From Bronx roots to shaping the future of public education: Jessica Sutter shares how a life grounded in service, trust, and intellectual rigor led her from the classroom to national education policy and consulting. Jessica is an education leader and consultant based in Washington, D.C., whose career spans teaching, charter school leadership, policy, and research.

Raised in a large Catholic family in the Bronx, Jessica grew up in a household that prized education and community, values that continue to guide her work today. Though no longer religious, she carries forward a Jesuit-inspired commitment to social justice and leaving institutions better than she found them. That throughline has shaped her decades-long dedication to students, families, and mission-driven organizations.

Jessica traces her journey from teaching in Chicago to training educators in Los Angeles, before becoming a founding teacher at KIPP LA Prep in the early days of the charter school movement. Those formative classroom years, including launching a middle school that eventually grew into a full district, grounded her leadership in the lived realities of students and families. Her curiosity about systems-level change later pulled her into education policy, beginning in Washington, D.C. during the Obama era, where an Education Pioneers fellowship and doctoral training deepened her impact.

Today, Jessica brings together lived experience, qualitative research expertise, and hard-earned perspective as an independent consultant. She shares why trust, self-discipline, and intellectual honesty are non-negotiable in consulting, and why leaders must sometimes say no, or refer work elsewhere, to protect long-term credibility. She also reframes mergers and consolidations in education not as failures, but as mission-preserving strategies in a shifting philanthropic and funding landscape.

At its heart, this conversation is about leadership with humanity - balancing ambition with vulnerability, innovation with stewardship, and meaningful work with a life well lived. Tune in for a thoughtful, deeply grounded discussion that will resonate with educators, nonprofit leaders, and anyone navigating change with purpose.

Chapters

00:31 👋 Meet Jessica Sutter Building Trust in Education

00:59 🎧 Want a Podcast Just Like This One? Check Out podcastsmatter.com

01:14 👩‍🎓 Jessica’s Early Life and Education

12:30 📚 Career Journey From Teaching to Policy Work

24:19 🌟 If You Are a Leader or Changemaker Looking for Support, Check Out geniusdiscovery.org

25:47 🤝 The Role of Relationships in Consulting

27:29 🧭 Balancing Self Discipline and Curiosity

28:53 🔍 Why Trust and Expertise Matter in Consulting

32:40 💡 Navigating Financial Pressure and Building Trust

36:42 🔗 Mergers, Acquisitions, and Organizational Sustainability

39:38 📝 Find Support for Writing Your Impact-Driven Book at booksthatmatter.org

53:04 ✨ Reflections on a Life Well Lived

57:17 🎙️ Find More Podcasts That Matter at podcaststhatmatter.org

Links

Website: https://www.edproconsultingllc.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/edpro-consulting/?viewAsMember=true
Connect with Jessica: www.linkedin.com/in/jessicasutter
Connect with Jessica Sutter through her website and social channels, follow her work in education advocacy and consulting, and explore her insights on strategic partnerships and leadership to stay inspired and informed.

Connect with Mike: www.linkedin.com/in/mmsc

Stronger Consulting: strongerconsulting.com

Publish a Book That Matters: booksthatmatter.org

Start a Podcast That Matters: podcastsmatter.com

Go from Expert to Thought Leader: geniusdiscovery.org

For more great podcasts like this one, visit https://podcaststhatmatter.org/

Stay strong.