Jessica Estevez
Jessica Estévez is a nationally recognized strategist, leadership coach, and social impact leader whose work centers on one powerful philosophy: leading with love without fear. As President and Co-Founder of Estrategia Group, Jessica has spent more than 25 years guiding organizations across healthcare, education, nonprofit, and corporate sectors through strategic planning, leadership development, culture-building, and justice-centered transformation. Through her consulting and executive coaching practice, she works closely with leaders—particularly women—to cultivate people-centered, strengths-based leadership rooted in authenticity, courage, and values alignment. Her work has contributed to more than $85 million in growth management for clients while helping organizations create spaces where individuals and communities can truly thrive.
Born in New York, raised in the Dominican Republic, and shaped by the experiences of immigrant parents who deeply valued education and resilience, Jessica’s personal story informs every aspect of her leadership. Graduating high school at just 15 years old, she learned early how to navigate spaces where assumptions about age, identity, and belonging often created barriers. Those experiences fueled her passion for bridge-building, advocacy, and intergenerational leadership. Grounded in faith and inspired by the transformative power of community, Jessica has dedicated her life to ensuring people feel seen, valued, and connected to their own strengths and humanity. Whether facilitating organizational change, mentoring emerging leaders, or speaking on national and international stages, she leads with a deep belief that authentic relationships and collective care are catalysts for healing and transformation.
In 2019, Jessica co-founded Mi Gente Mi Pueblo, a nonprofit born from extensive community listening sessions with more than 300 Latine individuals and allies throughout the Tampa Bay region. What emerged was a call for greater visibility, healing, cultural connection, and spaces where communities could thrive authentically. Today, Mi Gente Mi Pueblo advances equity through storytelling, advocacy, arts, and community-building while centering Latine culture and belonging. Jessica also continues to champion racial healing initiatives through her involvement with Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation efforts across the region. A proud daughter of immigrants, educator, Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, and national fellow with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Jessica remains deeply committed to building communities rooted in justice, belonging, courage, and hope.
• Gallup Strengths Coach
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation National Fellow
• Brandeis University
Master of Management (MMHS), Health & Human Services
• Mount Holyoke College
Bachelor of Arts - BA, Latin American Studies, Business, and Education
• University of Wisconsin-Stout
Certificate, eLearning & Teaching
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation National Fellow
• Influential Women 2026
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation Fellowship
• St. Petersburg Truth
• Racial Healing
• And Transformation Consortium
• Founder of Mi Gente Mi Pueblo (nonprofit supporting Latina/Latine community through arts
• Culture
• And healing)
• St. Petersburg Truth
• Racial Healing
• And Transformation Consortium (committee member and consultant)
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation America Healing Initiative
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my drive to my faith as my fuel. I had a wonderful grandmother who was a very devout Catholic and Christian, and it was cultural as a Dominican. Through a series of really difficult moments in my own childhood and upbringing, I always felt like I wasn't enough, like I didn't have value, and I felt invisible. But then these relationships with strangers pouring into me, saying little things like seeing my value or potential and investing in me, changed everything. When I fast-forward and link all these little, seemingly insignificant moments, I feel like there was something greater than myself really weaving all these pieces together. I attribute my drive to how that community of strangers and family members who saw that were allowing themselves to be used in supernatural ways to fuel me. As cliche as it's gonna sound, I have to say my faith. I do believe in love that is something greater than us, and I call that God. I attribute my drive to seeing those little mini miracles showing up every day in people, just humanity pouring out the beauty of folks who don't have to doing something because they see that it's important and needed. That extra hug that someone could be healed through, that smile from a stranger, someone who is a neighbor who sees you broken down. All those little miracles is my drive. When people show up in community and are fully authentic themselves, that's my drive. Those moments that create that aha in us, that keeps me fueled.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say three things. First, love without fear. Love without centering fear. Identify what is the thing that you love so much that grounds you and helps you live courageously. Second, acknowledge your strengths and own your strengths. I always tell women, everybody actually, for every year you're celebrating in life, every birthday, you should be naming a quality and characteristic about yourself that you're proud of, the gift you are and bring into the world. Being able to love courageously, not only ourselves but our communities, is so important. Third, our life is relationships. If there's absolute truths that I can lift up, when you think about who is in your community, who is your tribe, who are the people that belong to you and you belong to them, building that and cultivating that is fueling. Then name the thing that fuels you well. For me, that is faith. What is the thing that cultivates your hope and humanity, hope in the things that are? Once we catalyze those things for optimization, then we can get to the pragmatic things of what it looks like in action. But being able to be anchored and rooted in those pieces, I think, would be my advice.
Locations
Estrategia Group
10930 Subtle Trail Drive, Riverview, FL 33579