Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Gould.
Hi Jessica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
After volunteering in the Intellectual developmental disability. world space by serving on state and federal boards ranging from the Department of Developmental Services to regional centers. We opened our doors in 2019 when we independently got approached by a organization serving the population Running as a nonprofit organization known as a service provider, asking us to train them on complex issues ranging from legislative engagement to systematic issues. It was at that point that we realized that there was a desperate need for an agency that could act as a liaison between the disability community and the legislative process as well as the desperate need for systematic guidance. We realized that the disability community didn’t have an equal voice in the process and this needed to change. Our organization has been acting as that liaison ever since. Expanding beyond California and slowly going across the nation. Respecting Balance between federal and state agencies and working together to move public policy forward in the disability space through training and knowledge and guidance when necessary. Our partners within this space include but are not limited to Association of Regional Centers. California-based. State Council on Developmental Disabilities. California and nationally based. The Department of Developmental Services. California and nationally based amongst several others. It is a true practice in partnership. Knowing when to pass off the information. Who can handle what?
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Since this all started as a theory. The biggest challenge was getting organizations on the federal and state level to recognize the impact it could potentially have in helping very complex issues. The upper hand advantage I already had was that I was volunteering within the space, so the Regional Center of North Los Angeles County Regional Center allowed me to apply my theory in a very real way. Beginning with ABX21, a bill the lead to a rate study evaluation for the whole entire system of developmental intellectual disability. Within the state of California. I brought it to service providers within the area. The companies that serve the population and then technical sense and explain to them why they should care about it. It impacted how much they got paid. This ultimately led to my opening when one of those providers knocked on my door of my home asking for training. This all happened one year before the pandemic. I worked for one year In person on contract with this company whin the construct of my company. Then our next major challenge came along the pandemic, I couldn’t leave my home. No one could. So I had to restructure the whole company to become virtual. This made me encounter financial challenges. As well as outreach challenges, all of which we have overcome over the years. If anything, going virtual has given us a larger audience and the ability to reach more people. Giving a bigger impact than we could ever imagine. We were able to Supplement some of the financial challenges with the money provided to individuals who worked prior to the pandemic via stimulus check. We also, however, had to take out initial loans to pay for some of the larger creations, such as a professional technical website. But the expense we have, however, the expense we have put in has been completely worth it.
We’ve been impressed with J Gould Consulting, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are virtual consulting agency that can also go in person. Focusing on issues that impact underserved population with a hyper focus on intellectual developmental disability issues. We train in the areas of what is considered public policy, training organizations representing the population on various levels of legislative engagement, ranging from how to meet your legislators to how to change laws or public policy. What separates us from other training options out there in this space is we integrate psychology behavioral techniques and train our clients on how to utilize this to make a more effective argument when engaging in public policy. We give it a humanistic approach. We also provide what’s known as systematic guidance. Guiding agencies and individuals the complex systems of intellectual and developmental disabilities, connecting them with necessary agencies and/or training them on how these agencies interact within our political system. This is achieved through partnerships with various state and federal agencies to ensure the most accurate information is shared with our clientele.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was naturally artistic combined with the inquisitive nature. I was born with quadriplegics cerebral palsy this condition that falls under developmental disability in categorization. This made me wonder very much about the world around me. How I fit into it and what my condition was. My creativity side just simply grew. I have always been naturally friendly and sociable, loving to talk to people, laugh and have a great time. The natural curiosities I had in childhood followed me into adulthood and helped me grow into the career and business that I own and operate today. As a young adult, I was a portrait photographer. Some of the photos seen on the website were taken by me and integrated into the site. I have always been a naturally creative individual, finding solutions to problems or issues regarding my own life. I see pathways everywhere by nature. I was always like that even as a kid. Much of the core beliefs built into the company that I own come from my actual personality that originated from me growing up. Helping people, talking to people. Being social, these are things that I have always been. I feel fortunate enough to find a career and pathway that allowed me to combine my natural talents with technical information that I learned along the way in adulthood. At my core, I am still that creative, inquisitive mind that is always going to be questioning everything around me. I am fortunate to work in a space that welcomes that type of mindset. and be a part of the ever-growing system.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jgouldconsultation.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jgouldconsulting#
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgouldconsulting/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Jessica50704201
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2k35OX9RWzG-LaKggelIug
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/j-gould-consulting-los-angeles
- Other: https://bsky.app/profile/jgouldconsulting.bsky.social
