Jefferson Scholar alumnae help empower women through fashion

When Taylor Richardson, the Tampa Area Jefferson Scholar, graduated from the McIntire School of Commerce in 2013, she never would have expected that shortly after starting her first job as a consultant at Bain & Company in Atlanta, she would request a six-month leave of absence so that she could help fellow U.Va. alumna, Mollie Crosby, launch a fashion line. But less than two years after graduation, Taylor had done just that. Together, Taylor and Mollie worked full time to develop CROSBY by Mollie Burch, a fashion line launched in the fall of 2015 and now sold online and in more than 140 boutiques nationwide.

Not content simply to etch their mark on the fashion industry, Taylor and Mollie set out to create a brand that empowers women. They developed CROSBY in partnership with Wellspring Living and Starfish Project, two non-profits that give exploited victims of sex trafficking the support to move forward.

Virginia Hawkins, also a Jefferson Scholar from the Class of 2013, is the chief strategy officer at Starfish Project, and is responsible for helping to make the partnership a reality. While at U.Va., Virginia studied the Business and Culture of China. She puts her studies to use every day through her work at Starfish Project, an organization that provides holistic care for women escaping human trafficking and exploitation in Asia.

Read the story of how the careers and aspirations of these alumnae intersected in this UVA Today story.