The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly changed our world, and Jezuba stepped up to meet those needs.  Physical distancing has changed how we work and how we learn.  This summer 2020 we are hosting virtual internships for a team of young motivated leaders separated by time zones, but thanks to technology, we are still connected as a team.  Their goal is simple: dare to make a positive impact through social entrepreneurship!
 
Some of the projects our interns are working on: 
 

• Jezbua’s webstore operations include optimizing digital marketing and social media to drive engagement and product sales, as well as offering our webstore as a platform to sell artisan products, and focusing our outreach to artists and makers who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.  Using all the proceeds to fund our Solar LED Lamps for school children in off-grid rural Burma. 
• Connecting our community during COVID-19 through virtual live panels and appreciation campaigns.  Keeping physical distance does not mean living in social isolation.  
• Robotics and STEM have grown exponentially significant yet experience in these fields has been historically inaccessible for socioeconomically disadvantaged students. We at Jezuba want to help level the playing field by creating a robotics program for these students in grades 7-12 based on FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). 

 
Our goal for Jezuba is to inspire the next generation to not only become future leaders, but compassionate pioneers with the drive to help our fellow humans from other parts of the world.  This act of giving transpires when we show our appreciation by simply saying "Thank You" – Jezuba!

Rebecca Liao

Co-founder & Director

As a finance leader, I have spent my career growing businesses and fulfilling their potential by getting the most mileage out of the company’s resources and opportunities. I started Jezuba to do the same by intertwining charity with practical business thinking to tackle the world’s most challenging issues like economic developments, poverty, education, and cultural diversity.  What can the next generation accomplish armed with entrepreneurial thinking and the use of practical innovative tools developed right in our backyard of Silicon Valley. 

Professionally, I am a seasoned financial leader and active CPA with diverse finance, accounting, legal, HR, and operations in start-ups and public companies. I have worked in a broad range of industries including banking, software, SAAS, digital advertising, internet merchandising, retail, clean tech and semiconductor. My passion is to create win-win situations for the company and its clients, partners, vendors, and employees with a commitment to open communications, continuous improvement, and ethical business success.  I have a BA in Economics from Wellesley College and MSA in Accountancy from Bentley College.  Currently, I am VP, Controller JPMorgan Chase & Co. WePay.

Iris Hsu

Co-founder & Head of Content Strategy

Iris knew the one thing she would always stay passionate about is giving back to the community. During her undergraduate years at UC Berkeley, she served two years as a board member for Circle K International.  After graduation, she worked as a Foundation Program Coordinator at VMware, empowering employees to volunteer their skills and time for a personal cause. Now, she works in finance at Okta, but still maintains a tie with corporate social responsibility.  She manages the nonprofit validation program for Okta for Good, and enjoys volunteering for various causes through the company's charitable giving program.  With Jezuba, Iris hopes to empower the next generation to make their impact, no matter how big or small that may be.

THE INTERNS
Young, ambitious, and ready to change the world!

Co-Chiefs of Staff

Lauren Young

Lauren has always hoped to find a way to give back, but never found the opportunity she wanted. When fate was kind enough to let Lauren stumble across Jezuba, she was certain on joining the team. As a business finance student at San Jose State University, Lauren is still figuring out what it is that she wants to do but she's certain on taking her own steps on making a social impact. Through Jezuba, she hopes to give her best while learning new skills and spreading kindness. 

Lavender Chen

A rising sophomore at Evergreen Valley High School and an artist, I am excited to be interning as Co-Chief of Staff at Jezuba.  Learning to use social entrepreneurship to support artists and make a positive social impact is empowering!  As youngest member of Jezuba’s team, my goal is to learn from everyone and build a community to weather this unprecedented time of COVID-19.  Join us and come together as a community while observing physical distancing.

Digital Marketing Team

Ellen Chen

As a makeup artist and Econ/Bio student at Wellesley College, I hope to one day tackle sustainability issues in the beauty industry. Jezuba's mission of promoting culturally-rich, vibrant art while tackling poverty and environmental issues speaks to me immensely. I hope my Jezuba experience can truly help underserved artists and communities as well as shed light on my future path.

Rozey Hill

Rozey has long been interested in the work of nonprofit organizations as well as providing platforms for young voices and activism. She is a rising sophomore at Wellesley College studying American Studies and Statistics and hopes to apply those disciplines to learning the intricacies of social media marketing. In the future, she hopes to work in public opinion/political polling. At Jezuba, Rozey works to help promote the student-run blog as well as social media marketing.

Paige Anderson

Paige has always been inspired to work for organizations with socially-driven missions and wants to use her skills to give back to hard-hit communities in the most realistic and meaningful way possible. When she looked through Jezuba’s adorable products and saw how it gives back to help empower others, she knew this was the right internship for her. Paige is a recent graduate from Wellesley College with a degree in economics. She is not quite sure what to do yet since she has a wide variety of interests but she hopes to learn new skills and improve Jezuba’s potential. 

Operations Team

Talia O'Shea
Web Developer

Talia has been passionate about giving back to her community since her youth. A rising sophomore with intended astrophysics and history majors at Wellesley College, Talia is still determining where her career will take her, but knows that wherever she lands, she wants to help create social impact in some way. At Jezuba, she will work to build the website to further Jezuba's mission and create social change. 

Emily Huang
Web Developer & Content Strategist 

As a rising sophomore at Wellesley College majoring in economics and psychology, I am excited to be joining Jezuba's team. I have always had a passion for art and entrepreneurship, and I believe that Jezuba's mission combines both of these interests really well. During my time at Jezuba I hope to learn about content management, generation of social impact, and experience what it is like to be working in a non-profit environment.

 Kristine Huynh
Outreach Manager

Kristine's excitement to give back to the community led her to where she is today! A recent sociology graduate from San Jose State University, Kristine wishes to implement her major to identify and understand the social problems in our community. When she was introduced to Jezuba, she was blown away by the mission and eagerly wanted to help. She hopes to learn new skills and gain valuable experiences as she continues to take on the next steps of her journey. ​

Program Managers

Sam Wolstenholme-Britt
​Artists & Makers Program Manager

Sam is thrilled to join a team of driven women working to make a difference in underfunded  communities! She is a rising junior at Wellesley College majoring in American Studies and Economics. When she found out about Jezuba, she realized it was a perfect opportunity to apply economics to social justice. Sam hopes that Jezuba will be a creative space for her to practice business development while working with the community to fight social and economic inequality.

Jillian Murphy
Solar LED Program Manager

Jillian had been looking for ways to address some of the largest problems facing humanity today, including poverty, climate change, and educational disparities. Jezuba is an exciting opportunity to directly solve these issues. During her time at Jezuba, she is eager to learn the operations of non-profit work in hopes of continuing this work in the future. As a rising sophomore at Wellesley College, Jillian is studying astrophysics and is interested in the intersection of environmental science and politics.

Trinity Chen
Robotics Program Manager

As a rising senior at Evergreen Valley High School and a captain of my robotics team, I am excited to work as Jezuba’s Robotics Program Manager to address the inequality and unfairness that exists in a field that I love. Participation in robotics is a privilege that many students do not have, but, through Jezuba, I hope to give those students in underserved communities an opportunity not only to pursue but also to succeed in STEM.
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Special thanks to Becca's Artsy Corner, Tuyen Tong, Aleisha Lew, Rachael Lim, Gareth Cartier, Gavin Cartier, Annabel Liao and all of the kind-hearted people who have helped Jezuba along our journey.