KS WELI Endowment Announcement

We at Kendra Scott are committed to empowering women every day. In honor of Women’s History Month and our 20th anniversary, we are proud to announce our $13.25 million philanthropic endowment to the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute at The University of Texas at Austin that will expand entrepreneurship offerings to help more than 24,000 women pursue their business aspirations in the coming decade.

“This gift is about supporting the next generation of women entrepreneurs,” said Kendra Scott, philanthropist, designer, and professor of practice at UT College of Fine Arts “Since the inception of the KS WEL Institute in 2019, I’ve loved seeing UT create a space where women are inspired, and motivated to be leaders in business and to use their knowledge, skills, and energy to keep changing the world and outdated business stereotypes. Through this new gift, women will continue to dismantle barriers and forge ahead to redefine entrepreneurship for many years to come.”

A combination of personal and company investments will create a $13.25 million endowment to provide expansion and support in perpetuity for the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (KS WELI): a cross-disciplinary program between the College of Fine Arts, the McCombs School of Business, the College of Natural Sciences, and The LaunchPad in Undergraduate Studies, that empowers, equips and builds a community for women and creatives traditionally underrepresented in entrepreneurial roles.

The investment will also seed and launch the Women in Entrepreneurship (WiE) Specialization in Fall 2022, a partnership with the McCombs School of Business giving students the opportunity to earn a minor in entrepreneurship.

The mission of the Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (KS WEL Institute) at The University of Texas at Austin that Kendra Scott is to strengthen the next generation of courageous, creative female leaders who will change the world — in business and beyond. Through an environment of community, diversity, inclusivity and empowerment, the program aims to redefine leadership and entrepreneurship by growing the number of women-owned and women-led businesses.