131 - Carrying on Jesse Combs’ Mission, Inspiring the Next Generation of Trailblazers

Guest:  Dana Wilke - Founding Member of The Jessi Combs Foundation

While not technically a trades woman herself, through her role as a founding board member of the @thejessicombsfoundation - she works with and helps to provide scholarships to many tradeswomen, some of whom you have met on previous episodes. Dana grew up in northern Wisconsin riding motorcycles as a family sport, on and off-road. After graduating college, she moved to Europe to pursue her career with Harley-Davidson. Though she learned to ride at a young age, Dana’s years working and riding in Europe was where she realized a true passion for travel and adventure on 2-wheels. During her 12-year tenure with Harley-Davidson before resigning in 2019, Dana held a variety of global marketing and sales roles. She now works as a consultant and dedicates much of her time to furthering @thejessicombs mission of empowering and inspiring the next generation of female trailblazers.

We talked about her career in the motorcycle industry, as well as how and why the foundation was formed and what they do. We dove deep on the topic of male allies and some of the changes we’d love to see in the industry. Definitely one to check out! During our convo, many asked about how they can support the foundation…. Go check out their website and learn more about what they do and how you can donate to help ensure that the scholarship program continues to grow. In the past 3 years, the foundation has helped 21 young techs get to or stay in school, both through the scholarship itself, and through the community they’ve created to support one another in all the non financial ways. In my mind, those connections and communities are one of the biggest influences on KEEPING women in the trades and finding success in their chosen career. Huge props to Dana and all that she, and the rest of the foundation do! Make sure to stay tuned for more great conversations like this on upcoming episodes!

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