Jessica Shelley is a former public school teacher, mother of 4, and co-founder and CEO of Dailies. She has 3 Masters degrees in education and business and is currently completing her doctoral program as well. She is passionate about supporting families to be engaged in their child(ren)s learning and supporting individual learners with what they individually need. From a humble upbringing, she believes in the power of connection, determination, and perseverance. She says that, “Life can certainly be unpredictable, but if you believe in yourself, work hard, and connect you can accomplish anything.”
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before the venture/ corporate journey?
My early years growing up were very turbulent. My family moved often, and my parents separated when I was very young. I attended 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 3 high schools. Before co-founding Dailies, I was a public school teacher and taught grades Kindergarten-2nd Grade.
Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business/initiative? What motivated you within to say “YES, go for it!”
The idea that motivated me to start my initiative was based on the prior experience I had as a classroom teacher. As a teacher, it was at times incredibly challenging to communicate with parents about their child’s learning progress and I felt like not only was I responsible for communicating it regularly but also translating it to information they could understand and act on. Providing additional resources, recommending additional learning services, and for some students needed daily communication was very time consuming, but so impactful. Realizing that if there was a way to both give parents information about their child in a way that is easy to understand and frequent, combined with a solution and recommendation in one, it saves time for the teacher, students, and parents in actually helping the child continue to progress. As I became a mother myself, I wanted a solution like this more than ever and couldn’t find anything relatively close, so I have been working to make it a reality.
Tell us something about your initiative or current role. What is it about, and what impact are you trying to make?
My current role is focused primarily on giving parents access to information and a personalized solution for their child’s learning gaps. It’s about reducing the time needed to intervene, by strategically providing next steps based on real learning data that parents can act on immediately.
Your journey and your vision are very inspiring, but are there any achievements or accomplishments you would like to mention?
I am named as the Most Influential Children’s Education Support Business Woman (July 2022) by Acquisition International.
Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?
Absolutely!
Women are a growing force in the workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. There are cracks in glass ceilings everywhere, with many women breaking through to carve out a space right at the top of the pyramid. What are your thoughts about women’s leadership today?
I am so proud and honored to be able to stand beside so many powerful and inspirational women that are breaking down barriers and lifting other women up. Times have certainly changed and it’s inspiring to know that even if there isn’t a woman already leading in the space, it is just a matter of time before we make our way there. If you don’t already see yourself represented, be it.
What would you want to say to our young women leaders/audience reading this?
Believe in yourself, push yourself, and make connections with others who believe in you. You may not get it from your family or close friends, but there is a huge community of women (and men) supporting you. Dream big and go for it.
