Age: 37
Title: Program Manager, Youth Programs
Workplace: University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship
Despite beginning her career with a Fortune 500 company, Julie Frieswyk quickly realized that her entrepreneurial spirit and need to “do good” would take her in a completely different direction. That re-routing began with a stint working with the Peace Corps in 2011, which took her to Chisinau in the Republic of Moldova. While there, she helped students make the most out of their sustainable, innovative ideas. Then she returned home to grow the Diamond Challenge, now considered the world’s largest entrepreneurship competition for teens around the world. Through her work, the program has grown to impact over 10,000 high school students in nearly 50 countries and 40 states.
Of course, she still holds down a pretty prominent full-time gig as manager of youth programs for the University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship. This creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement helps students with everything from startups to global partnerships.