Meet Joyce

How would I summarize my meandering life path in a few data points? 2. 8. 20. And 3.

Hello there, my name is Joyce Lee-Ibarra, and I’m the principal of JLI Consulting, through which I provide thought partnership and capacity building support to social sector organizations seeking to move their mission forward. I believe that evaluation, data, and research have often been used to reinforce existing power dynamics. But I also see that they can be tools for advancing equity and empowering communities, and my aim is to be part of that reimagining.

What do the 2, 8, 20, and 3 data points represent from my life? Allow me to explain…

2: During the time that I was in college, my decision to pursue two majors—anthropology and molecular biology—was driven by my interests and curiosity rather than any grand career plan. But that choice has served me well over the years, and in many ways has been foundational to the work I do today. Anthropology taught me to appreciate the importance of history, narrative, and place; we can only understand people and their behaviors within the rich tapestry of cultural context. Molecular biology, on the other hand, taught me the value of understanding things on a micro level, as well as the power of quantitative analysis. Today, as a social sector consultant, I continue to marry these two orientations: one focused on the role of culture and relationships in shaping our understanding of the world; the other focused on thoughtfully observing and analyzing the core components of what is meaningful.

8: For eight years, I developed a base of professional and educational experiences that proved formative throughout my career. Upon graduating from college, I joined Teach For America, a selective corps of young leaders working to address educational inequity by teaching in low-income and institutionally underserved urban and rural school systems across the country. Following my teaching commitment and several years working for Teach For America’s national office, I pursued a graduate degree in public health, focusing on social determinants of health, including race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Afterward, I honed my commitment to youth and community-focused work as a research coordinator, seeking to address and better understand the underlying causes of youth violence.

20: I have more than 20 years of experience as a social sector consultant. I began consulting in 2003, and since that time have focused solely on supporting the work of nonprofits, philanthropies, and public agencies. Clients have included Aloha United Way, Funder Hui, GoodCitizen, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations (HANO), Hawaii Community Foundation, the Hawaii Department of Education, Hawaii Leadership Forum, and the National Council of Nonprofits. Whether my work is with Hawaii-based organizations or those from the continental US, social justice is a consistent theme. I seek to actively incorporate equity principles in my work, and to intentionally surface questions of power and privilege as they operate in the social sector.

3: Throughout my professional journey, my husband and my two sons—the “three men in my life,” as I like to refer to them—have been central and centering forces. My foray into consulting was sparked by the decision to start a family, and I consider myself pretty darn lucky to have the three of them alongside me for all the ups, down, and in-betweens that this path provides.

If you’re curious, you can find more about my experience, education, and volunteer history at my LinkedIn profile. And as I like to tell my clients, every data point holds a story—I hope the four data points above offer a little window into mine.