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If there is a single defining characteristic of Jessica Lee’s journey from first-generation immigrant to corporate executive and owner of two UPS stores in Chicago, it’s her commitment to providing opportunity. Throughout her various endeavors, she has connected with people from diverse backgrounds, all of whom shared the strong desire to move forward in their lives.
These experiences have taught Lee a valuable lesson, one she has carried throughout her own career and personal life. She believes that communities grow stronger when every individual has the opportunity to pursue the life they want. Through her nonprofit, Pursue the Dream, she actively demonstrates that no disability or disadvantage should prevent anyone from pursuing their dreams — it may take a little more effort and time, but the realm of possibilities remains unlimited.
Offering more than a second chance
Lee’s hard-won perspective is based on firsthand experience. Faced with limited prospects when she arrived in the United States as a deaf immigrant, she built a successful career through education, hard work and resilience. Today, she aims to instill those values in others through programs that help them gain confidence and independence.
Lee’s leadership style reflects her genuine compassion and awareness of a community’s diverse needs. In hiring employees, she prioritizes individuals from marginalized sectors of society, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, workers in need of a second chance, and those who are struggling to overcome other barriers to employment.
For Lee, respect and understanding are essential workplace foundations. But her personal challenges weren’t obstacles to her; instead, they reinforced her belief that physical or social challenges should never be hindrances to a person’s ambitions.
From business to community advocacy
Lee’s experience as a business consultant and enterprise solutions architect further honed her capabilities in a wide range of disciplines. Equally adept at supporting Fortune 1000 companies and helping small businesses boost their internal operations, she has an in-depth knowledge of the complexities of large-scale operations and the practical needs of startups and small- and medium-size enterprises.
This knowledge has proven invaluable in Lee’s quest to strengthen communities by supporting diverse dreams. An active supporter of local children’s hospitals, legal aid programs and nonprofits, she also works with the Edgewater and Rogers Park Chambers of Commerce in developing programs beneficial to local families and small businesses. With her continuing community involvement, she hopes to contribute to the broader ecosystem of empowerment in Chicago.
Fostering growth and stability
Establishing Pursue the Dream has given Lee the opportunity to help people overcome the obstacles she once faced. The organization’s financial literacy classes have been extremely useful for educating individuals on how money influences long-term security. With instruction in taxes, credit and budgeting, participants gain valuable knowledge that can guide them in making major life decisions.
Lee also strives to strengthen communities by helping immigrants overcome communication barriers. Through Pursue the Dream’s English language classes, participants improve both their language skills and confidence, providing opportunities for employment and community involvement.
Perhaps most importantly, Pursue the Dream fosters stability-driven growth by providing housing support to disadvantaged members of society. Along with the organization’s educational programs, this housing initiative is yet another avenue by which Lee supports individual dreams that ultimately benefit entire communities. Her own experience as a deaf entrepreneur proves that with the right support and resources, anyone can achieve their goals — a philosophy that defines every aspect of Pursue the Dream’s mission.
To learn more about Pursue the Dream or to contribute to its programs, visit PursueTheDreamNFP.org.
