BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Louise Epstein, an Austin native with a broad entrepreneurial background, has joined the Walton Family Foundation to serve as director of university partnerships. In this new position, Epstein will play a fundamental liaison role between the foundation and partners in higher education – with a strong emphasis on collaborations with the University of Arkansas. She brings a robust set of skills to help the University of Arkansas commercialize its research and become an institute of innovation. Before joining the foundation, Epstein was the managing director of the Innovation Center in the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.“We’re enthusiastic about the role Louise will play as a thought partner who will shape initiatives that meet shared goals with the University of Arkansas and other universities nationwide,” said Walton Family Foundation Executive Director Kyle Peterson.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. – The Walmart Foundation and Walton Family Foundation today announced joint support of TRUE Northwest Arkansas (TRUE), a new three-year community-based initiative to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Benton and Washington counties. The program will foster an environment where all members of the Northwest Arkansas community can thrive and feel included, building on both foundations’ efforts to enhance quality of life in the region.
The Walton Family Foundation is pleased to announce that Monica Medina is joining the environment program as deputy director, effective May 31. In this capacity, Monica will also direct the oceans initiative, which invests in the Americas—the United States, Mexico, Chile and Peru—and Indonesia to end overfishing, improve ocean health and preserve coastal livelihoods. Monica Medina most recently served as the senior director of international ocean policy at the National Geographic Society.
Anja Thiessen calls the Mississippi Delta region "a place of perseverance and grit and resilience." As co-director of Spring Initiative in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Anja works to "empower young people to beat the odds, access the opportunities they deserve, and build successful, hopeful, and happy lives."
