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The Scholar Behind the Work

Dr. Jessica R. Berry, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a nationally recognized speech-language pathologist, researcher, and cultural linguist whose work bridges clinical science, education, and cultural preservation. With more than fifteen years of experience, she is among a small number of scholars nationwide conducting peer-reviewed research on a language and culture she grew up speaking.

Through Encourage Me! Professional Development, Dr. Berry has provided professional development to more than 600 educators nationwide, equipping teachers and clinicians with culturally and linguistically responsive practices that improve outcomes for dialect-diverse learners.

Born and raised in Huger, South Carolina, a historic Gullah Geechee community, Dr. Berry’s lived experience is the foundation of her expertise. She was appointed by the National Park Service to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission and served as a Gullah Geechee language expert on Hulu’s Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi.

Her work extends into creative and cultural industries, where she consults on authentic representation and cultural integrity for actors, authors, screenwriters, gaming studios, documentary filmmakers, and other creative professionals seeking culturally grounded expertise.

Dr. Berry has served on the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, the governing board for public colleges and universities in the state, and is a past president of the South Carolina Speech-Language-Hearing Association (SCSHA).

She is the founder of LeadHERitage Co., where she provides strategic consulting in education, leadership, and communication, and the founder of The O.K.R.A. Soup Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization empowering Gullah Geechee youth through the We Been Ya: Geechee Girls Rock initiative.

Her work is rooted in a singular conviction: that every child deserves to be understood — in every sense of the word.