From business student to leading philanthropist
How one Warrington class guided Julia Furnari’s (BSBA ’15, BS Psychology ’15) career in social impact.
“It’s interesting because UF defined my entire career,” said Julia Furnari (BSBA ’15, BS Psychology ’15).
Furnari remembers sitting in one of Dr. Richard Lutz’ marketing lectures when she learned about a little something called corporate social responsibility (CSR).
CSR, also referred to as social impact, is the work that shows how businesses can be “a force for good in society,” Furnari said.
Learning about social impact was the first stitch in Furnari’s fabric of life that led her to become the Executive Director of the Tapestry Foundation and Coach Foundation at Tapestry, Inc. (NYSE: TPR), a New York-based house of modern luxury lifestyle brands including Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman.
In her current role, Furnari leads the company’s multi-brand global social impact strategy with a focus on impact investing for the company’s private Foundations. To date, she has facilitated over $200 million in philanthropic assets through financial and product donations
She is at the forefront of the company’s efforts in addressing climate change and fostering equity through philanthropic commitments. She also leads disaster relief efforts on a global scale and oversees the company’s employee volunteerism and matching gift program.
Furnari also obtained a master’s degree in nonprofit management with a specialization in corporate social responsibility from Columbia University.
When she first started at the University of Florida however, she didn’t know what path to follow.
“Originally, I thought I was going to be a doctor,” Furnari explained, which is why she double majored in business and psychology.
While she wasn’t sure what career to pursue, she knew that philanthropy was important to her. This passion drove her to explore how she could approach philanthropic work from a business perspective, so she tailored her academic focus to that.
“Social impact is the business side of nonprofit work,” she said. “Which was great for me.”
As an undergraduate, Furnari was involved with Student Government, which plans the Youth Leaders Conference (YLC). This three-day long conference invites high schoolers to learn and build upon important leadership and professional skills.
Furnari was the first person to bring scholarships to the YLC program.
“I saw an opportunity for us to invite students of color and students from historically underrepresented communities.”
Her experience creating the YLC scholarship program for 14 students as an undergraduate was just the first scholarship she organized. Now, she provides thousands of scholarships to underrepresented students globally through the Coach Foundation.
Furnari said this small-scale scholarship initiative, “provided me the opportunity to say, how can we do things different? How can we bring equity, inclusion, diversity and social impact into even the clubs that we’re involved in at UF?”
The Warrington College of Business also has a Social Impact & Sustainability Initiative where students are empowered to use the skills and strategies they learn as business leaders to effect change around the world.
Furnari said that her experiences at Warrington prepared her to make business decisions with high impact philanthropy. She shared that she uses the skills she learned from her finance and accounting classes every day.
“Just being able to approach the work with financial acumen is incredibly important, because the better off the portfolios, the better off our donation opportunities.”
In addition to her role as Executive Director, Furnari also serves on the board of the West Side Community Fund organization in New York City which provides grants to the West Side of New York. She is also a member of the Conference Board’s Philanthropy & Engagement Council as well as NationSwell.
When reflecting on her leadership role in the social impact sector, she said, “UF has helped me get there.”
Furnari was named among the university’s 2024 40 Gators Under 40, a recognition honoring Florida alumni who have made an impact in their communities and professions.
“UF was always my dream,” Furnari said.
She grew up in Lakeland, Florida, with Gator grandparents. Throughout her childhood she remembers going to Gator games and having orange and blue “Gator tattoos” on her cheeks. She met her husband at UF and has since started her own family.
“The greatest gifts in my life, meaning understanding where my career should go and my husband, are both thanks to the University of Florida.”
Furnari uses her current role to help mentor and support other Gators who are interested in pursuing a career in social impact, thus advancing the Gator nation as a force for good.
She shared that she is grateful to be able to give back and serve others with the talents she’s developed throughout her career.
When asked about a quote she lives by, Furnari replied “to whom much is given, much is expected.”
Her advice for people, particularly those interested in social impact, is to approach the subject dialectically with both your heart and your head.
“A lot of people in this space just go with the heart, because they love the beneficiaries you’re serving,” she said. But the most successful people “also have the wise mind of making very strategic decisions.”
