Inês Jesus - Loquat Collective Founder, Speaker and Consultant

Meet Inês

(/iˈneʃ/ - eeh-nesh)

From Burnout to Breakthrough

I spent a decade juggling the demands of a high-pressure tech career while silently battling anxiety and ADHD. I was a master at code-switching, but beneath the surface, I was burning out. Then, I found myself on the frontlines of the fight against online child exploitation. It was there, amidst the darkest corners of the internet, that I discovered an ironclad resilience.

I learned to thrive in chaos, to lead with empathy even in the face of immense adversity, and to find hope in the most unexpected places - I also always had a great sense of humor. This experience forged in me a deep understanding of the human spirit’s capacity for grit and the importance of connection and belonging.

Vulnerable Hope: The Antidote to Toxic Positivity

Today, I'm on a mission to help others unlock their own resilience. My approach, rooted in the concept of "vulnerable hope," invites you to have the hard conversations, with yourself and others, to build an authentic lived experience - and build a life rooted in alignment with your values and dreams. It's about finding strength in vulnerability, and trusting in the possibility of a better future, even when the path ahead is uncertain.

A Proven Track Record

With over a decade of experience in high-stakes environments, I've honed my skills in change management, leadership development, and operations management. I've led teams through organizational transformations, designed innovative solutions to complex problems, and inspired thousands of people to be forces of action and change.

As an award-winning speaker and facilitator, I've had the privilege of sharing my story and expertise with audiences around the world. I've worked with organizations of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, to create cultures of resilience, innovation, and belonging.

I am currently an expert advisor and facilitator for Stanford University’s course on Ethics, Technology and Public Policy. I have worked in consulting, startup and tech companies, with most of my career at Google, in Sales, Product and Trust & Safety. I have a BSc in Economics and MScs in Management and International Business.

Heart of an Imigrante

Now living in my 7th country, and based in the Bay Area, California, with my husband and my incredibly smart dog Rosie, my entire adult life has been spent sharing stories with other cultures, adapting, feeling like the other, and building connections from scratch, over and over again.

I am a proud immigrant, as I carry in me the heritage of all cultures that have welcomed me, and the capacity for learning of those that have ventured off on their own.

It is in that capacity for learning together with an everyday practice of a “beginner’s mind” that I continue finding new opportunities for growth (and because I crave novelty, of course!). Be it getting a full scholarship for a Stanford School of Engineering course, or watching a Masterclass on Gardening.

Grandparents' garden with a loquat tree in fruit surrounded by different kinds of plants and flowers

The original loquat tree at my grandparents’ home that inspired the name

What’s in a name

Loquat tree in Portuguese (nespereira) is the mix of my first two names (Inês + Pereira… can you see / hear it?).

The loquat is a fruit from my childhood, that brings memories of warm summers at my grandparents’ home.

The loquat is a symbol of resilience, facing fears and overcoming challenges. It is also a symbol of wealth and good fortune.

Loquat Collective was created from a desire to design a life and work that allowed me to flex all my greatest strengths, expertise and interests - a multi-hyphenate’s dream, really.

And Loquat Collective was created because there is way too much innovative magic hiding in the brains of humans that feel they can’t share (hello toxic positivity), don’t have the space to share (hello lack of belonging), or are simply too tired to share (hello burnout). So whether it is working with the individual practices or the organizational systems, Loquat Collective helps build the garden that will make your trees blossom - that’s gardener speak for doing amazing things!