Meet Jessica Atkinson PMP. CMP, CSM | Project Management Consultant & Corporate Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Atkinson PMP. CMP, CSM and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, how do you think about risk?
In my life experience risk has opposite sides. From my Project Management perspective, I love the word “Risk” as it helps me to view words such as issues and problems as having the potential for a successful outcome through mitigation or strategy. Risk becomes a force that we can take on, which becomes inherent to any change. However, as a woman of color risk is an overwhelming force of fear and anxiety. Throughout my journey, my authentic truth as a Woman, Immigrant, Lesbian, and Black person (WILB), these perceived detractors had to be transformed into affirmations. I WILB Fearless. I WILB Unstoppable. I WILB Passionate. Risk-taking became an integral part of my life and career.

My background, from a foster home in the Republic of Panama to being adopted and raised in DFW, has instilled a deep sense of advocacy. It started with a leap of faith to temporarily relocate from DFW to work for US companies in places like Jamaica and the Republic of Panama and support global teams. In my career, I have worked with Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, and non-profit organizations. This diverse experience has allowed me to navigate different industries and tackle challenges in Business and Technology. By taking risks and pushing boundaries, I have built teams that stood up grey space offices, completed digital transformations, ascended to the 1% of black women earning VP titles in corporate America, and through projects employing thousands of people domestically and globally.

I believe in betting on myself through career transitions from Operation roles to project management, to technology. I made aggressive personal financial investments in my career through upskilling and certifications. And my biggest dream is in action through my Human Rights case for Marriage Equality in Panama.

Founding and leading the WILB Effect is a risk worth pursuing. As a professional speaker on “embracing authenticity and awakening greatness;” I have seen the impact on young professionals, students, and organizations. The WILB Effect offers a Project Management Office (PMO) using a Return on Investment (ROI) model and the call-to-action workshops on “Workplace Mental Wellness for People Leaders”.

“Business is Human” and I believe that taking calculated risks is crucial for personal and professional development, and I am committed to continuing this approach in everything I do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career has been filled with relatable systemic challenges. As a woman often asked to take notes in a meeting among equals. As a person of color, excluded from the decision-making tables. Drowning emotionally in the work field from unconscious bias, microaggressions, and imposter treatment. The lessons learn are:
• Leadership is not a title – every day a project manager…. is no one’s boss, but tells everyone what to do – it is the Power of Influence
• Take back the narrative- speak your truth – consequences are fleeting, yet our mental wellness defines your future
• Seek Mentorship with the same intensity you seek being Advocated for
• Envision your 10-year outlook with a limitless lens – and every day say “I WILB Unstoppable”
• Grief is often misunderstood and dismissed in the Workplace due to poor business goals and timelines – set personal boundaries

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If you come to DFW expect to hit up my favorite spots. (No surprise most of them are restaurants) • Friday nights straight to Heroes Lounge in Dallas starting at 6pm for the $10 All-you-Can-Eat Jamaican food with music vibes and great service. Rice and peas / curry, brown stew, & jerk chicken / Beef Patties / Plantain, and much more – Plus stay the night and get your dance on to Afrobeats, Calypso, Reggae, throwback 90s remix, and the live band
• For a weekday lunch dine at El Mofongo Restaurant in Arlington (I always order Bistec Encebollado (Beefsteak and onions) with Mofongo)
• For a quick “grab and go” hit up Elaine’s Kitchen in Dallas off of Martin Luther King Junior Blvd (I never miss a chance to order boiled dumplings with ackee and saltfish)
• My family has celebrated special occasions at the Jamaica Gates in Arlington for decades (Get the Trio – why decide when you can try them all)
• Be prepared for me to cook up “irie pan” for breakfast – my version of Jamaican fried festival with a Latin twist
• At least one Sports night with either the Sidekicks (Arena Soccer), Texas Stars, Mavericks, or Dallas Cowboys
• At least one special night to enjoy a 3-course steak meal at 3Eleven Kitchen and Cocktails in Dallas
• My favorite Spa is the Omni Dallas Hotel – they take walk-ins
• If you are in town always check to see if Justin Rhodes, the award-winning music & film producer is showing a new movie – it’s always an amazing experience
• The schedule may need a long nap in the day, but it’s worth it for dance night at Sue Ellen’s Dallas

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the unwavering support, boundless encouragement, and belief in my journey to leading authentically. My wife, Yamileth del Carmen Garces Garcia, has been a driving force behind my successes and the source of strength to face the systemic holds and push daily towards more inclusive spaces.

My father, Luther Atkinson, instilled in me the confidence to overcome any obstacle and the value of being a Texan and Afro-Panamanian.

The WILB Board of Directors: Litza Bodden LPC-S, Armani Cornwell, Rachel Cox PMP, MSPSY, Khiela Holmes, PhD, & Marisa Pryor, MPS, JD

My DFW Support: Nolan Catholic High School (Fort Worth), Young Junior High, St. Andrews School, Ditto Elementary, PMI Dallas Chapter, Shining Light LLC, INROADS

Partnerships/Support: Hendrix College, Women in Consumer Finance, Human Rights Watch, Fundación Iguales Panamá (Ivan Chanis), Morgan and Morgan Panama (Carlos Ernesto Gonzalez), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNCHR), Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (IDH), TB & J Solutions, LLC, Dallas Police Department, Black Women in Project Management, Pathful Inc, PMI Institute, Prosci, Scrum Alliance, Panamanian Association of Dallas/Fort Worth

Website: https://wilbeffect.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wilbeffect/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicalatkinson/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WILBEffect/

Other: WILB Effect Linked In – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wilbeffect/ LinkedTree – https://linktr.ee/wilbeffect