If you listen carefully to Jessica Mendoza’s accent you will gain insight into where she grew up, but ask her where she belongs and you won’t get the straightforward answer you might be looking for.
Born in Venezuela, Jessica and her mum moved to Scotland when she was 7 years old, then back to Venezuela, finally landing in the United States where she completed her studies and began her career.
Jessica never thought that living in different countries and experiencing different cultures would be relevant to her career, but her passion for diversity and understanding of cultural differences led her to a project at The Associated Press where connection and localised content could enhance the experience of their audiences.
She says English is the global business language but when it comes to connection we need to go deeper than that and understand the cultural aspects when engaging with people and the company wanted to communicate in a way that better served their audiences across the world.
Origins
Jessica grew up without a strong sense of herself, she struggled to speak up for herself and was swayed by other people’s opinions, until she decided to began to trust herself and define her own path.
She sees herself as a multi-cultural citizen. It took time for her to work out where belonged and recognised that being defined by one place or culture was not for her. Instead, her identity has been shaped by each of the cultures and places she’s lived.
Meet Jessica
Jessica Mendoza is passionate about the intersection of marketing and technology. She is the Senior Marketing Manager at The Associated Press, she develops digital marketing strategies and drives business growth across global markets. Jessica also consults with startups to establish their brand positioning and help them create meaningful connections with their audience.
Her personal journey started in Venezuela, she has lived in 6 different cities in 3 countries, she faced cultural and financial challenges at an early age and grew to learn to adapt herself to new environments rapidly. She has brought as much of her identity and knowledge about cultures to her work. She has published articles in Advertising Age and Medium on marketing and career development.
She was a judge for the 2017 Webby Awards and has spoken about the value of cross-functional teams, empathy-building in the workplace and brand identity at conferences and incubators, like the Digital Strategy Summit and NEW INC. In her spare time she runs The Modern Strategist, a newsletter focused on the convergence of technology, design, science, and marketing.
Website: https://www.jessicagmendoza.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaGMendoza
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessgmendoza/