Meet Jaclyn

Jaclyn Sablosky, Marketing Director at Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF), is a westside Cincinnati native and graduate of Oak Hills High School. She received her bachelor’s degree in communications and MBA in marketing from the University of Cincinnati. Jaclyn lives in Mason with her husband, Kevin, and their three daughters Emma (7), Kate (2) and Kara (1).

Share details of your personal and professional background that helped to guide your path to GCF.

I enjoy rewarding, mission-driven work. I realized this when I was the marketing director at the University of Cincinnati’s Economics Center. We focused on training teachers on how to integrate personal finance into their core curriculum with programs for all ages to provide for students that needed it most. The StEP program for elementary students gave them a sense of purpose, and it was rewarding to see their sense of pride in earning money through incentives such as turning in homework on time. Middle schoolers played an interactive stock market game that taught them fundamental strategies, competing with schools throughout the region. The winners got to go to NYC to visit Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange, which gave them a chance to travel and experience the world in a new way. It was at the Center that I had my first connections with GCF and the Women’s Fund of GCF, through their work on economic impact studies. I volunteered for the Women’s Fund to review grant proposals years ago and was inspired by the mission.

In 2015, I went to Luxottica, which gave me the opportunity to utilize my MBA providing global brand strategy for Sunglass Hut. It was interesting work but not as rewarding as working for an organization committed to making a difference. Joining GCF allowed me to resume the work I’m most passionate about, which is impacting the lives of people in our community who need it most. I’m a connector and I love helping others find their passions.

What are your professional and community affiliations, and how do they inform your role at GCF?

I found my passion for philanthropy when I became a committee chair for Impact 100. It was my first opportunity to understand how collective giving can make transformational change for an organization that is doing amazing work in our community. It was the year that I started at the Economic Center — their StEP program was one of the finalists for the Impact 100 grant and won! I was so inspired by this group of strong and generous women committed to change.

I also enjoy volunteering, which led me to volunteer at Cincinnati Children’s. Over the next seven years, those Wednesday nights were the highlight of my week. My role was simply to bring a moment of joy in the patient’s day during some of the most challenging times of their lives. This was my most rewarding volunteer experience to date.

Who or what is your inspiration, and in what ways has that driven your passion for GCF’s mission?

Strong women. I surround myself with a network of strong women and amazing mothers who I aspire to be every day. My grandmother and my mother are two great examples of strong women in my life. Every day, my grandmother woke up thinking “today is a new day,” regardless of whatever challenges she was facing. She was incredibly sweet and optimistic – always saw the best in everyone. I learned this from her and try to always see the positive in people and any situation.

My mom is the most loving, giving and dedicated person I know. I grew up in a westside neighborhood and our family struggled financially. She always worked two jobs, ensuring that we had everything we ever needed and always putting others before herself. I’m so proud to say that since raising her family she has taken time for herself and pursued a career in audiology. She now owns two practices with an amazing team of doctors and staff. It’s incredible what a driven mindset, hard work, optimism and determination can do for you.

If someday my daughters look up to me even half as much as I have admired these two amazing women all my life, I will feel very fortunate.

What are three things about you that most people don’t know?

  • After my MBA I almost transitioned my career to psychology – specifically child psychology – which led to my rewarding volunteer experience at Children’s Hospital.
  • I have a passion for traveling, to experience new things and different cultures. At 17 I moved to Florida for college, which really broadened my horizons. Since then, I’ve been all over the world: Caribbean islands; many states from California to New York; and all over Europe – from Italy, London, Paris, Istanbul, Budapest and Madrid to trips to Ireland and Bulgaria for friends’ weddings. My travels helped make me who I am today. I have such an appreciation for diverse perspectives and hearing others’ stories, which has taught me so much.
  • My youngest daughter and I were in a TV commercial for Mother’s Day. Kara earned her first paycheck at 4 months of age. When I graduated from We Lead, I remember looking down at my daughter, thinking – “I’m so excited to see who you will become someday. A strong, independent, loving and amazing woman.”

What do you like most about working at GCF?

Our mission for connecting people with purpose, and my colleagues, team and our Governing Board who carry out that work with incredible impact every day. It’s so inspiring to work with some of the most visionary, intelligent and passionate leaders in our community, and to guide others to support their passions as well. I’m proud of our commitment to racial equity and economic mobility, and our track record of responding to the community’s greatest needs – the recent COVID-19 Regional Response Fund raised and deployed $7.3 million in just seven weeks is a great example of this work.