Ashley Jennings serves as Director of Entrepreneurship Initiatives for the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin.

Prior to CNS, Ashley was part of the McCombs School of Business team, driving innovative programming for students across the Forty Acres, and cultivating a network of college stakeholders in the startup and VC space.

Through her work in the tech startup ecosystem, she's been deemed a top "connector of people and organizations in Austin," focused on real change around systematic problems for women in the workforce and gender inequality.

Ashley helped co-found and served as Chief Marketing Officer for Texas’ first accelerator for women and ethnically diverse tech founders, aimed at increasing diversity in the tech industry. She co-owns a video production agency, championing content for clients of all sizes, from local startups to fortune 100 giants.

She produces for conferences, events and festivals, including SXSW.

Ashley started her career in New York, where she helped launch Al Jazeera Media Network’s American channel, Al Jazeera America, and was part of the ABC News field team who traveled the country covering breaking news, weather and politics.

Her time with ABC News earned her five Emmy nominations along with a Peabody Award and two Edward R. Murrow Awards.

She is skilled in media consulting and strategy, marketing communications, fundraising, sales, event management, strategic partnerships, digital campaigns and curriculum creation.

Her greatest joy is being back on campus as a graduate student, where she's earning her Masters in Science, Technology Commercialization.