Leaving a successful career in the banking industry, Karla Ballard Williams '90 took a leap of faith and began service work by starting a chapter of the Urban League, an organization aimed at em权力ing people of color to achieve economic self-reliance, 平等, 权力, and civil rights. She took that experience with her when she went to work as the Senior Vice President of Participant Media’s TAG Division, a social action agency working with brands, 基金会, and the public sector to ignite compelling campaigns to drive impact in vulnerable communities. Combining her business acumen and service work, Karla then created her own company and mobile app, 应, which is designed to help lower income communities use skill sharing and trading as currency. 应’s mission is to demonstrate that money shouldn’t be the only determining factor in what people have access to – that you can “skill share” to acquire your needs AND build community at the same time. Karla has also been active in working to raise awareness of the effects of PTSD on our veterans. Never one to sit and wait for things to happen, Karla has jumped into action by collaborating with Blue Star Families, a national non-profit dedicated to strengthening America’s military families through community, on utilizing 应 to help them gain access to programs and support when funds aren’t available.