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WJA Foundation Awards First Helene Fortunoff Scholarship
A New Hampshire store manager is the inaugural recipient of the grant for up-and-coming women in retail.
Ashley Kets, Springer’s Jewelers store manager, is the first-ever recipient of the 2023 Helene Fortunoff Women in Retail Scholarship.
New York—The Women’s Jewelry Association Foundation, the nonprofit arm of WJA, has announced Ashley Kets, store manager at Springer’s Jewelers, is the inaugural recipient of the 2023 Helene Fortunoff Women in Retail Scholarship.
Kets got her start in luxury retail at Barney’s New York in Beverly Hills, and soon felt compelled to lean into the management side of retail.
After a cross-country move, Kets began working as the store manager of the family-owned Springer’s Jewelers in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Since taking the position, she has grown her skillset, acquiring an Applied Jewelry Professional Diploma from GIA.
“I am beyond thrilled and humbled to be the recipient of the 2023 Helene Fortunoff Women in Retail Scholarship,” said Kets.
“Hearing about Helene’s strength, trailblazing business savvy and her determination to help future women in the business is doubly meaningful as both a working mother and a retail manager in an often male-dominated field. I am honored to be a part of her lasting legacy and will do my best to embody her tenacity and passion for both jewelry and helping others succeed.”
Kets plans to use the funds to attend NYU’s Leadership Training for High Potentials, a program focused on teaching frameworks to analyze and address important leadership challenges.
The annual $7,500 scholarship, first announced in March, is given in honor of the late Helene Fortunoff, a jewelry industry pioneer and one of WJA’s founding members.
The scholarship, meant to support rising retail leaders by providing them with education and training to enhance their leadership and management skills, is a way for the Fortunoff family to continue their mother’s impactful legacy.
"Ashley embodies many of the qualities that Helene embraced, from her passion for jewelry to her attention to detail in merchandising, quality and customer service,” said Helene’s daughters, Ruth and Esther Fortunoff.
“In addition, Ashley's desire to become a stronger leader at Springer’s and in the jewelry industry as a whole is evident. Helene valued education and promoted women in business. We are proud to continue her legacy and to award the first Helene Fortunoff Women in Retail Scholarship to Ashley Kets.”
The WJA Foundation was created to support WJA's mission of providing educational and business opportunities that allow women to reach their full career potential. Donations to WJA Foundation can be made on its website.
Retailers interested in creating scholarship opportunities in partnership with the WJA Foundation should contact Rachel Jurisz, Membership & Operations Manager at rachel@womensjewelryassociation.com.
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