Tammy is an Executive Coach with a Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School and a Bachelor’s of Science in Economics and Business Administration with a double major in Spanish.  She has over 20 years of experience in executive coaching, diversity/inclusion programs, leadership development, career consulting, and workshop facilitation.  

A first-generation college graduate, she has a deep understanding and empathy for the challenges that people of color face in their professional careers.  She is passionate about coaching and mentoring them on how to overcome the Impostor Syndrome, develop executive presence, build a strong personal brand, grow leadership skills and advance in their careers.

As a young Latina first out of law school, Tammy faced unfair, stereotypical biases and she learned quickly how to navigate a variety of work environments. She is adept at coaching people of color in how to conquer bias, prejudice, and unfair assumptions no matter which industry or job function they are in.  A world traveler, Tammy has visited over 15 countries and lived in both Mexico and England, speaks fluent Spanish and brings a wealth of knowledge about cross cultural skills, cultural humility, and diversity/inclusion.

JaKela Parker is the Senior Finance Director & Controller for DSM North America. She is responsible for implementing the financial control strategy for the region. In this role, she leads a team that supports and executes key finance and accounting processes including the financial close, budgeting and forecasting, internal controls, and management reporting for the region. She has nearly 20 years of diverse experience, with the last 5 at DSM.

 
Before transitioning to her current role, she spent three years in finance leadership roles in DSM’s medical device business. Prior to joining DSM, she held positions of increasing levels of responsibility across multiple disciplines including Audit, Finance and Accounting, Sales, and Human Resources.

She has a passion for helping others. She provides mentorship and support to colleagues through both formal and informal channels. She has volunteered with various nonprofits, many with a focus on youth, including serving on the Board of Trustees for the Forman S. Action Educational Foundation from 2017 – 2018. She currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America.

 
JaKela earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business with a concentration in Finance from Howard University.