Jennifer Paris is a Korean American, born and raised in Long Beach, California. As a young child she spent time in foster care. Music and the arts helped her during these hard times and continue to be a significant part of her life. Her journey in the private sector began in banking. She was awarded the honor of President’s Club as a top performer in Mortgage Loans and revenue growth. In the hospitality industry she was a longtime sales manager for Hilton Hotels. She served as a board member for the statewide nonprofit California Youth Connection. As a passionate and mission driven volunteer, she learned about the inner workings of nonprofit management, including fundraising and strategic planning. This board service played a major influence in her decision to move from the private sector to nonprofit work. Jennifer has focused her career on nonprofits who predominantly serve BIPOC and the Foster Youth community and their access to health and education. She was a Director with the American Heart Association where she won national recognition in growth and retention, and was one of the company’s top 10% performers in the Youth Market. Following her success at AHA, she moved on to become a Director of Development for various nonprofits prior to her position at Get Lit.