Founder & Speaker, BOLD-Her

Over the next chapters of her life, she became a chef and built her own catering business in Memphis. She worked on the front lines of healthcare in clinical operations and patient access at major health systems. She became the first in her family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration. She then moved into healthcare analytics sales, and today she works in business development, building partnerships with employers and benefits brokers. She is currently earning her MBA with a concentration in healthcare.

Every one of those rooms taught her the same lesson in a different language: talent matters, but it isn't enough. The people who rise are the ones whose work is seen, whose story is clear, and who have someone saying their name in rooms they aren't in.

BOLD-Her grew out of that lesson. It's a speaking and leadership brand built on one belief: every woman deserves the chance to grow beyond her circumstances, use her voice, and reach her full potential — and then open the door for the next woman.

Jalessa doesn't come to motivate you for an hour and leave. She brings lived experience, professional insight, and research explained in everyday language, plus practical tools your audience will use on Monday morning and pass on to someone else.

Jalessa lives in Chicago with her husband and their two daughters — her biggest why.