The Nantucket Project (TNP) and The Nantucket Project Academy are pleased to announce the appointment of Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne as the Academy’s Board President. The TNP Academy brings together inspired speakers and a community of lifelong learners to examine the world’s big questions. Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne is a venture capitalist who co-founded the WOCstar Fund (www.wocstar.com), an early stage investment fund that invests in tech startups led by Women of Color (“WOCstars”) with diverse and inclusive teams that are building innovation and tech that reimagine the future of media, consumption and sustainability.
Gayle joined the Nantucket Academy Scholar program in 2016. She has been instrumental in developing the TNP Scholars Program. TNP Academy brings together a group of curious and passionate innovators for its year-round Scholar Program who can most benefit from coaching around storytelling and movement building. As a member of the Nantucket Project Advisory Board, her vast expertise and global perspective shaped the success of the Scholar Program.
“We were so lucky to have Gayle as a former Scholar and blessed that she has agreed to join us as the head of our Academy Board. Some things in life are just plain serendipitous, this is one of those great moments. We are excited to have her on board,” said Tom Scott, Nantucket Project co-founder.
With over 30 years on Wall Street in technology, philanthropy, and the international policy arenas at JPMorgan Chase and Sun Microsystems, Gayle (pronounced: Gay-lä), is one of very few women to start a venture capital firm. When asked what motivated her to leave a successful career at a prestigious international corporation, she said, “I am a big proponent of ‘Female Arbitrage.’ I have this amazing opportunity and responsibility to champion, invest in and help to promote women of color entrepreneurs, one of the greatest assets in the market.”
Jennings-O’Byrne will lead the Board as it advances the impact of the Academy’s activities and partnerships to scale TNP Academy to the next level. Other Boards on which Jennings-O’Byrne sits are WOMEN.nyc, BE NYC and the editorial Board of Impact Entrepreneur Magazine. She is also a Nazarian Social Innovator-in-Residence at Wharton Social Impact Initiative and a Tribeca Disruptor Fellow.
“Gayle provides the perfect heart and mind balance of a real leader which is so in line with the TNP ethos.” said Kate Brosnan, co-founder of The Nantucket Project.
“Having built out my concept for what is now the WOCstar Fund with the support of many in The Nantucket Project community, I’ve seen first-hand the impact The Nantucket Project and TNP Academy can have on society,” said Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne. “I want everyone to experience and benefit from the brilliance of Tom and Kate’s vision for healing communities through storytelling and human connection, so I am extremely honored and delighted to lead the TNP Academy Board of Directors.”
The Nantucket Academy is a 501(c)(3) celebrating neighborhoods everywhere in response to opportunity inequity in the United States. The Academy brings the focus back to the humble heroes who, through their community work, are rebuilding the nation from the ground up. Thanks to generous support from and collaboration with the TNP fellows, those working with the Academy are becoming dedicated neighborhood researchers, identifying values inherent in thriving communities, then creating hubs (both on and offline) where those values can be practiced, discussed and amplified for the benefit of all. Centered around neighborhood, the program includes TNP Academy, TNP Academy Leaders, TNP Academy Live and TNP Academy Fellows.
The Nantucket Project was created in 2010 by former CEO and co-founder of Nantucket Nectars, Tom Scott, and Kate Brosnan. The Nantucket Project strives to brings individuals together through thoughtful introspection and courageous conversations that have the power to spark new, powerful ideas. During its annual live event on Nantucket, TNP hosts an intimate group of attendees for a weekend comprised of live conversations with the world’s leading thinkers, businesspeople, and industry leaders, as well as transformative activities and experiences that allow attendees to see the world through a renewed and inclusive lens.
Since its inception a decade ago, TNP’s live event has welcomed many influential and celebrity speakers including former President George W. Bush, actress Jennifer Garner, former U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Chelsea Manning, TED founder Richard Saul Wurman, and more.
