PASSIONATE ABOUT INSPIRING OTHERS
Launched in November 2021, Women's Impact Network of Eagle County includes a diverse group of local Eagle County women who aim to support students in the community as they pursue their life goals and dreams. Scholarships are awarded annually to one or more high school Seniors.
“Next to health and safety, I feel education is the most valuable asset a human can cultivate,” says WIN co-founder Allison Krausen. “WIN scholarships eliminate or minimize the financial barrier to achieving this for students in our community.”
WIN currently consists of 132 members, philanthropic women who make the commitment to gift a $1,000 tax-deductible donation each year, which goes fully and directly to the scholarship recipients. Each member has the opportunity to be involved in the process of selecting the scholarship recipients, from participating in reviewing student applications, interviewing students, and voting on final selections. The criteria for selecting students changes each year, depending on the needs of the community and the priorities of the members. Historically, all scholarship winners have a desire to give back, either locally or on a global scale.
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“We are investing in people and the future, learning and digging deeper into the needs around us, and supporting the dreams of students,” says Jennifer Ebner, who co- founded the organization after her work with Impact 100 Denver Metro, a nonprofit with a similar fundraising model. “The beauty of this type of fundraising is each member knows exactly where their money is going, and they can be as involved in the process of selecting the scholarship recipients as they want.”
To find applicants for the scholarships, WIN partners with YouthPower365’s Valley Scholars program through the Vail Valley Foundation. This community-based scholarship program provides support that directly helps local youth pursue secondary degrees to achieve their career aspirations. Vail Valley Foundation manages the administration for the scholarships at no cost, which means every dollar raised by WIN goes to the students, with funds paid directly to the school at which they enroll.
In WIN’s first two years, it exceeded fundraising expectations and was able to award seven scholarships to high school seniors. To learn about the students chosen for the 2022/2023 school year, click here.
WIN’s commitment to the community doesn’t end with scholarships. They also plan to build on their momentum to create a network of members, students, and scholarship recipients who have graduated from their higher education pursuits. Additionally, WIN plans to host social gatherings and offer volunteer opportunities in the future.
INTERESTED IN JOINING WIN?
win FOUNDERS
Meet the women who made WIN come to life.
JENNIFER EBNER
Jennifer spent many winters in the Vail Valley, driving her four “bonus” kids up from Cherry Hills Village to ski race. Six years ago, she and her husband Tom became full-time residents, and it’s been home ever since.
Originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jennifer has a long history of giving back in the communities she calls home. She’s passionate about education and dedicated to providing opportunities for tomorrow’s leaders. She's one of the original members of Impact 100 Metro Denver of Impact 100 Metro Denver, as well as an active committee member for YouthPower365’s Stars Variety Show and B The Difference’s fundraising events. She’s committed to furthering STEM education through the Ebner Family Fellowship, which was created four years ago to help fund research projects that University of Colorado Professor Shalom Ruben leads in the Engineering department. Outside of education, she actively supports nonprofits in health care, particularly those designated for cancer and mental health, as well as organizations that focus on women and children and those underserved in the Vail Valley community.
After helping establish Impact 100 Metro Denver in 2015, Jennifer deeply missed the work she did for the organization and wanted to institute something similar in the Vail community. She and Allison had many chats over coffee throughout the years and were finally able to find a way to make the Women’s Impact Network of Eagle County a reality. Jennifer loves how the organization connects philanthropic women to bring positive change in the community by investing in young people.
In her spare time, she loves to travel, eat delicious food, read, dabble in interior design, visit her kids at college, watch college and professional football and basketball games, and enjoy all the valley has to offer with her husband and four (very spoiled) pups. One of her favorite things about the Vail Valley is that she finds something inspiring every day she’s here, whether it’s a breathtaking natural landscape or the inspiring members of the community.
ALLISON KRAUSEN
Allison moved to Vail over 20 years ago after graduating from Princeton University. Following an untraditional path, she opted for an internship in the Colorado Rockies, and has never looked back.
The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native prioritizes philanthropy in her free time. She’s currently on the board of the Bright Future Foundation and is an active volunteer with Princeton University, where she serves as Class Agent and Annual Giving Committee Member and Rocky Mountain Princeton Club Treasurer. She has served on the Board of the Vail Symposium and on the planning committee for the Vail Valley Foundation Black Diamond Ball.
Allison believes education is one of the most valuable assets a person can cultivate. The mission of the Women’s Impact Network of Eagle County inspired her to action, with the goal of reducing the financial barriers for aspiring students.
In addition to her commitment to being of service, Allison enjoys distance running, travel, skiing, reading, and adventures with her family, which includes her husband, Vail architect Kyle Webb, and her children. One of her favorite things about living in the Vail Valley is having friends of all ages who share a common joie de vivre and a commitment to community, including the importance of giving back to the amazing place they all call home.
win leadership
Women's Impact Network of Eagle County would not be where we are
without the support and dedication of our leadership team.
McKinley Lee
Membership Chair
“Women’s Impact Network of Eagle County is a unique nonprofit in that you really feel the positive impact your donation has on these amazing students who choose to pursue higher education through college or trade school.”
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-McKinley Lee
Cynthia Pillsbury
Marketing Chair
“Women’s Impact Network of Eagle County is a critically important organization. Investing in a population that is underserved with so much potential is not only rewarding, but also vital to investing in our local community. Creating opportunities for students to pursue higher education is a meaningful way to give back.”
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- Cynthia Pillsbury
Carey Rash
Secretary
“Women’s Impact Network of Eagle County has already demonstrated what a significant impact it can make for the youth in our valley. The scholarship award this past spring was exciting. We hope to do more outreach, in addition to awarding college scholarships, as we grow. We want to be a part of the Vail Valley vision that we are stronger together!!!”
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- Carey Rash
Kerry Starzec
Events Chair
“Women’s Impact Network of Eagle County plays an important role in empowering local women, full time and seasonal residents, to come together and prioritize supporting our community. It’s a win-win that helps both scholarship recipients and WIN members- making the bonds of our small valley even stronger.”
- Kerry Starzec
mckinley lee | membership
McKinley grew up coming to the Vail Valley with her family. In 2019, her husband and two kids made the move to the valley full time after living in Charlottesville, Virginia for nine years.
McKinley grew up in Atlanta, holds a bachelor's degree from Colorado College, and received Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Montana. After more than a decade of working as a physical therapist, she transitioned careers, co-founding CURATE, an art gallery and art consultancy.
She is a member of the development committee for Vail Valley Foundation and is the co-chair of the Vail Mountain School Gala and the Annual Bookfair and Holiday Market.
McKinley enjoys being involved with WIN because it is an organization where members can truly feel the positive impact their donation has on the students.
She loves to travel, hike, tele-ski, mountain bike, play tennis, and spend time with her family outdoors.
cynthia pillsbury | marketing
Cynthia grew up coming to Vail with her family since she was a young girl and finally made the Vail Valley her full-time home in 2019.
Raised in Edina, Minnesota, her professional background is in consumer research, marketing, and branding. She co-founded CURATE, an art and curiosity pop-up shop and art consultancy in Edwards, CO. Additionally, She works with several nonprofits in the area—including a member of the Vail Health Foundation Board, Vail Mountain School, and the Vail Valley Foundation— and she founded It Takes A Vail Valley, a short-term COVID initiative to drive awareness of the importance of supporting small, local businesses. Cynthia believes WIN is not only a rewarding organization to be a part of, but a vital initiative to invest in the deserving youth population in Eagle County.
Cynthia loves to hike, ski, travel, and go to live theater and music shows. Her favorite things about living in the Vail Valley are the outdoor recreation, the beauty, and the people who make the area such a warm, inviting, and stimulating place to live.
carey rash | secretary
Carey’s grandparents arrived in the Vail Valley in the early 1960s. Since then, her family has been tied to the valley. And for the past 20 years, Carey, her husband Todd Rash, and their two sons have called the Vail Valley home.
Carey lived overseas with her family until she was nine when they moved to Denver. She graduated from Kent Denver School, then went on to earn a degree in K-8 education from The University of Montana. She has worked in several roles in education communities, including as the admissions director at Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy, a teacher, coach, and dorm parent at Eaglebrook School in Massachusetts, and a teacher and coach at The International School Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. Carey currently works as the admissions director for Zealous School, an independent, non-profit, microschool community for kids in grades 6-8 with campuses located in Eagle and Edwards.
Carey got involved in WIN because she’s passionate about the power of women collaborating, especially for causes that empower others. She’s excited to see how the organization will grow and make the community stronger.
In Carey’s free time, she enjoys being with family and friends, reading, skiing, golfing, and traveling. Her favorite part about the Vail Valley is the tight-knit community.
kerry starzec | events
Kerry has visited the Vail Valley with her family since 1998, but her husband Jeff, three kids, and two dogs made it their full time home in 2021.
Kerry was born in Chicago but grew up in London. She headed back to the states for college, graduating from Princeton University. After school, she worked in New York and London for Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. She moved to Houston in 2013 to work for an oil company client. That’s where she met her husband. She currently serves on the board of The Forge for Families, a Christian after school program serving Houston’s Third Ward. Kerry believes WIN plays an important role in empowering local women to come together and prioritize supporting the community, making the bonds of our small valley even stronger.
Kerry loves to spend time with her family, golf, and hike. Her favorite thing about the Vail Valley is the tight-knit community, the support her kids receive, and the beautiful backdrop.
win founding members
Our community was founded with 82 members and has since grown to include 133 women. These individuals from the Vail Valley community are an inspiration and help us drive our mission; We embrace collaborative and thoughtful philanthropy among women to champion transformative change in the community by offering impactful scholarships and mentorships to empower local youth to define their individual successes.
