#9: Jennifer Salzman, Executive Director | The Heights of Ellis County

About the episode: In this episode of In the Thick of It, Scott has a heartfelt conversation with Jennifer Salzman, founder and executive director of The Heights of Ellis County, a nonprofit providing critical services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. Jennifer shares the powerful story behind starting this organization in 2018 at the encouragement of her father, despite having no prior nonprofit experience. She candidly opens up about overcoming self-doubt and evolving into her leadership role, as well as the lessons she’s learned about surrounding herself with wise counsel, embracing collaboration, and creating hope. Scott and Jennifer discuss the weight of this mission balanced with the motivation to empower survivors, break generational cycles, and expand the impact of this model. Jennifer also provides perspective on the challenges faced by nonprofits, from funding limitations to being on call 24/7 as the founder. Throughout the conversation, Jennifer’s humility, empathy and passion shine through. This is a must-listen episode for any founder or nonprofit leader.About Jennifer: Jennifer Salzman is the founder and executive director of The Heights of Ellis County, a nonprofit she started in 2018 to support victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. Despite having no prior experience running a nonprofit, Jennifer stepped up to turn her vision into reality after encouragement from her father. She now leads a growing organization that runs a family justice center and provides wraparound services focused on breaking cycles of violence. Jennifer earned her bachelor's degree in marketing from Texas Christian University. Though the path has involved overcoming self-doubt, she feels humbled and passionate about creating hope and helping families in need.About The Heights:The Heights of Ellis County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2018 and based in Waxahachie, Texas. It operates a family justice center that brings together community partners to provide wraparound services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. The Heights serves all of Ellis County through free and confidential services including counseling, legal aid, medical exams, shelter placement, and more. By streamlining access to these vital resources, The Heights aims to create hope, empower survivors, and break generational cycles of violence. With community support it continues to expand its services and impact.To learn more, visit theheightselliscounty.org.