Fashion Philanthropy At NYC Talent
With a high school reputation of “Best Dressed,” Ashley Janover’s keen fashion sense was developed long before she started NYC Talent, a boutique talent management agency specializing in job placements in the fashion industry.
NYC Talent founder Ashley Janover
Raised in Boca Raton, Florida, Ashley’s experiences as a young adult set the stage for her career as an expert fashion recruiter and philanthropist.
Ashley attributes her lifelong passion for style to her mother, whose pancreatic cancer diagnosis inspired her to start Team Hope, an advocacy organization that increases awareness about the disease.
For this edition of Member Spotlight, a series where we showcase entrepreneurs of emerging companies, we chatted with Ashley about what influenced her to go into recruiting and philanthropy.
My mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2011. That’s when I decided to start an advocacy organization called Team Hope to educate the public about the disease. We use our website to communicate with families in need, offer group and individual intervention, increase awareness, and raise money for research. It’s now become an internationally known organization that has touched the lives of people all over the world. I wanted to make my mom proud, and by the end of my junior year in college, she was able to see it happen before she passed away.
During college, I fell into talent acquisition. I began recruiting students to join Hillel, the largest global Jewish campus organization. Recruiting people came naturally to me, especially if it was something I was passionate about.
Ashley’s knack for recruiting eventually led her to become a senior fashion recruiter at a well-known New York fashion-staffing agency. She eventually left to found NYC Talent. Here’s why:
I saw an opportunity to further improve the fashion recruitment industry. I found a niche in providing excellent, reasonably priced fashion recruitment services by focusing on transparency and using a full disclosure policy.
Ashley has found an effective way to manage her work in both philanthropy and entrepreneurship:
I recently decided to integrate philanthropy with NYC Talent. I spent months researching socially conscious designers and sustainable fashion brands. Afterwards, I hosted an inaugural NYC Talent + Team Hope event in the Flatiron District. Daniel Silverstein, one of my favorite sustainable fashion designers from New York Fashion Week presented his Spring/Summer 2014 collection. All of the funds raised at the event were donated to pancreatic cancer research. It was a hit!
Lastly, Ashley offers advice to those who are interested in working in fashion and creating positive social change:
Philanthropy is the best therapy. There truly is no better feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment than selfless acts of kindness. Every time I see a little bit of change in the advancement of pancreatic cancer research, I can say, “I was part of that little bit of change,” and that feels really good.
Photographs by Lauren Kallen