Company founders Jason and Jessica Drake met as high school students in the suburbs of Baltimore, MD. They were immediately drawn into a dynamic, lasting partnership- one that has grown to encompass their personal, professional, and charitable lives. When their talents merge, they are an unstoppable force for good.
In 2008, the Drakes joined management consulting firm Strategic Applications International, LLC. Owned by James and Colleen Copple, SAI provides subject-matter expertise, expert panel facilitation, and grant management, along with administrative and logistical support to a myriad of clients on an international scale. Initially hired as a consultant and financial officer, Jessica and Jason rose quickly to executive positions as the Vice-President of Program Management & Development and the Chief Operating Officer. (Read More at About Us)
Drawing from their years of experience in top-level management consultancy, J Drake Consulting, LLC was born In November of 2019. Their mission is to make a measurable impact on issues of criminal justice, prison reform, and gun violence.
J Drake Consulting, LLC combines Jessica’s expertise in community engagement, public policy, and group meditation with Jason’s program leadership, grant facilitation, and financial management. They provide clients a consistently high level of support across a wide swath of industries.
With over 20 years of experience in volunteer and program management, community outreach, and project development cultivated at some of Baltimore's most challenging housing, education, and healthcare nonprofits, Jessica Drake has made an immediate and long-felt impact on each organization she touches. Building upon years with her boots on the ground, completing her Masters of Science in Global Affairs and Human Securities served as notice of her entry into the field of community engagement as an expert in public policy who has, to date, shared her knowledge with university communities, police departments, tribal law enforcement, and an array of advisory panels, working groups, and task-forces as a consulting member of the team at 21CP Solutions. As of 2017, Jessica has proudly served on the Baltimore Consent Decree Monitoring Team as one of the group's most passionate local members.
As Vice President of Program Management and Development at Strategic Applications International (SAI), Mrs. Drake provided facilitation and support services for President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. While primarily engaged in logistics coordination, there were also opportunities to offer writing and editing support while producing the final recommendations, report, and implementation guide. The grants she has monitored on behalf of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) at the Department of Justice (DOJ), including the recent Law Enforcement Officers Mental Health and Wellness Case Studies that were presented to Congress during the 2019 legislative session, have produced comprehensive literature on officer safety and wellness (OSW). An expert in nationally-recognized best practices in OSW, in the past, Mrs. Drake has been called upon by the COPS Office to host a series of forums titled Emerging Issues in Policing. These forums brought together the foremost experts in law enforcement with the most forward-thinking officers and ranking officials the nation's departments had to offer to address the challenges and tout the successes of police, city officials, and the communities they are called to serve.
Previously, Mrs. Drake was the Director of Community Outreach and Volunteerism at the Living Classrooms Foundation in Baltimore's historic Fells Point area. She was the School & Youth Coordinator for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Maryland. As the Advocacy and Youth Engagement Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, she regularly led teams of teenage volunteers into the neighborhoods of Pigtown & East Baltimore.
Mrs. Drake attended the University of Baltimore (UB), where she received her Bachelor of Science in Government and Public Policy. She returned to UB two years later and completed her Masters in Global Health and Human Security. You can learn more about her career on LinkedIn.
Jason Drake is a management professional with over 20 years of experience in marketing, financial management, and new business development. He earned his MBA through the University of Maryland Global Campus, where he focused his business management education to match his work experience. He received leadership training through The Boy Scouts of America, earning the Eagle Scout Award, the highest rank in their youth leadership development program, where he learned to lead a group and serve his community. Mr. Drake serves in his community as the Scoutmaster for Troop 419, Assistant Coach of Evolution FC 2008 Boys, Baltimore Area Council International Committee Member, and Parent Volunteer for Baltimore County Public Schools.
In his previous position as Chief Operations Officer for Strategic Applications International (SAI) and Servant Forge. He helped to manage 12+ years of federal, state, and local grants as well as a variety of financial consulting for partner international, national, and government organizations. He achieved his DOJ Grants Financial Management Certificate and remains on top of business practices to protect organizations from internal and external financial audits.
He has extensive experience in non-profit fundraising through his work with Servant Forge, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society(LLS), the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF), The Luke Commission, The Living Classrooms Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. In addition to grassroots fundraising, he coordinated extensive fundraising and government events, including the 2009 & 2013 Servant Forge Humanitarian Inaugural Ball, President Obama's Taskforce on 21st Century Policing, and 2015-2019 National Forums, Facilitations, and Conferences.
Mr. Drake attended Towson University for his BS in Business Administration and obtained his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus. You can learn more about his career on LinkedIn.
A core talent of J Drake Consulting is our ability to facilitate engagement between diverse communities and place volunteers in meaningful, impactful opportunities.
Community Engagement seeks to better serve the public by achieving long-term and sustainable outcomes. It requires building strong relationships, meaningful discourse, competent decision-making, and confident implementation.
A successful business needs strong financial management. Knowledge is power, and detail-oriented financial records create useful data for projecting and assessing organizational health.
J Drake Consulting has extensive experience with Quickbooks, grant management, budgeting, maintaining compliance with state & federal laws, and external and internal auditing. We’re prepared to support you through any financial situation.
It's hard to stay on top of every project your company is working on. J Drake Consulting, LLC offers professional project management services to help your organization meet deadlines, generate valuable project reports, and improve final outcomes.
Successful event planning and execution can be the difference between “money well spent” and “opportunity lost.” We will guarantee your events are well-planned, with a focus on the most important details of guest satisfaction to ensure you get the most out of each event.