Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute

What Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute does

The Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (KS WELI) is a non-profit educational and entrepreneurship support institute housed at The University of Texas at Austin. Established in 2019 as a cross-campus collaboration between the College of Fine Arts, McCombs School of Business, College of Natural Sciences, and The LaunchPad in Undergraduate Studies, the institute was seeded by a $13.25 million philanthropic endowment combining personal and company investments from designer and entrepreneur Kendra Scott, with Dell Technologies as founding technology sponsor. Its purpose is to expand the pipeline of women founders and entrepreneurial leaders by serving UT Austin students across majors and experience levels.

KS WELI operates a layered program portfolio: the flagship Spark Founders cohort delivers a 10-week, four-module research-backed curriculum (Leadership Core, Go-to-Market, Revenue/Finance, Growth Marketing) with 1:1 mentorship and non-dilutive funding; the KS WELI Student Board cultivates intrapreneurship among a multidisciplinary membership spanning 13+ UT Austin colleges; and four sponsored for-credit courses — FA355 Women in Entrepreneurship, MAN 372T Art & Science of Negotiation, TXA 341E Accessory Design, and MAN 347P Entrepreneurship Practicum — feed into the Women in Entrepreneurship Specialization credential delivered with McCombs. Signature community assets include the annual Changemakers Summit (~400 attendees in 2026) and the Founding Fearless podcast.

The institute does not sell a product or charge tuition; all programming is delivered free to eligible UT Austin students. Funding flows from endowment corpus, donor contributions, university support, and corporate sponsorship. Since Fall 2021, the institute reports having equipped 6,500+ individuals with entrepreneurial tools, supported 82 startups, and empowered 156 founders, while earning recognition as #2 Undergraduate Programs for Entrepreneurship (Princeton Review 2024) and #9 for Undergraduate Female Founders (Pitchbook 2025). Operations are run by a five-person core staff (Director Whitney McElwain, Assistant Director Amanda Ware, Communications Coordinator Evelyn Garcia, Senior Administrative Associate Victoria Mena, Program Coordinator Victoria Murillo) plus student interns, under the strategic oversight of an Advisory Board chaired by Sheena Wilde (SVP Philanthropy & Culture, Kendra Scott).

Name

Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute

Legal name

Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute

Website

https://kswelinstitute.utexas.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

10,001+ employees

Short description

KS WELI is a non-profit entrepreneurship institute at the University of Texas at Austin that supports student founders through the Spark Founders cohort, a sponsored Student Board, four for-credit courses, and signature events, funded by a $13.25M endowment from Kendra Scott.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Entrepreneurship Institute

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAAOAM

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Workforce Development Initiatives

SECONDARYEDAAAFAK

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

SECONDARYEDAMAHAA

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

Keywords

• Women entrepreneurship education
• Student startup incubator
• University entrepreneurship institute
• Venture mentorship programs
• Founder development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Educational Programs and Services: KS WELI operates as a university institute funded primarily through a $13.25 million philanthropic endowment from Kendra Scott and Kendra Scott LLC, with additional support from founding technology sponsor Dell Technologies and various business network sponsors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KS WELI is a university-based entrepreneurship institute that delivers free educational programs, mentorship, and community resources to UT Austin students. Its core offerings include the Spark Founders flagship cohort program with research-backed curriculum and non-dilutive funding, sponsored academic courses in entrepreneurship and accessory design, the Student Board sponsored student organization, and the annual Changemakers Summit. The institute operates as a cross-campus collaboration spanning four UT Austin colleges to address the equity gap in entrepreneurship.

Product overview

The Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (KS WELI) is an educational and entrepreneurship support institute at UT Austin offering a comprehensive ecosystem of programs and courses. The core offerings include the Spark Founders flagship program providing mentorship, curriculum, funding and community for student entrepreneurs; the KS WELI Student Board for intrapreneurship development; and four sponsored courses (FA355 Women in Entrepreneurship, MAN 372T Art & Science of Negotiation, TXA 341E Accessory Design, MAN 347P Entrepreneurship Practicum). The Women in Entrepreneurship (WiE) Specialization, a partnership with McCombs School of Business, provides an academic credential pathway. Signature events like the annual Changemakers Summit and the Founding Fearless podcast amplify the entrepreneurial community. The institute supports student founders through various cohorts, with ventures spanning diverse industries including health technology, fintech, sustainability, and creative sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spark Founders: KS WELI's flagship program for committed student entrepreneurs ready to move from idea to company. Built for founders beyond customer discovery and prepared to scale, the program blends research-backed curriculum, strategic mentorship, academic integration, and non-dilutive funding.
• KS WELI Student Board
• Changemakers Summit

Products and services

• Spark Founders KS WELI's flagship cohort program providing UT Austin students with a 10-week research-backed curriculum (Leadership Core, Go-to-Market, Revenue/Finance, Growth Marketing modules), 1:1 mentorship from entrepreneurs/operators/investors, non-dilutive funding, and weekly co-working at the Kendra Scott Center, designed to move students from idea to company.
• KS WELI Student Board A sponsored student organization powered by multidisciplinary UT Austin students from across 13+ colleges, providing intrapreneurship development, professional development programming, exclusive speaker series, mentorship access, and leadership opportunities for students interested in developing entrepreneurial mindset within organizations.
• FA355 Women in Entrepreneurship Academic course co-taught by Jan Ryan and Kendra Scott at Kendra Scott HQ, featuring lectures, founder stories, and experiential learning designed to explore entrepreneurship through the lens of the underrepresented founder. Available to UT Austin students for academic credit.
• MAN 372T Art & Science of Negotiation Academic course taught by Dr. Melissa Murphy that blends hands-on learning and research to help students develop negotiation skills through weekly simulations. Available to UT Austin students for academic credit.
• TXA 341E Accessory Design, Development, and Merchandising Studio-based, hands-on academic course where students design a jewelry collection through the Kendra Scott brand lens, working with faculty and Kendra Scott team leaders. Available to UT Austin students for academic credit.
• MAN 347P Entrepreneurship Practicum: Passion Industries Academic course led by Rebecca Feferman that helps students think creatively about turning personal passions into purpose-driven ventures using case studies from sports, entertainment, and media. Available to UT Austin students for academic credit.
• Women in Entrepreneurship (WiE) Specialization Academic specialization offered jointly by KS WELI and the McCombs School of Business Entrepreneurship Minor that allows undergraduates to explore entrepreneurship through an interdisciplinary lens and earn a credential.
• Changemakers Summit KS WELI's signature annual full-day conference celebrating innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship at UT Austin, featuring keynotes, panels, breakout sessions, and student founder pitch showcases. Open to all UT Austin students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,500+ individuals equipped with entrepreneurial tools since Fall 2021
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• College of Fine Arts (UT Austin)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019One of four founding cross-campus collaborators. The College of Fine Arts hosts the Kendra Scott Center and KS WELI headquarters. Kendra Scott was appointed Professor of Practice at the College in Fall 2020.
• McCombs School of Business (UT Austin)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019One of four founding cross-campus collaborators. McCombs co-sponsors the Women in Entrepreneurship (WiE) Specialization, allowing undergraduates to explore entrepreneurship through an interdisciplinary lens.
• College of Natural Sciences (UT Austin)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019One of four founding cross-campus collaborators, providing STEM student access to entrepreneurship programming.
• The LaunchPad in Undergraduate Studies (UT Austin)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019One of four founding cross-campus collaborators, providing startup resources and undergraduate entrepreneurship support infrastructure.
• H-E-BminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Partner through H-E-B Helping Here initiative, supporting KS WELI community programming.
• Tiff's TreatsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIn-kind donor providing food and beverage for the 2026 Changemakers Summit.
• GymsharkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSummit sponsor for the 2026 Changemakers Summit.
• JustworksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSummit sponsor for the 2026 Changemakers Summit.
• Milk and HoneyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSummit sponsor for the 2026 Changemakers Summit.
• Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC)minorOthersMembership organization; KS WELI recognized as Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center at GCEC 2023.
• United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE)minorOthersMembership organization; KS WELI awarded Social Entrepreneurship SIG Award.
• The Diana ProjectminorOthersInternational research initiative focused on women's entrepreneurship; KS WELI is a member.
• YSEALI (Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative)minorOthersU.S. State Department program; KS WELI maintains association membership.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MIT Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship:
• Harvard Innovation Labs (i-lab): University-anchored entrepreneurship center at Harvard offering programs, mentorship, and workspace to student founders. Most comparable peer in terms of structure, elite-university setting, and program breadth.
• Wharton Entrepreneurship (Penn): University of Pennsylvania's entrepreneurship center offering courses, mentorship, and the Wharton Startup Challenge. Comparable elite-university entrepreneurship programming model.
• Rice University Liu Idea Lab: Houston-based university entrepreneurship center offering accelerator programs, mentorship, and funding to Rice student founders. Comparable as a Texas-region peer with similar student-founder support services.
• Babson College Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship: Babson's entrepreneurship research and programming center, widely regarded as a leading undergraduate entrepreneurship education hub. Comparable as a top-ranked center focused on founder development.
• Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP): Stanford's flagship entrepreneurship center within the School of Engineering offering courses, fellowships, and events to student entrepreneurs. Directly comparable as a top-tier university-based entrepreneurship program with research-backed curriculum.
• The Diana Project: International research initiative based at Babson focused on women's entrepreneurship and capital access. KS WELI is a listed member; comparable mission around advancing women founders and research-backed programming.
• Cornell eLab Startup Incubator: Cornell's student-led startup accelerator providing workspace, mentorship, and programming. Comparable as a university-hosted student entrepreneurship center with cohort-based programs.

Broad incumbents

• Kauffman Foundation: Large national philanthropy focused on entrepreneurship education and research with broad programs spanning K-12, higher ed, and policy. Comparable as a funder of entrepreneurship centers, but operates at much larger scale and broader scope than KS WELI.

Emerging players

• Female Founders Fund: Early-stage venture fund investing specifically in women-led companies. Comparable mission around women entrepreneurs, but operates as an investor rather than an educational institute; useful reference for where KS WELI founders may seek follow-on capital.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kswelinstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/kswelinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute