I’M JADE.
Hey There!
You might look at this page and assume I’ve always had it together—certifications, nonprofits, polished strategy decks, the calm presence of someone who’s been doing this for years.
And while those things are true, they’re not the whole story.
The truth is: I started with grief. With no funding. No connections. No blueprint. Just pain, faith, and the belief that I could build something meaningful from it.
When I lost my mom, Mikey, to cancer—everything changed. She was my anchor. My blueprint. My person. Her absence left me shattered, but it also sparked something I couldn’t ignore: the need to do something bigger than myself. Something for her. Something for the people slipping through the cracks every day.
So I left my job in clinical research and started from scratch.
No roadmap. No step-by-step. Just a beat-up laptop and a mission.
That mission became Mikey’s Miracle Foundation, built in her honor. And that path became J. Merritt Consulting Group, built for you. For nonprofit leaders who feel the pressure of doing everything, holding everyone, and still being expected to figure it all out.
If that resonates, you’re not alone. I built this because I’ve been there. And I don’t want you to build your vision from burnout.
“I help nonprofit founders bring order to their mission because the work is already heavy enough. You deserve clarity. You deserve support. You deserve to lead from a place of strength, not survival.”
“You can be purpose-driven and still feel like you’re figuring it out day by day. That doesn’t make you unqualified, it makes you human.”
What started at my kitchen table has grown into something bigger than me.
Since launching J. Merritt Consulting Group, I’ve supported nonprofits across Baltimore, helping founders become executive directors, helping missions get funded, and helping organizations move from overwhelmed to operational.
But the more I worked with purpose-driven leaders, the clearer it became:
Black Executive Directors weren’t just under-resourced—they were systemically shut out.
Underfunded. Overextended. Expected to lead without the trust, support, or investment they deserve.
That’s why I created the Black Executive Director Network, a membership-based space where Black nonprofit leaders could access not just knowledge and tools, but capital, community, and connection. A space that understands our experiences and affirms our leadership. A space that’s ours.
Because doing good shouldn’t mean doing it alone. And leadership should never come at the cost of your peace.
This is what I build now:
Organizations that are grounded in purpose and built to last.
Leaders who are clear, confident, and fully resourced.
Movements that don’t burn out—they build momentum.
In addition to lived experience, I bring formal training and field-tested strategy to every client I serve.
I hold a Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate from Georgetown University and am a Standards for Excellence® Licensed Consultant, equipped to guide organizations in ethical, sustainable growth and nonprofit best practices.
I’ve also been a fellow of the Warnock Foundation and the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies, and have contributed written work to platforms like The Huffington Post and Medium—always centering the voices, challenges, and brilliance of Black leaders in the nonprofit sector.
CLARITY IS A STRATEGY. STRUCTURE IS POWER. LEADERSHIP DESERVES SUPPORT.
CLARITY IS A STRATEGY. STRUCTURE IS POWER. LEADERSHIP DESERVES SUPPORT.
I use my lived experience, strategic training, and deep understanding of what it means to lead with limited support to help you feel clear, capable, and grounded in your mission.
MY ETHOS
J. Merritt Consulting Group exists to hold space for purpose-driven nonprofit leaders, especially Black founders, who are building something bigger than themselves, often without the support they deserve.
It’s a place to realign, to be seen, to build with strategy instead of struggle. A space rooted in care, clarity, and systems that sustain you, so you can lead with peace, grow with confidence, and stop carrying it all alone.
Your mission matters. Your leadership is valid. And you shouldn’t have to figure it out in isolation.
For me, it started with one person—my mother.
But over time, it became about every person who's ever tried to build something meaningful without a map. Every founder who’s stayed up late rewriting bylaws, questioning their capacity, or wondering how long they can keep doing this alone.
This work is about you.
It's about building something solid in a world that too often asks you to make do with scraps. It's about creating a space where Black leaders are supported, not just celebrated. A space where your mission isn’t just sustained, but respected, resourced, and scaled.
This site, this work, this entire practice is my offering.
It’s built from lived experience. Held up by faith. Sharpened through strategy. And grounded in the belief that you shouldn’t have to choose between purpose and peace.
I hope you find something here that helps you feel seen, supported, and ready to lead in your own way.
