FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 3, 2022) -- The Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs (GSE), a highly competitive summer program where Kentucky high school students focus on product innovation and business model design, has named Anne Jewell as its new president and chief executive officer.
Jewell succeeds Tasha Sams, who announced in March her plans to move out-of-state to be closer to family. Along with program quality and impact, under Sams’ direction, GSE also focused on growth and fundraising, successfully doubling its summer program size, fostering partnerships and broadening funding.
Jewell joins GSE after 21 years with Hillerich & Bradsby Co. in Louisville, serving as a vice president for the corporation and as executive director for H&B’s Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. With an intrapreneurial approach, she led the top-rated attraction to record-setting attendance and revenue with innovative partnerships, marketing and programming that included interpreting baseball through civil rights, women’s issues, pop culture, fine art and more. Before joining H&B, she led marketing and public relations efforts for the historic Belle of Louisville steamboat.
In 2021, Jewell was recognized with the Dan Mangeot Lifetime Achievement Award from Louisville Tourism for her significant contributions to advancing the region’s tourism industry. Earlier this year, she served as a judge advisor for the Technovation Girls Challenge, a global nonprofit program that equips young women ages 8-18 with skills to become tech entrepreneurs and leaders as they develop mobile apps that address real-world problems. Jewell first arrived in Kentucky as a television reporter for WHAS-TV in Louisville, where she earned multiple journalism awards.
“GSE continues to be a driving force for Kentucky’s entrepreneurial community, identifying and nurturing Kentucky’s next generation of young entrepreneurs,” said GSE Board Chairperson Koleman Karleski. “This summer GSE served a record 144 students with our most geographically diverse class to date, and we hope to continue to expand the program to meet growing interest and demand. I couldn't be more pleased with Tasha’s leadership during GSE’s growth of the past few years, and I am excited to have Anne at the helm of this impactful organization for GSE’s next chapter.”
“I’m humbled and thrilled to take the lead at GSE. Our program has the power to change lives and drive future economic development into every corner and county of Kentucky,” said Jewell. “I’ve experienced the inspiring dedication and enthusiasm of the GSE team and board, and I’ve seen amazing business pitches created by GSE student entrepreneurs. I can’t wait to champion our outreach, growth, and impact across the Commonwealth in collaboration with other entrepreneurial efforts.”
GSE is a relative newcomer on the list of Kentucky’s Governor’s Schools, having opened to its first group of students in 2013. Since 2013, more than 700 students have gained vital entrepreneurial skills through the program to use as they enter the workplace or continue into higher education.
Applications for the 2023 GSE will open in November. Parents, educators, entrepreneurs and teens who believe grit, a growth mindset and creativity in problem solving tell as much about a young person as good grades and test scores can learn more about the GSE at www.KentuckyGSE.com or 502-592-0520 or info@KentuckyGSE.com.
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About GSE
GSE alumni have launched more than 30 businesses, filed multiple patents and developed new ideas and relationships that sow the seeds for more business formation. Dozens of alumni have chosen to enroll in entrepreneurial programs at Kentucky universities and attribute this decision to the inspiration they received by attending GSE in high school. GSE fosters and empowers the commonwealth’s future business owners and community leaders, giving these teens the support they need to go from high school students to business owners.
Because of strong partnerships with entities such as the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, the Cabinet for Economic Development, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK), Duke Energy, Brown-Forman, Kentucky Farm Bureau, Main Street Ventures, PNC, Access Ventures and numerous public and private supporters, like the Marksbury Family Foundation and Nate Morris of Rubicon Global, GSE is free for selected entrepreneurs. Alumni of GSE gain access to more than $5 million in scholarship funding opportunities to attend colleges and universities in Kentucky, high school class credit and a statewide network of entrepreneurial support.