Startups

Actor Jesse Williams joins Scholly as Chief Brand Ambassador

The Grey's Anatomy star is the latest celeb to show some love for the Philly startup.

Williams, a Temple grad who taught in Philly public schools, is no stranger to the need for scholarships. (Courtesy photo)

Though you may know actor/activist Jesse Williams as Dr. Jackson Avery from Grey’s Anatomy — April Kepner’s ex-husband, duh — you will also know him from now on as a spokesperson for Philly-based scholarship-guidance app Scholly.
“I’m proud to announce that I’m joining the Scholly team in our mutual pursuit to help more young Americans pay for college,” said Williams, “There is no substitute for equal access — there is no substitute for a quality education.”


According to the Temple University grad — who also has ties to the tech scene by way of his own startup, Ebroji — the link made sense because of how he struggled to get through the financial challenge that college represents for thousands of Americans.
After he graduated, Williams became a high school teacher where he was again exposed to the limitations students face without a clear way to put themselves through college.
Details of Williams’ partnership with the company were not disclosed, but it was announced that he’ll join the company’s advisory board. Also, Yahoo! Finance reports the actor will receive come equity in the company.
Celebs have been all over the Philly-based company ever since that notorious Shark Tank appearance. Just last month, founder Christopher Gray was tapped for Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul 100 list, and last year the company landed $100,000 from Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest pitch competition.

Companies: Scholly

Before you go...

Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.

3 ways to support our work:
  • Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
  • Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
  • Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
The journalism fund Preferred partners Our services
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Trending

Where will future tech talent come from?

4 ways Wissahickon Valley Park makes Philly more resilient against climate change

Coding bootcamps boomed in the 2010s. Do grads think they worked?

Tech is making funerals simpler and less expensive, from 3D-printed urns to RFID tracking

Technically Media