SPEAKER . SCHOLAR . GULLAH GEECHEE ADVOCATE
Where research meets culture.
Where expertise meets impact.
Dr. Jessica R. Berry, Ph.D., CCC-SLP nationally recognized speech-language pathologist, Gullah Geechee cultural expert, and higher education leader helping schools, clinicians, organizations, and creators build equity-centered practice from the ground up.
The Scholar Behind the Work
Born and raised in the Gullah Geechee community of Huger, South Carolina.
Dr. Jessica R. Berry, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist, researcher, and the nation’s foremost expert on Gullah Geechee language in educational and clinical settings. Born and raised in the Gullah Geechee community of Huger, South Carolina, she has spent over 15 years translating peer-reviewed research into practical tools for educators, clinicians, creative industries, and institutions. Her work sits at a rare intersection: deep clinical expertise, validated inside cultural knowledge, and hands-on experience at the policy level.
Work With Me
Dr. Berry works across sectors schools, creative industries, corporations, faith communities, clinical practices, and leadership development. Every engagement is grounded in the same thing: primary-source expertise that no one else can offer.
01 Schools & Districts
Gullah Geechee Cultural PD & Assessment Consulting
The Encourage Me! professional development sprint has equipped 600+ Charleston County educators with culturally responsive, evidence-based strategies for Gullah Geechee and dialectdiverse students. The companion Dialect-Informed Assessment Audit helps districts identify and correct assessment bias in SLP practice.
Pricing: PD Sprint starting at $8,500 | Assessment Audit starting at $12,000
For Creative & Cultural Industries
Gullah Geechee Cultural & Dialect Consulting
From the stage to the screen to the page Dr. Berry brings insider knowledge and academic rigor to creative projects that touch Gullah Geechee language and culture. She has coached actors on authentic Gullah dialect, advised authors and screenwriters on cultural accuracy, consulted with gaming studios on character authenticity, and partnered with documentary producers on responsible representation. This is not sensitivity reading. This is primary-source expertise.
Pricing: By project scope and timeline
For Corporations & Faith Communities
Cultural Competency Keynotes & Workshops
Dr. Berry has brought the story of Gullah Geechee language, identity, and resilience to major corporate audiences and faith communities translating deep cultural knowledge into experiences that expand perspective, build empathy, and inspire action. Available as keynotes, half-day workshops, or multi-session series.
For SLP Clinics & Higher Ed
Clinical & Academic Consulting
Dialect-informed assessment protocol reviews, academic program development, and accreditation strategy. Engagements available as 10–30 day sprints or longer-term partnerships. Starting at $12,000.
For Women & Leaders
LeadHERitage Co. Leadership Development
Strategy sessions, coaching, and the Sweetgrass Strategies Incubator for mission-driven women navigating career transitions, executive moves, and legacy-building.
SPEAKING
A Voice Rooted in Research.
A Story That Moves Rooms.
Dr. Berry has spoken at national SLP conventions, Fortune 500 diversity summits, church pulpits, federal cultural commissions, universities, and national and international conferences and appeared as a Gullah Geechee language expert on Hulu's Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi.
As Seen In / Featured By
HULU
ASHA
International African American Museum
National Park Service
U.S. Department of State
Charleston Post and Courier
§ 04 · Cultural Mission
O.K.R.A. Foundation
Dr. Berry’s work is inseparable from her roots. Born in Huger, South Carolina a historically Gullah Geechee community she is among a small number of scholars nationwide who conduct peer-reviewed research on a language and culture they grew up speaking. That lived experience is not background context. It is the credential. Through The O.K.R.A. Soup Foundation, a 501(c)3 she founded, Dr. Berry empowers Gullah Geechee youth through the flagship initiative We Been Ya: Geechee Girls Rock, creating space for young people to see their language and culture as a source of strength.
Begin Here
Ready to bring Dr. Berry's expertise to your school, clinic, stage, or creative project?
Every engagement begins with a 30-minute discovery call. Let's find the right fit.