Jennifer R. Bishop holds the distinction of being a Doctor of Management (DM) Fowler Center Fellow and Non-Profit Management Fellow from the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University. A results oriented, senior executive with over 20 years of global management consulting, client relationship management, leadership coaching and technical experience across a variety of industries with main focus in financial services. One of her most memorable experiences in management was co-leading a program that exposed high school females in the field of technology to corporate banking. As an executive leader, she served on an affinity group that supported women in technology and operations through career advancement, mentoring and providing mid-level African-American women managers exposure to Senior Executives in the organization.
Founder of Triumphant Steps a non-profit organization with a mission to break the cycle of poverty for women and their children by empowering them to transform their lives and excel to create prosperous and self-sustainable futures. www.triumphantsteps.com
Twenty-five years ago, as a single parent on the verge of poverty, she wanted and dreamed of a better future for myself and more importantly for her daughters. She knew education was the key to building a solid foundation and having a better life for her family. It wasn'’'t easy—juggling the duties of being a single-parent while working full-time and completing an advanced degree—yet, it pushed her boundaries and where she learned so many valuable life skills. Despite barriers in place, she was fortunate to have had the support of her family and friends on this journey. It was this experience that made her realize that the support she had was vital to completing her education. It also made her realize that this is the biggest barrier for other single-parent moms preventing them from pursuing their goals of a better life. Her experience was a turning point which inspired her to create Triumphant Steps—an all-encompassing program that empowers women to complete a four-year professional degree to give them a career rather than a "job" while removing obstacles and barriers and providing the support and guidance to transform their lives for themselves and their children.
Her interests are in accentuating the strengths of people, specifically African-American women in Corporate America through career advancement and success through non-traditional methods.
Her research goal is to impact the traditional mindset that prevents the success of African-American women in middle and senior management positions with foundational skills but not the opportunities in Corporate America. She seeks to create spaces to promote the uniqueness of individuals and encourage authentic participation. Therefore, the primary stakeholders would be African-American women in middle and senior management positions and C-Suite executives. She plans to investigate these disparities and to construct sponsorship programs that not only focus on profitability but also on the social well-being of the individual. Her vision is to investigate and open the "unspoken" dialogue that incorporates inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness.