Meet The Team: Jen Chang
My name is Jen Chang. I fell in love with snowboarding the first time I strapped in when I was twelve years old. Snowboarding was always one of those things I obsessed about, even if I couldn’t do it that often when I was young. I grew up in San Marino, CA, a suburb north of Los Angeles. I would often only get to go to the mountains a few times a year, but I loved riding so much and always dreamed of living in the mountains. I eventually landed full-time in the mountains, but the path I took to get there was not a traditional one.
During my early adulthood, I was living a life that I thought I wanted to live—a picture that society very much painted, but that I believed at the time. I went to college, fell in love with the guy who lived across the hall from me in my freshman dorm, and thought my fate was pretty much decided. I ended up marrying that same guy. Fifteen years later, we divorced.
To spend that amount of time with someone and then to not have them in your life is heartbreaking and gut-wrenching, but the shift gave me the opportunity to really find myself and what is truly important to me. I went to Japan in 2019 with a group of amazing women from Beyond the Boundaries. My life changed when I was there. I recognized myself for the first time in a long time and I finally felt like I was being true to myself. To connect with people at a deeper level who share the same passion—in this case, spending time outside and snowboarding—is an incredible thing; it makes life so much more meaningful and fun. It was such a turning point for me in following my heart and diving headfirst into the things that are important to me, whether they follow the picture prescribed by society or not.
I am deeply passionate about snowboarding and spending time outdoors being active, but even more so, I am devoted to connecting with and helping others. Luckily, with Beyond the Boundaries, I get to do all of these things! Since that first trip to Japan, I have joined the BTBounds staff and help on all levels to make the camps and trips happen and grow the women’s snowboarding community. It’s been a rewarding experience that has introduced me to new places and incredible people—and that is how I met Kelsey! The community of women is truly special, and I am so grateful to be a part of it all.
Also, my dream of living in the mountains came true: I moved to Truckee in May of 2019! As I settled into mountain town life (with snowboarding, mountain biking, and an amazing crew of friends just outside my door!), it was serendipitous that my professional background in economics and finance could be a valuable resource to Save a Brain.
In addition to my love of the outdoors, I also enjoy budgeting and anything to do with numbers. After graduating from the University of California Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics with an emphasis in Accounting, I obtained my certified public accountant license. I worked for Deloitte and Touche as a corporate auditor for about three years, and then I worked for Avery Dennison, a Fortune 500 company, where I gained corporate financial reporting experience and assisted with the Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Most recently, I led the finance and accounting team at Apex Global Brands (formerly Cherokee, Inc.) for over eight years. At Apex, I managed multiple processes, which included financial accounting, financial budgeting, financial planning, as well as financial reporting and systems implementations.
I am excited and grateful to be a part of the Save a Brain team. Thank you, Kelsey for doing all that you do!