Ji Eun (Jamie) Lee

Was our Business Operations Manager at JumpThru. She thrives in entrepreneurial ventures that value diversity as a source of innovation.

A woman who:

  • Speaks three languages (English, Korean and Japanese) and is learning her fourth: webpage languages
  • Is a believer in constant learning and has taught herself to play chess and code in Python
  • Reads widely and voraciously, with a particular love for the New Yorker

Some facts:

  • Graduated from Smith College magna cum laude with a B.A. in East Asian Studies
  • Studied abroad at International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan
  • Worked for an international government organization aiming to build a nuclear power reactor in North Korea (this didn’t pan out)
  • Learned to negotiate as a buyer of steel plates, copper coils, and later, beauty products
  • Followed Asian stocks during the financial crisis
  • Acted on her conviction that investing in women-led ventures is a surefire way to boost the economy and to achieve gender equality




Mary Buff Penrose

Was our Content and marketing advisor to JumpThru. Mary is a life long mentor to young women, and early adopter of “ladies” ski weeks.

A woman who:

  • Is a serial careerist: political operative in the 70’s; advertising exec in the 80’s; marketing consultant in the 90’s, and non-profit board member in the past two decades.
  • Is a community leader and advocate for young women through educational institutions such as The Spence School, the NYC Junior Volleyball League and the Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem.

Some facts:

  • Is an enthusiastic Cornell University alum (is there any other kind?)
  • Was in the political research department at the Democratic National Committee in Washington DC as her first job
  • Was the first trainee to complete the J Walter Thompson Advertising Program with a female mentor
  • Provided marketing guidance to companies and institutions as diverse as Kodak Film, The Bank Street College of Education in NYC and St. Meinrad’s Monastery in Indiana
  • Is a five sport intermediate level athlete
  • Is an inveterate quoter of Eleanor Roosevelt




Michelle McCombs

Was our Community Operations Manager at JumpThru. She thrives in a fast-paced environment full of energy and creativity.

A woman who:

  • Is zealous about lifelong learning and is always trying to learn more about everything
  • Is passionate about community building and the value behind connection
  • Is a people person- she is the one that people on the street always ask directions from and people on the plane like to chat with

Some facts:

  • Has lived in California, New Jersey, Utah, Florida, Virginia and New York
  • Graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelors in Political Science
  • Was hired by Disney Online right out of college
  • Has visited 48 of the 50 states, and plans to see the last two soon
  • Was one of the first people at her University on Facebook, back when it was only open to college students
  • Loves technology and seeing how people interact with it




Leila Annette Norman

Was a hugely inspired intern at JumpThru. Leila has endless enthusiasm and knows lots of random (and incredibly useful) information.

A woman who:

  • Loves running and is a Division 1 Varsity Athlete at Columbia University
  • Has an obsession with psychology, social technology and women’s rights
  • Won the “Raider Pride Award” not once but twice for “consistent displays of courage, kindness and honesty”

Some facts:

  • Is a senior at Columbia University, majoring in Creative Writing with a double concentration in philosophy and poetry
  • Was born and raised in Marietta, Georgia
  • Is the captain of Columbia’s 80-person coed Varsity Cross-Country and Long Distance Track team
  • Is the founder and writer of a widely popular campus blog




Michael Stein

Was an exceptional intern at JumpThru who is always looking for something new to do.

A man who:

  • Wants to see all he can around the world and learn (even just a little of) every language there is to learn
  • Reads Japanese novels on his daily commute to the JumpThru office, and aspires to one day write one.
  • Is excited to find out what new app or website will be the new big hit.

Some facts:

  • Is a senior at Amherst College, majoring in Asian Languages and Civilizations
  • Traveled around Asia during his year abroad – going to Vietnam, Cambodia, Korea, and China. His base camp was Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan
  • Has a deep interest in social issues, especially those concerning minorities