Jacquelyn Davis is a nonprofit leader and transformative advisor to philanthropies who dedicated her life to the education sector and social impact. Her life and career are led by constant learning and curiosity. She has launched many organizations and initiatives. EDVolution, a boutique consulting she founded has worked with many national foundations โ including the Gates Foundation, the Overdeck Foundation, New Schools Venture Fund, the Wallace Foundation, the Walton Foundation, the Rainwater Foundation, the Alice B and James A Clark Foundation, and the Kern Foundation, among others โ and numerous education social impact organizations โ including Teach For America, New Leaders, and many more.
Growing up in the South in a segregated community with socially conscious parents who taught her that not every family has the same opportunities, Jacquelyn learned from an early age to stand up for what she believes in and bear the cost of it. She witnessed systemic differences and inequalities, and while the changes her family wanted, began at home, Jacquelyn continued to carry the same passion for diversity in her life and work, moving forward.
Today we are facing a national crisis because 70% of kids canโt read by third grade and over 60% of schools in America are not using curriculum based on science-based research on how the brain learns. Sadly, prison beds in this country are based on reading levels, and still, things are not changing.
A new entrepreneurial journey for Jac started when her dyslexic son learned to read using a board game she created. Clever Noodle as an additional tool, can help kids around the country fix their reading issues.
The public education system must provide education for all kids so they can become high-quality readers and open up the doors to their lives and possibilities for their future. We all have a call in this.
Notes:
๐๏ธ Being curious about people: learning from many experienced interviewers like Jacquelyn how to talk to people, helped Ron become a podcast host.
01:43โญ Born and raised in Texas: her dad was a lighthouse of integrity.
02:45๐ No strangers - all were welcome in their house: nurturing acceptance, desegregation, and having very progressive parents.
05:00๐๐พ Growing up in the South: a difference and an inequality that was systemic being created.
11:22โก Donโt complain about it - do something about it: The family volunteered for homelessness and food insecurity.
18:06๐ง๐พ Jacโs educational path started with school rehabilitation and college for scholarships: when a girl plans her funeral.
20:11๐ค Startup is a very ambiguous space: you need to know if you are wired to learn everything about everything.
24:17๐ Jacโs circle of champions: parents, English teacher, health teacher, and amazing friends who influenced her.
27:54๐ง Clever Noodle creation: her son was struggling with learning how to read during COVID so Jacquelyn learned how the sequential process in the brain works and created a board game for reading.
35:26๐ฅ National crisis on literacy: finding the sweet spot with supplemental products but also science-based reading curriculums in schools - we need multifaceted solutions.
40:07๐ โMama, I know you are teaching me how to read but it is ok, because it is fun.โ
46:20โ๏ธ Summarizing and synthesizing complex brain functions are getting developed when we write.
50:38 ๐คฏ Our prisons are full of people who were not taught to read: they are capable but the system is not interested.
55:11๐ Jacโs RONdering: Stay clever and stay curious to grow opportunities.
57:54โ ๏ธ Spread literacy by donating games to families and schools.
58:40Links:
Episode 48
