Hi, I'm Jenny.

I'm a 38-year-0ld mother, wife, daughter and entrepreneur. I live my life honestly, boldly and passionately. As an adult I grew a passion for travel as a means of personal growth, creative inspiration and perspective. Today's social media culture has removed authenticity from our community. I believe most people are searching for more connection. I'm open about my life in the hopes that others are inspired or can find comfort in my journeys. Infertility, never-ending renovation projects, being a working mom, race and adoption are all topics that occupy my daily space. 

IN MY LIFE, EVERYTHING HAS A STORY. FOLLOW ME AND I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING.

Background

I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina - the daughter of a social worker who worked with aging seniors and a psychologist specializing in children with mental disabilities. Living a life that is grounded in making a difference was instilled in me at a young age. By the time I got to middle school, I was learning cued speech to work with the deaf and babysitting for families with autistic children. 

In high school it became evident that I had a gift for math and science and found myself torn when deciding on my college plans. I ultimately chose to attend Penn State University and pursue my degrees in Architectural Engineering - a combination of both my left and right brain thinking. I continued to seek out opportunities to give, volunteering as a mentor with The Second Mile throughout college.

On the personal side, Josh and I have been married now for 15 years. In 2009, we adopted our son Holden and 13 months later we adopted his biological sister Rory. They have both been in Chinese immersion school since kindergarten because the competitiveness of college these days terrifies me. Our son plays soccer. Our daughter dances. As a family we continue to navigate being a transracial family and communicating the challenges of two white parents raising two black children in the South. 

Experience

I received both my bachelor’s and master's degrees in architectural engineering from Penn State University in 2003. In addition to being both a LEED AP BD+C and Homes, I have my Six Sigma Greenbelt and am a GRI Certified Sustainability Reporter.

My early career took me all over the country and gave me unique  work opportunities ranging from my time with Walt Disney Imagineering to my work on the National Archives Renovation Team in Washington, DC. (I could talk for days about my great experience at Disney.) After graduation I accepted a job in Los Angeles and moved cross-country with my new husband. In 2005, we returned to the East Coast and put roots down in Charlotte, NC. Over 12 years, I gained incredible knowledge in the commercial real estate world working for Crosland, Bank of America and Crescent Communities - focused on sustainability and/or social impact at each of them. In 2007, I co-founded the local affiliate for the ACE Mentor Program, a national mentoring program for high school students in the construction industry that I had worked with in Los Angeles. Today, our affiliate continues to serve over 150 local students each year.

In 2017, I ventured out on my own and decided to create my own path. I loved the work I had been doing in Corporate Social Responsibility but wanted more flexibility in the work I was pursuing and the opportunity to serve more people. I created Gökotta to fill a gap I saw in the real estate and urban development industry. While I have a technical background and am a trained engineer, my greatest passion is around social equity issues. I discovered that the most impactful work I can do is to create connections - between people, organizations, projects and ideas. My goal is to utilize my technical and creative skills to help others bridge the communication and implementation gap. I don't believe in doing things the way they have always been done, but rather tapping into new voices to create better solutions.

You can always learn more about my career on my LinkedIn or by listening to a Pre-Gökotta podcast where I was the first featured guest on the STEMinism Podcast. To learn more about Gökotta and the Impact Consulting work we are doing, visit our website.