ProX names equity-centered leader as first executive director of its popular student intern program

The new leader of ProX — one of the largest paid internship programs in the country — is expected to be instrumental in taking the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation affiliate to the next level, said Dr. Bill Nicely.

ProX and the Kauffman Foundation on Thursday announced the appointment of Solissa Franco-McKay —  a longtime supporter of Kansas City public school students — as the popular initiative’s inaugural executive director.

“Solissa’s experience in nonprofit leadership — specifically serving our region’s hardworking students — brings a depth of expertise and energy to ProX that we are excited to benefit from,” said Nicely, who serves as board president for ProX.

The regional, collaborative ProX effort pairs Kansas City students with area businesses for five-week paid summer internships or work projects supervised by a professional mentor.

An initiative incubated at the Kauffman Foundation and built with strong community engagement and expertise, ProX provides coaching to every student throughout the application, placement, learning, and work experience.

“I am honored to lead a program that has major impact for students, employers, and community partners,” said Franco-McKay. “ProX is an ambitious initiative, and I’m ready to dig deep into the work to dream up even bigger ways we can increase access to opportunities and life-changing networks for our future workforce.”

Students celebrate their winning efforts at the 2024 ProX Summer Showcase; photo courtesy of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Before joining ProX, Franco-McKay served as executive director for the Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) Education Foundation where she led initiatives and fundraising efforts to support educational opportunities for KCPS students. 

Prior to that, she spent 10 years leading career and alumni engagement strategy for Kauffman Scholars, Inc., the college access and scholarship program created by the Kauffman Foundation that recently sunset operations in 2023 after 20 years of serving students.

ICYMI: Momentum for paid summer internships in Kansas City continues with ProX 

“I am honored to lead a program that has major impact for students, employers, and community partners,” Franco-McKay said. “ProX is an ambitious initiative, and I’m ready to dig deep into the work to dream up even bigger ways we can increase access to opportunities and life-changing networks for our future workforce.”

Student interns celebrate during the 2024 ProX Summer Showcase; photo courtesy of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

She joins a robust network of community champions, coaches, coordinators, and program staff in delivering real-world learning experiences, training, and support to students working with area employers.

“It’s been incredible to work alongside the ProX team and the brilliant students it serves to expand their career pathways since the inception of the program,” said Dr. Leigh Anne Taylor Knight, executive director and chief operating officer at The DeBruce Foundation, a ProX community champion. “We’re excited for Solissa to step into this role and look forward to innovating on the future of ProX with our community partners and her.”

[Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial supporter of Startland News, and its parent organization, Startland, is a longtime programming partner of ProX.]  

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Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, president of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, engages with students during the 2024 ProX Summer Showcase; photo courtesy of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Now in its third year, ProX has concluded another summer of paid internships for Kansas City high school students. More than 100 employers — nearly a third who are entrepreneurs — collaborated with ProX to match 665 students, aged 14 to 19, with client-connected projects for five weeks of paid professional experience.

“Our team and network of supporters are laser-focused on opening up access to opportunities for students who may not otherwise be able to participate,” said Michael Robins, program director for ProX. “Solissa’s commitment to this focus will strengthen outcomes for our whole community – our team, our employer connections, and of course, our students. We are thrilled to keep building and growing together.”