing the trajectories for our communities.
Charles: We were so compelled by your vision and spark for this work. We are excited to officially welcome you to the Camelback family. -atw
Familiar Faces
I also wanted to highlight a few faces you may not have met, but have been around:
Stacy West - Stacy is my EA via 33 Vincent. She is based in Denver and is an awesome partner and makes sure I do all the things.
Ami Magunia - Ami has been our acting Chief of Staff for 2+ years. Thanks vChief! Ami makes sure all the magic happens on a day-to-day basis. Thank you Ami.
Nadiyah Morris - Nadiyah joined our team from the Mayor’s Office to lead our new Good Jobs Initiative, and has led an incredible pilot program with our five founders.
Kelli Saulny - Kelli came home to NOLA after working as one of the first employees at Carol’s Daughter. She has joined our team as our lead on Strategic Partnerships.
Thank you to all who have supported both myself and Camelback as an organization for the past few years. Endings and beginnings are always bittersweet, but what else can we expect with the new year? We’re currently in the midst of evaluating Round 1 applications for our Fellowship and designing our ideal 2019; stay tuned for our end-of-year review (and a look to the future).
You can learn more about all of our team members at camelbackventures.org/team