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UMRF Ventures: Promoting Student Success and Employment

The University of Memphis Research Foundation (UMRF) Ventures Incorporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of UMRF and is an organization dedicated to supporting students, cultivating a pipeline for other organizations in Memphis, and enhancing research infrastructure at the UofM.

Kerrie Wilson is an office manager and marketing specialist. She creates all the marketing materials for the company internally and externally.

When asked what initially drew her to UMRF Ventures, Wilson said, “I started in 2017 as a freshman. I was a technical support agent for the FedEx venture. I was a marketing intern up until my senior year after I graduated. They offered me a full-time position as the marketing specialist so that's what drew me.”

Lance Franco, a 21-year-old marketing major with a minor in French, is an IT policies and standards coordinator, as well as a marketing intern. He talks about the close connections he’s made with the organization in addition to his desire for a job with a focal point on technical support.

“I was initially drawn to UMRF Ventures through a good friend of mine that was also working there and telling me about all the benefits UMRF has not only to students, but also the various employers that UMRF partners with,” Franco said.

Mrs. Wilson discusses the meaning of UMRF to her and how it ignites her passion. “I'm also aligned with the company's mission too…it’s really strongly advocated for student success and that's something that I'm also passionate about,” she said.

Franco said, “UMRF Ventures is extremely flexible working with our students, as our shifts work around our school schedule.”

As far as the impact with the University of Memphis community and their long-term goals, Wilson said, “Part of the mission is to keep students in school, and since our target audience is students and the majority of our employees are university students, it has been all up until graduation or to help them stay in school to graduate by giving them a job that pays a little bit more than minimum wage.”

She also said, “I feel like that is a long-term goal of the organization to keep doing that work, as well as to continue to amp up and develop the workforce.”

Both employees spoke of a program called the Blue Bridge Program.

“Our students can thrive in professional development through resume workshops, networking with employers, interview tips, and more.” Franco said.

“The Blue Bridge Program is only for our employees; these are students that are about to graduate in their senior year or have already recently graduated. It basically bridges them to their next step and we're acting as a branch to help them gift wrap their skill sets before they present them to their career world,” said Wilson.


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