Meet Jen Coken
Executive Coach for Women in STEM Who Break Barriers
This Is the Part Where I’m Supposed to Share My Life Story, Right?
If it’s okay with you, I’d like to go about this another way. (Or if you are curious about my credentials, check out my LinkedIn!)
Rather than give you a TEDx-worthy rendition of how I found my way to coaching executive leaders and their teams for the past 25 years, I want to share the insights and experiences that truly define my journey—those candid moments and leadership lessons you'd hear if we were chatting over an almond milk latte.
To me,
work & play
are one.
When you’re juggling a tangle of responsibilities or wading your way through a full-stop crisis, life can seem so serious. Embracing the ridiculousness of life is what keeps me afloat. Humor and playfulness are what make me feel less alone and help me “get it all done." This mindset is essential for effective leadership training, especially for women leaders navigating their own leadership development goals.
Questions are my best friends.
And listening? We gab over chips and guac every Tuesday night. My point is, I love discovery and looking at circumstances with new eyes. I also focus on overcoming barriers such as imposter syndrome, which can be especially pronounced among women in STEM. And: I whole-heartedly enjoy pushing boundaries and throwing bias to the side. It’s how we get into uncharted territory
(and how I survived 30 years as a grassroots organizer in politics).
They call me the
“Velvet Sledgehammer”
Yep, I’ll call out your blind spots with love…and a sledgehammer. (Velvet-wrapped, of course.) I don’t do fluff. I do truth. Especially when it helps brilliant women stop playing small and start leading like they mean it.
I believe the world changes when women own their power, trust their gut, and stop apologizing for taking up space. That starts by getting real…about the systems we’re in, the stories we carry, and what’s standing in the way. Judgment-free. Bullsh*t-free. 100% you.
I Don’t Work With Clients Forever. Here’s Why.
You already have the power to hit your goals. My job? To listen. To ask the right questions. To help you build a leadership plan that actually works for you.
Once you pull your finger out of that dam, the momentum kicks in, and there’s no going back.
Coaching with me is about movement, not maintenance. You’re here to lead, not linger.
I Raise the Bar. Even When It’s Already High
I live for breakthroughs. The kind that shake off the shoulds, rewrite the rules, and take you way beyond what you thought was possible.
Achieving your goals is just the start. The real magic happens when you stop operating from obligation and start leading from your heart. That’s the work I love. That’s why I coach. To help bold women step into their power and lift others as they rise.
Want to know what it is like working with me? Let’s grab a virtual coffee (almond milk latte of course).
