Jennifer "Jaki" Johnson
Millennial Speaker & Author | The Change Agent™ | Media Personality
Jennifer "Jaki" Johnson is a change agent, millennial speaker, media personality and author on a movement to impact the lives of teens and young adults who are our rising leaders of tomorrow! She introduced herself to the world as an on-air feature reporter on CBS Radio, V-103 of Atlanta where she produced a feature strictly for the students of the Atlanta University Center which consisted of Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College and Morehouse College. The report focused on student life, job opportunities and conferences available to students called "The AUC Report" on the Greg Street Show.
While at V-103, Jaki became the youngest syndicated producer of "The Steve Harvey Morning Show" at Blazin 92.3, a Cumulus Media radio station! This move was believed to put "Jaki" on National TV where she was able to showcase her witty personality and young at heart humor on the BET's "Road show" & MTV's "Yo Momma". Jaki then took her passion for providing students with information that was important to their success and growth to another popular Atlanta radio station, Kiss 104.1! She pitched a feature to Cox Radio called the “The College Review Report” that would give parents and students information on how to pay for college without taking out loans. The station picked it right up, as they knew this was useful valuable information and it ran on Kiss 104.1 for 2 years. She received support for the show to enlighten young minds from various entrepreneurs, corporations and celebrities that contributed exclusive interviews on how to become successful and enhance leadership skills. Guests included: Actress Vivica A. fox, Radio One/TV One CEO Cathy Hughes and Assistant VP of Inclusion & Diversity of Honda North America, Inc Marc Burt, just to name a few! This also led to the development of the 1st AUC College Mixtape hosted by celebrity disc jockey- DJ Drama and Jaki which consisted of celebrity interviews on success, goal planning and more.
A scholar herself, Jaki was finally enrolled at her dream school, Spelman College through the Pauline E. Drake Scholar program designed to encourage women who started life, work and families but still dreamed of finishing college to earn their degree. While at Spelman, she pitched a collegiate column to Wendy Wilson, the online editor for Essence.com where she reported on issues affecting students in the AUC center. One editorial piece she wrote for Essence.com called "Why I had to leave Spelman" took a personal look into the financial adversities that forced a student to leave school due to the lack of financial aid opportunities, made such an impact that it was featured on HuffingtonPost.com and MSNBC's TheGrio.com.
Jennifer "Jaki" Johnson had the opportunity to graduate from Spelman College with a B.A. in Comparative Women’s Studies by embracing the stage to experience her first graduation ceremony ever in life with First Lady Michelle Obama as her commencement speaker! It wasn't easy but she was determined to get her degree and she did! It is in her story of true adversity and as she would call it "checkmates" that she encountered along the journey which included being an at risk teen, a troubled juvenile delinquent at 14, becoming a young mother by the age of 15 and a high school drop out at 16. Along the journey, Jaki has developed the foresight and strategies that helped her to become the phenomenal woman she is today!
Jaki now carries a burning desire to help light a fire in the hearts of millions with her amazing story and captivating delivery that has built a beautiful platform to share it with everyone who needs to hear it! She has taken a holistic approach to helping teens and young adults to becoming strategic leaders! Her ability to connect with the younger generation as well as her peers has allowed her to be a resource to high schools, colleges and corporations to utilize as they strategically develop their leaders of tomorrow. Outside of preparing for her new radio show on WAEC Love 860AM, she has been helping millennials through her speaker program for students, keynote for corporations and workshops. Her new book, Chess Game of Life featuring personal interviews with CEO Cathy Hughes of Radio One/TV One and American Idol Winner/Grammy Award Winning Artist Fantasia Burrino scheduled to come out in 2014, helps millennials to navigate through life, use their power of potential and leverage their past. Originating all the way from the boogie down Bronx, NY, Jaki has walked the chess road less traveled and is showing the world just how to avoid the checkmates life puts in front of us in an attempt to capture our dreams of being the Kings and Queens, we are made to be as leaders! Don't be checkmated by life! Let Jaki show you just how to get unstuck on the board of the Chess game of Life!