Ashley N. Company

World travel expert, international inspirational speaker, and leadership development trainer, Ashley N. Company draws on over 10 years of youth development, mentoring, personal experience, and community organizing to deliver purpose-driven success strategies and transformational keynote addresses for youth, mid-level professionals, college students and women. She uses her life story to inspire and train audiences to overcome tremendous adversity, cultivate leadership skills and transform communities. Inspired by a dream, Ashley made a bold move to leave her position as a District Manager with PepsiCo, a Fortune 100 company, to travel the world, learn new languages, and experience different cultures. She then utilized those experiences to create Jelani Girls, Inc., a non-profit organization focused on transforming urban young women into global citizens. At the age of 30, Ashley has visited and volunteered in more than 60 countries and territories, raised over $200,000 for Jelani Girls Cultural Enrichment Program, and impacted the lives of over 2,000 children in need. In December 2013, Ashley successfully introduced her first cohort of young women to global citizenship through Jelani Girls’ inaugural International Youth Service Project in Ghana, West Africa followed by a second group of young women in Trinidad and Tobago six months later. Under her leadership, Jelani Girls Inc. helps young women ages 14-18 re-imagine what it means to be great through its international cultural enrichment program. In 2014, Ashley launched Jelani Women to engage adults who want to be directly affiliated with Jelani Girls, Inc. as elite supporters and also introduce more women to international travel on the unbeaten path. Ashley has a powerful, visionary focus on strategically expanding opportunities and strengthening the foundation of youth both in the United States and abroad through engagement, empowerment and exploration. In addition to her responsibilities as CEO of Jelani Girls, Inc., Ashley served in the rank of Captain as a Human Resources Manager in the United States Army Reserve. Ashley graduated cum laude from Hampton University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management. She is an active member of the African Leadership Network, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and the World Affairs Council. Ashley speaks to community organizations, schools, and businesses on the importance of having a world view and traveling the globe to foster international connections with her signature presentations such as “Travel Young” and “Citizens of The World”. She has been featured in multiple media sources across the world most notably CNBC Africa, SABC and ESSENCE. Ashley has also been honored by the Foundation for Enhancing Communities with the 2014 Women In Philanthropy Award and Hampton University’s Top 40 Under Forty Young Alumni Award.