Jennifer Welch

Jennifer Welch knew she wanted an MBA and contemplated leaving Mississippi to get one, but was encouraged by Else School faculty member Bill Brister to apply to the Millsaps program. When she was selected as the Allison Coggin Lee scholarship recipient, she was excited to accept the opportunity to enroll in the program. “Millsaps provided me with a wonderful education, introduced me to brilliant professors and provided an environment where students flourish,” Welch said.
 

The study abroad programs offered by Millsaps gave Welch the opportunity to see the world and to experience larger economic realities both intellectually and globally. These experiences continue to influence her career. “Because I have had opportunities to see the world, I often think globally, giving some consideration for how others do things that could make me or my business better.”
 

Today, Welch renovates and restores historic houses. When asked how the Millsaps MBA experience impacted her career, she stressed the importance of a good foundation in business.
 

“I enjoy picking out an interesting tile, shopping for the perfect light fixture, or obsessing over wall colors,” she said. “But do you want to know the most important part of a historic home? The foundation. I typically spend one-third of a renovation budget on something that most people never inspect, tour or even mention. Without a strong foundation, my historic house would be a ‘pig with lipstick.’ My foundation as an entrepreneur started at Millsaps. It was the best investment I could have made in myself.”
 

Welch was recently selected by the Jackson Free Press as one of the Young Influentials of 2020 and was chosen by the MS Business Journal as a Top 50 Under 40 for 2020.