Sandra Jensen talks about Kell Partners
Tell me how you got started/involved in this business?
I
started KELL 5 years ago. Having worked with
nonprofits for almost 10 years at software companies that provided software as
a service solutions, I saw some areas of need and thought I could help address
those needs.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Denton, TX, which I always
loved. It is nice to see it going
through such resurgence now.
Where did you go to school and how
did you choose where you attended?
I went to the University of Texas at
Arlington. It was close to home, but
just far enough away that you would want to live there and not commute.
What does your company do that no
other company can do?
We cater to
emerging nonprofit organizations. Most
consulting firms are interested in consulting for large, enterprise clients,
but we like to work with the small to mid-size, but growing, clients. We can have a huge impact at these
organizations and there is a lot of personal satisfaction in getting to see the
big differences we have made with these organizations.
What need does it fulfill?
Until
KELL Partners came along, I think it was somewhat hard to find a consulting
group that really wanted to work with the emerging organizations.
How exactly does it do that?
We don’t turn clients away because they don’t
have huge budgets. Instead, we try to
find ways to work within their budget and we also offer free SmartPacks, which
are targeted solutions that most nonprofits need.
Who do you see your company
[product, service] benefiting the most?
Definitely the small to mid-size nonprofit organizations, as that is
where we have placed our passion, drive, services and solutions.
What are the top three values in your company?
Integrity, compassion, kindness.
Tell me more about the culture here.
It is important that everyone on our team is
passionate about working with nonprofit organizations, as this is what drives
us. You will find that most of our team has come directly from working at a nonprofit
or they have a rich volunteer history.
This gives meaning to our work and our clients.
What was the most challenging
aspect of starting up?
Funding is always
a challenge. We are a completely
bootstrapped organization and we have never had any debt, but growing to meet
demand is difficult in any economy, especially with the growth trajectory we
have been on since our start.
What was the most challenging
aspect of growing the business?
Finding the right people. The people that you work with on a daily
basis are so important. I can truly say
that at KELL Partners I feel we have all found our work family. And you would do anything to help family. Because of this, we have a culture rich in
teamwork and care.
What is the next step for you and
your business?
Now that we have the
right foundation, people and strategy in place, we are just going to do our
best to always anticipate our clients’ needs, so we always have the right
people and technology in place to help drive our clients’ missions.
What advice do you have for
entrepreneurs?
Find your passion and make that passion your business. From there, find people that are just as
passionate as you to grow your business.
What resource have you found to be
the most helpful and why?
The
Salesforce.com Foundation has been really critical to our growth. They have been a great partner since the
start of our business and are an integral part of our foundation.
If you were to do it all over
again, where would you be right now?
Exactly where we are.
