Bio

  Jennifer Alice Jackson, Founder and Principal

Jennifer Alice Jackson is a dynamic speaker and the Career Pivot Catalyst^TM. Born and raised in Detroit, Jennifer is the product of a blue-collar middle class home where education was valued as the key to a successful future. Her carefully cultivated educational path includes a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

While working as a mechanical engineer, Jennifer found herself in a job (that others would kill for) that was killing her because it wasn’t fulfilling or inspiring. Despite conventional wisdom and those who thought she’d lost her mind, Jennifer decided to pursue her desire to manage a professional dance company – a position that would feed, challenge and inspire her intellect and artistic spirit. After five years as the administrative director of a critically acclaimed dance company, she looked at her options and realized (again!) that a linear career path wasn’t appealing.

When Jennifer thought about her next career move, she realized that the challenge of building something from scratch, mastering new skills and learning interesting things are three elements necessary for her professional fulfillment. These three elements are the constants in her non-linear career journey that spans engineering, management consulting, arts management, diversity and inclusion and entrepreneurship.

She then became the second-in-command of diversity and inclusion at a large law firm, where Jennifer helped develop and implement initiatives that supported the professional development and promotion of diverse attorneys. She often served as a counselor and mentor for attorneys navigating the journey from junior associate to equity partner. Occasionally she encountered attorneys who were clearly miserable working in their chosen profession, yet unable to see themselves in any career didn’t require a law degree. Career Tectonics was born out of Jennifer’s desire to help highly educated professionals see themselves as more than their degrees, then transition to enjoyable, financially rewarding careers.

During her 25-year professional journey, Jennifer has mastered the art of the elegant career pivot. As a Career Pivot Catalyst^TM, she provides guidance to professionals who are ready to change careers but don’t know their answer to “what next?” She also coaches clients to efficiently navigate the personal, professional and financial hurdles that stand in the way of realizing their new career goals.