Carolyn Watson

Carolyn Watson is Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at JPMorgan Chase.   She directs the JPMorgan Chase Foundation’s philanthropic investments for Houston, Austin, San Antonio and El Paso, which collectively employ more than 10,000 people.  The approach of each high-impact investment is to leverage the company’s strength – and the dedication of its talented employees – to tackle pressing social and economic challenges. To expand economic opportunity to reach more people across the Houston region, Watson has led the creation of focused strategies in workforce development and small business growth. 

Watson’s workforce investment strategy addresses the region’s acute training and education gaps. To date, JPMorgan has deployed over $6 million in grants towards that end.   In collaboration with area employers, she led the development of “PetrochemWorks.com”, an engaging and interactive career platform targeting high school students and young adults for careers in the petrochemical industry. Most recently, she led the creation of the Bridge to College and Career Success, designed to pave employment and post-secondary education pathways for Houston’s Opportunity Youth, 16-24 year olds who are disconnected from education or employment. These approaches have resulted in increased credential attainment, new collaborations and new resources for the region’s workforce development system. She serves on the Greater Houston Partnership’s UpSkill Houston Executive Committee.

To support the growth of small businesses, Watson has directed grants to support veterans, incarcerated women and inner-city entrepreneurs. She brought the national Ascend model to Houston, which coordinates money, markets and management education for ready access by underserved entrepreneurs.  She serves on the City of Houston’s Small Business Task Force. 

Before joining JPMorgan, Watson served as a program officer for the Rockwell Fund, Inc., a private, nonprofit foundation.  She designed and led the Zip Code Assistance Ministries Organizational Development Program (ZCAM ODP), an award-winning capacity-building collaborative involving more than 25 nonprofit organizations. Watson chaired the Executive Committee of ZCAM ODP’s successor organization, the Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries of Greater Houston (ACAM), a coalition of faith-based emergency assistance providers that collectively serve nearly 200,000 people each year. 

Prior to Rockwell Fund, Watson held positions at the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County and Avenue Community Development Corporation. 

She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana State University and a Master of Public Affairs degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at UT Austin. In 2010, she received a Master of Science in Management from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.  Texas Executive Women recognized her as a “Woman on the Move” in 2007 and Houston Woman Magazine named her one of Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2015.

Watson enjoys mentoring young adults, spending time with family and friends, ballroom dancing and traveling adventures across the globe.

Carolyn Watson

Vice President of Corporate Responsibility

JPMorgan Chase

712 Main, 4N, Houston, Texas 77002

713.216.5008  

www.jpmorganchase.com