For several years, as she traveled hundreds of miles per week across the South for her job in medical software sales, Laura Gilmour had an idea rolling around in the back of her mind. What if she could help bring lifesaving medical equipment to communities around the globe, while contributing to sustainability in her own backyard? She enjoyed her job, but “I knew that I wanted to do something that was more impactful,” Gilmour said. So she started taking classes toward an MBA and a certificate in Global Health Studies at UAB. In August 2018, Gilmour quit her job to focus on her new career trajectory full time. Now her UAB coursework and interactions with faculty have accelerated her plans beyond all expectations. In March, Gilmour launched her own nonprofit. Its mission made such an impression on her mentor, adjunct professor Elizabeth Elliott, Ph.D., that Elliott agreed to join her board of directors. “I didn’t expect that we could be moving this quickly,” Gilmour said.
Student’s innovative nonprofit moves from dream to reality
Published on: June 22, 2021