Jennell launched Strategic Interactions, Inc. (SI) in 1990 with co-founder, David Swink. They pioneered the use of Interactive Behavioral Simulations™ that depict real workplace situations and act as catalysts for learning critical communication skills. The uniqueness and extreme effectiveness of their training approach has been featured several times on 60 Minutes, and on Good Morning America and Nightline, and in publications like The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times.

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Jennell spent the first part of her career providing professional services to corporations as a commercial designer of work environments. After studying organizational development in graduate school, her work focused on facilitating leadership training, team building and executive strategy sessions and more recently, mindfulness training. Jennell now leads SI’s Leadership Minds & Matters™ practice. She is also the Chief Mindfulness Officer for Music City Meditation, a division of SI that focuses on mindfulness and meditation training for Nashville-based clients. (https://www.musiccitymeditation.com)

 

Jennell has consulted to *Fortune 500’s to nonprofits, and knows first hand how work-related stress can impact individuals, teams, executives and entire work cultures. After experiencing a serious health scare in early 2007, Jennell completed a meditation program and began a daily practice. With no medical explanation for her health issue, Jennell knew that stress was the root cause, and practicing meditation was one of the most effective ways she could proactively manage it.

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Jennell’s personal experience with stress and her professional experience in the corporate arena fuel her motivation to educate people about meditation. She specializes in teaching workplace leaders how to de-stress, maintain focus, and become even more present and resilient in their lives, while having a positive impact on their employees and their organization’s culture.

 

Jennell is certified to administer the Emotional and Social Competency Indicator, an assessment that is foundational to understanding one's emotional intelligence strength and challenge areas. Jennell is also certified as a Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher  from the McLean Meditation Institute. She holds a Masters in Organizational Development and a Certificate in Instructional Design from Marymount University, and a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. 

 

Jennell is an artist, a healthy lifestyle advocate, a life-long learner and a passionate volunteer for Musicians On Call, where she helps bring live music to hospital patients. She also mentors young entrepreneurs through an advisory role at the Entrepreneur Center in Nashville, TN.

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*Jennell has led client engagements with AECOM, American College of Cardiology, The Carlyle Group, General Dynamics, Deloitte, Aol, Trimble, Time Warner Cable, Fannie Mae, Verizon, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Discovery Communications, Tyco International, Ann Taylor Stores, Sunrise Senior Living, Marriott International, Surescripts, Special Olympics, AvalonBay Communities, Navy Federal Credit Union, Choice Hotels International and many other corporations and nonprofits.