Say “Hello” to Jo—One of our founders

Growing up, I was in awe of Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager. She had a tough mission to bring her crew back home from a part of the galaxy no one knew, without any help except her ship and crew. I regarded her as a great leader with strong leadership skills, adaptability, integrity, empathy and strategic thinking. 

Seeing women on the small screen who contained these important qualities left me wanting more. I wanted to rub shoulders with women of that caliber. To learn from them. To be inspired by them. To be them.

Surprisingly, I’ve had the great pleasure and opportunity to work under many women, both in start-ups, large corporations, and non-profits. My most recent opportunity has been with my current employer, Lady Becerra, or as we call her, Jo, like Jo March from Little Women.  

Me (Amber), Katherine, Jo and David at our first company trip

Jo is one who does not draw much attention to herself at first. Her calm demeanor and gentle, kind smile can easily be overlooked in a crowd. But I promise she is a force to be reckoned with.

Armed with a graduate degree and years of experience in genetic counseling, she took it upon herself, with her husband’s help and persuasion, to solve the issue of managing licensure for genetic counseling. 

While continuing to work their full-time jobs, Jo and her husband, David, created the company, Relevant Genetics, with its accompanying website, Elsie. They’ve grown and adjusted along the way to meet demand, moving the company from completing license applications to managing hundreds of renewals, developing two versions of Elsie, and hiring employees. They were even able to quit their full-time jobs and fully devote their time to their company. 

Besides founder, Jo wears many hats. She is bookkeeper, social media guru, Adobe Acrobat wiz, and office manager for the company. Oh, and an encyclopedia of all things genetic counseling licensure. She’s done all of this in stride, despite not having previous experience in many of these fields and it has made her irreplaceable. 

One would think that pulling yourself into several different roles may have the effect of cheapening the quality of the work, but that is the amazing thing about Jo. When she commits to something, she does it right—perfect and precise.

On her own time, she’s soaking in books about marketing and accounting and still finds time to read her fun books - genetics, general science, and Terry Pratchett.

One of my favorite things about Jo is how much she loves science and the way it exudes into different aspects of her life—from the DNA stickers on her laptop, to her genetic pedigree chart tote bag, and the NASA t-shirts she wears on our company Zoom calls. Not only is it endearing, it’s inspiring. It has influenced me to the point where I find myself searching the internet for science themed t-shirts to wear. 

Jo in her favorite DNA shirt.

Her love for science, particularly genetics, also came into play in naming the website. The name “Elsie” is the middle name of Rosalind Franklin, who did not receive nearly enough recognition during her lifetime for her role in the discovery of the structure of DNA. The inspiration for our logo came from her famous “Photo 51,” which is regarded as the first clear photo of DNA’s structure.

But what’s impressed me the most about Jo? Her kindness. 

Lastly, as an introvert, I find that living in corporate America can be a bit daunting. There is extreme pressure to speak up and speak up often which goes against my nature to think, evaluate, and then speak. Not to be heard or fill space, but to bring a well-thought out idea to the discussion. 

My past experiences have been riddled with superiors pressuring me and scolding me to speak up in meetings to the point where it became a place of anxiety and not one of collaboration. But with Jo, she creates a safe space for me to talk about anything. She listens intently, works through ideas with me, and is willing to implement them. There is never any pressure to speak up, just encouragement through accepting my previous thoughts and ideas with kindness.

Jo is also generous with her time, patience, and compassion. She is dedicated to having individual weekly meetings with each employee - allowing for questions, concerns, and non-work related conversations as well. No question (no matter how many times repeated) is beneath her. She will always make herself available to help. Really, I could go on about her wonderful qualities.

Just as Jo March and Captain Janeway are seen as a role model for young women, defying traditional gender roles and pursuing their passions with dedication and ambition, I’ve come to see Jo Becerra as a role model for women, but, more importantly, for myself. 

What I’ve learned from Jo is one should always be curious and seek learning, be unabashedly open about your interests no matter how “nerdy”, and embrace kindness.

Other fun facts about Jo: She participated in theater as a child and has returned to the stage recently to do a community play. She also hates fruit. Literally. All fruit.