Influential Woman · Events

Angelica Jackson

Director of Content & Learning Operations, PCMA

Chicago, IL

16Years experience

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration Degree Bachelor of College

Her Story

About Angelica

I've been in learning and development for about 15 years. I started off working at an association as an entry-level employee and worked my way up into different departments, eventually landing as a full-time training manager. My experience spans both internal and external training, and most recently my roles are pivoting more towards learning operations, which includes product management and training. It's been a full circle moment for me because my entrepreneurial side, what I do on the side, connects to my corporate training background. I create workshops and work with women whose spouses suffer from some type of addiction, creating content and learning information for them. I just completed my bachelor's degree in business administration a month ago from Bachelor of College. I'm a recent graduate, and you know, it's not about how you start, but how you finish. My organization is in the events industry, and I manage a team that includes an innovation product manager and an online content product manager. My days involve tracking revenue, working with marketing on messaging, meeting with prospective speakers and instructors, sending out proposals to corporate, association, and collegiate clients, and helping my team wherever they're bottlenecked, whether with our LMS or website migration projects.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Angelica

01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I've ever received is to bring value to every meeting you're in. This has really shaped how I approach my work and how I show up in professional spaces.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

My advice to young professionals and entrepreneurs is simple: do it scared. Don't let fear hold you back from taking that leap or pursuing what you want to do. Just do it anyway, even when you're afraid.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I think one of the biggest challenges right now is deciding what material goes to market. It's challenging to figure out what topics people really want to learn about, and then reading through what people say they want versus what's actually needed. For example, we just went to market with a new psychological safety course. Everybody had been screaming that we need something on belonging, we need something on inclusivity, and so we produced a course, but it's not selling. So it's just kind of like, people said it, but did they really mean it? Did they say it? Were they really ready to invest in the topic? I think that's one of the challenges, the biggest challenge right now.

04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I value transparency, openness, and environments that empower you to make decisions. I don't like working in environments where if you make a mistake, it's like, oh my god, you're on a chopping block. I want to be allowed to make some calculated risks and not be punished for trying new things.

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