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Jen Sterling
Charity Begins in the Playroom
Last year something amazing happened in my family. We started our own non profit, Let’s Help Kids. The idea came from my 6-year old daughter. She and I were having a discussion, the special type between a child and a parent where the child teaches the parent that sometimes it’s best to see the world through a child’s eyes.
Rachel innocently wanted to know what could be done to help kids in need have more fun in their lives. In grown-up speak that means helping children have true childhoods. She shared all her ideas about how to help kids. From that teachable moment the non profit was born. And like all births, it was a lot of work requiring planning, specialists, fretting over a name, and wondering what kind of life the organization would have.
Let’s Help Kids was launched with great success and my now 7 year-old daughter is involved in making decisions and crafting the messages. Charity is simple, so simple a 6 year old can do it. Give me five minutes and I’ll tell you how.
About Jen Sterling:
For almost 20 years Jen has helped companies build awareness and brand preference in the marketplace. Jen was previously the president and co-founder of Hinge where she led the charge for eight years in professional services strategic branding and marketing. She left the firm in early 2010. Prior to Hinge she was the president and founder of a design firm called Spot Color from 1992 to 2002. Jen is a graduate of Leadership Fairfax and serves on several boards in the Northern Virginia area, including Leadership Fairfax, the Fairfax County Parks Foundation, Entrepreneur's Organization, Devotion to Children, Initiative for Public Art—Reston, Let's Help Kids and several private company boards. Her community leadership positions include Chairman of Success in the City, Past-Chairman of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, Past Chairman of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce and Past Chairman of the INC.spire incubator. She is an active mentor for emerging businesses through the Small Business Development Center. Jen was recently recognized as a finalist for the 2010 Enterprising Women of the Year award and as a winner of the Hot Momma's Project providing leadership role models to women and girls globally.
Jen is a graduate of George Washington University where she received a BA in Visual Communications with a minor in Psychology. Today, she speaks frequently to audiences on the topics of branding, marketing, and entrepreneurship. In her other life, Jen is a proud wife and mother to her 7-year-old daughter.
