Symone Bridges, M.A. Ed.
Symone Bridges, M.A. Ed., is a visionary leader, educator, and coach with over eight years of experience in education, childhood development, and community engagement. She has been working in coaching and consulting for five years, passionately helping leaders discover their identity and purpose. Symone runs two businesses grounded in this principle: Woman of Purpose LLC, where she leads the Journey to Wholeness initiative with quarterly 5-week intensives empowering women to overcome narcissism, understand their identity, build healthy relationships, and establish legacy; and The Emergence Enterprises LLC, which partners with church leadership, entrepreneurs, and emerging corporate leaders to provide leadership development and training rooted in faith-based principles. Symone’s approach blends practical strategies with actionable insights, ensuring that her clients can not only understand theory but also apply it effectively in real-world contexts. Throughout her career, Symone has held influential roles in education and non-profit organizations, including Program Manager at NextWave STEM, Chief People Officer and Director of School Partnerships at Debate it Forward, and Entrepreneurship Instructor at WizKidz. Her expertise spans leadership development, organizational strategy, youth engagement, and curriculum design, and she consistently uses these skills to foster growth, empowerment, and high-performing teams. A certified practitioner in emotional intelligence, business consulting, human resource management, and executive coaching in organizational development, Symone equips leaders with the language, understanding, and tools they need to thrive in their personal and professional lives. A lifelong learner, Symone earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Chicago State University and is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration. She was recently called to establish the College of Education’s Student Advisory Board to enhance student engagement, reflecting her ongoing commitment to mentorship and leadership development. Recognized as an Emerging Millennial Trailblazer, Symone balances her professional dedication with personal passions, including traveling, exploring new restaurants with friends, singing, and painting. Guided by faith, authenticity, and purpose, she continues to inspire, equip, and empower individuals to step boldly into their identity and calling.
• Emotional Intelligence Practitioner
• Corporate Leadership & People Management
• Professional Life Coach Certification
• Business and Entrepreneurship Coach Certification
• Life Purpose Coach Certification
• Happiness Life Coach Certification
• Employee Performance Coach Certification
• Goal Success Life Coach Certification
• Master Life Coach Certification
• EdX Verified Certificate for Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles (Harvardx)
• Strategic Management Program
• Project Management Program
• Mini-MBA Program (Business Management Program)
• Chicago State University - BBA
• Chicago State University - M.Ed.
• President's Cup Award (Outstanding Graduating Senior Award)
• Student Achievement Award
• Finish Strong Alumni Affairs Scholarship
• Follett Book Scholarship
• Departmental Merit Award (Business Management)
• High Honor Roll
• Delta Mu Delta Regional District Scholarship
• Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship
• Economic Recovery Institute Inc. Service Award
• Merit Student Scholarship
• "Most Talented" Award
• IAPC (International Association Professionals College)
• Transformational Life Academy
• Priority Academy LTD
• Delta Mu Delta International Business Society Kappa Omega Chapter
• Young African Student Ambassadors (Y.A.S.A.)
• Economic Recovery Institute Inc.
• Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society- Kappa Omega Chapter
• SAB Ministries
• Mothercare School
• Metropolitan Board Of The Chicago Urban League
• Co-Chair, Creating Spaces Initiative
YNPN Chicago
What do you attribute your success to?
God, all the way. I am very grateful that I believe in Him and that I'm able to have a relationship with Him. He gives me peace, He gives me joy. 2025 was a difficult year for a lot of us, and it taught me to be more dependent on Him and to show me how do I overcome it, how do I navigate through this season of uncertainty, how do I get through school, how do I make my business more successful. I'm really big on my faith, for sure. It's important for us to know that there is hope, that there is light at the end of this very dark tunnel that we're in. He's the ultimate source in my life, so I'm grateful to know Him.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Don't worry about what people have to say. Don't worry about outside voices. When we're not confident and we're not sure of who we are and what we're supposed to be doing, we will allow the chatter of naysayers and those who criticize us to have more input with regards to how we should move and execute, rather than just trusting God and what He says about you. You have to pick and choose who you listen to and what you receive. When you are able to discern who and what is going to help elevate you, you take that and you run with it. But there are just some people that are not happy to see you win, and quite honestly, those are the same people that are not happy within themselves. When you understand that particular revelation, it's easier for you to disconnect from the chatter and to continue to move forward with what you're supposed to be doing. Don't listen to what everybody says. What you're doing is enough.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay in your lane. Know your niche. Be confident. Allow creativity and innovation to guide you. What happens is we get so engulfed in the administrative logistics, and when things are not working or it seems like it's not working on our behalf, we can easily find ourselves overwhelmed or burnt out. But I would encourage those coming into this field to be as creative and as innovative as you can. Study other people, study other coaches - not to steal from them, but when you see people successful at what they're doing, ask why. Study them, and what you take from them, make it your own within your space of influence. Have faith, believe. You need to know coming in that you are going to make an impact, that you are going to build legacy. I'm building a multi-million dollar brand - this is what I'm doing, this is what I'm coming into knowing. When you know who you are and you know your end goal, it allows you to be more intentional in how you plan, how you strategize, how you execute, how you reach out to your targeted audience. So be intentional, be strategic, and allow creativity and innovation to guide you. The possibilities are endless.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Above all, identifying your niche and identifying your identity - I think that's one of the biggest things that is difficult at times for women coming into this field. With coaching, it's overly saturated with very similar topics and programs. In my journey of trying to discover what my niche was, I had to be very intentional in looking at my own life and the things that I overcame. What God allowed me to overcome, there were other women going through it too - I had friends, family members, peers going through these things. It allowed me to better curate my offerings and services. You have to understand what your lane is, because you can't save the world. I've learned this principle really quickly in entrepreneurship: I can't save the world, but there is an audience out there for me, assigned to me, that I'm able to help them, they're able to receive it, and ultimately we're both able to win together. You have to be able to understand what your lane is and work with that.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is definitely on the top of the list. Good character, effective communication, problem solving, emotional intelligence, creativity, innovation, leadership development, peace, community, honor, respect, faith, and vision - being a visionary. These are the values that really come to mind instantly for me.