Now in its seventh year, the Little Joe Ventures (LJV) Fellowship convened in beautiful Ojai, California, for a week of personal and professional development. Seventeen Fellows, made up of current students and alumni, made the trek through the Ojai Valley and up a winding mountain to reach The Villa on March 17, 2024. This is where the group would spend the next 6 days participating in leadership exercises, life mapping activities, creating vision boards, and planning for [and manifesting!] the future.
The LJV Fellowship is awarded to five Northwestern sophomores each year who have demonstrated immense entrepreneurial potential. Fellows receive unparalleled personal development opportunities, funding, networking, mentorship, executive coaching, and once in a lifetime experiences throughout their time at Northwestern and beyond.
After exploring the grounds of The Villa, the Fellows were eager to dive right in. Amongst the various introduction and intention setting exercises, they took the opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones!
At the end of every day, each cohort was responsible for making dinner for everyone at The Villa, which included a taco bar, pasta made from scratch, pizza night, and an old fashioned cookout on the grill! After dinner each night, The Fellows couldn't wait to sit down and play social strategy card game, Avalon.
In the middle of the week, the Fellows went on a nature hike to a trail that is frequented by Ojai locals on horseback. They enjoyed the opportunity to unplug and relax after the first few days of reflection. Later that night, they participated in a sound bath meditation session that provoked giggles, tranquility, and deep thought.
At the end of the week, the group was joined by Tony Owen ’93, ’03 MBA, his wife, Monique, and daughter, Ursula. The LJV Fellowship is made possible thanks to the Owen Family’s generous donation. The Fellows were eager to share personal and professional updates with Tony, as the programming, network, and mentorship opportunities provided by the Fellowship have been vastly transformative to all the Fellows - both at school and post-grad.
A friend and professional connection of Tony’s, Jennifer van Dijk, stopped by on the last day of programming to speak with the Fellows and answer topical questions surrounding her journey from entertainment executive to CEO at SUPERPLASTIC. The Fellows were eager to learn from her and appreciated the time she spent providing insights and advice for professionals early on in their careers.
The Fellows wrapped up their week by watching the Cats beat FAU in the first round of March Madness, and wished Fellow Ali Lee a very happy birthday! Take a look at the week in photos below:
Carly is a passionate community builder serving as The Garage's Marketing Manager. She is overjoyed to work with students at The Garage, helping them realize their potential in creative communication and social strategy.
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