Global authority on people, culture & community
An emerging global authority on people, culture and community, Jasmine Francis’s business portfolio is rooted in her versatile passions. Gritty and compassionate, she’s a seasoned Human Resources Leader and Founder of – Humanconnexion. A mental health advocate, she’s the Host of a new Podcast titled – ‘Gotta Make It’. Humanitarian by heart, all her goals encompass the development of the Black and Brown communities.
“My passion is helping others, especially those who may not have the access or support to reach their dreams. Since my youth, I’ve always been really empathetic, trying my best to understand how others feel. I recognize that life happens and anything can happen at any time; the last thing I’d ever want to do is judge someone’s experience.”
Jasmine firmly holds that one learns best through experience. While stepping out of her comfort zone may feel uneasy, she’s learned to get comfortable being uncomfortable. She completed her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from East Carolina University in French with a Minor in Business Administration, Presently based in New York (USA),
Renowned for her ‘people-first philosophy’, she quickly reached the executive level in human resources at large international organizations as well as smaller start-ups. In her professional career spanning over a decade, she enjoyed key positions at The Carlyle Group, Goldman Sachs, AppNexus, BNY Mellon, and Thinx Inc. before being headhunted by Pliancy as their Head of People and DEIB in January 2023.
Today, she has emerged as a strong and fearless leader who is confident about the value she can add to almost any opportunity. However, as with every journey, there have been several challenges that she’s had to overcome.
“As a Black woman working in corporate, one of my biggest challenges has been navigating discrimination, whether due to race or gender. This has resulted in missed opportunities for assignments, promotions, and even certain positions, as there have been unrooted assumptions that I may not be as smart, skilled, or experienced as my counterparts.”
This discrimination is what led Jasmine to co-found Humanconnexion – a consulting company that provides a more human approach to organizations who need HR support.
“I think this mindset is a result of my own humble experiences growing up. I know what it feels like to struggle and make a way out of nothing, or even to learn how to find the strength to move forward in extremely hard situations. Those life experiences became the root of who I am because they afforded me the opportunity to be more human, relatable, empathetic, and a well rounded leader. They also helped me understand the importance of sharing my own personal experiences and learnings, as you never know who is at a place in their life who needs to hear it. The launch of my new podcast – ‘Gotta Make It’, will serve as a wide reaching platform to do just that.”
‘Gotta Make It’ aims to break down the burden of success by bringing on guests who share their personal journeys on how they have redefined what success means to them. Jasmine hopes it helps the Black and Brown communities to openly talk about the societal pressures of becoming successful.
After all, she has no qualms admitting that her own biggest achievement has been becoming the person and professional she’s always strived to be, despite the trials and tribulations. She has also developed into a sought after speaker who has been invited to many human resources conferences and podcasts around the country. This has given her the opportunity to meet phenomenal people, many of whom have become her mentees.
On the other hand, a personal goal of Jasmine is to start exercising her body as much as she does her brain. She also loves reading, and hopes to make time to read many of the books she’s already bought but hasn’t had the chance to open yet.
As someone who’s always on the go to solve new challenges, where does Jasmine’s inspiration stem from? “My inspiration has been the world around me, and all the wonderful people who have shared pieces of themselves with me. It’s been so important for me to expand my thinking by listening to how others live their own personal journeys. It’s taught me that anything is possible and to not limit my own potential. Think about what it is that gives you joy, commit yourself to it, grow within it, and lift others up along the way.”
This also forms the basis of Jasmine’s leadership. Elaborating, she says, “From my perspective, leadership can show up in different ways. However, there is a common theme – and that is the ability to step outside of yourself in order to do what is right for those around you!”
