Meet Jenice Jones | Founder & President

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenice Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenice, how does your business help the community?
Just The Beginning does not only impact our community or the world, but our justice system. Just The Beginning impacts all the families in our communities and has a ripple effect to individuals who knew our pearls prior to their encounter with Just The Beginning. Just the Beginning doesn’t just impact it transformations women’s lives.

The State of Oklahoma was built on injustice and oppression. It is a legacy that continues to this
day, reinforced by our justice system’s criminalization of women. Oklahoma has become the second nation’s capital for incarcerating women at an excessive rate. These truths have and continue to drive the mission and vision of Just The Beginning.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

Hello my name is Jenice, and Jenice means God is gracious. My Purpose is to empower, develop, and build women to become transformed and confident in their God-given purpose.

In 2009, I founded and became the President & CEO of Just The Beginning Inc., a non-profit 501 c(3) organization equipped to serve Oklahoma. Just The Beginning intentionally fashions to institute a paradigm shift in the traditional method of providing assistance to women. I am committed to servicing an ongoing and life-giving model, focused toward guiding women on the path of restoration and renewal of life. I aspire to build productive and successful women of high esteem who positively impact their communities.

I diligently pursued my purpose and went back to school to complete my unfinished education with a degree in Bachelor of Arts-Multidisciplinary Studies, with an emphasis in Organizational Operations and a minor in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa. I have since obtained my Masters in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, with an emphasis in Social Justice and Change. Today, I am a PhD doctoral candidate in Public Policy and Administration with an emphasis in Law.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Let’s say she arrived on the weekend, the first place we must go is my church. Yes, I attend and serve at Transformation Church, where we represent God to the lost and found for transformation in Christ.

Secondly, we would have lunch at Fixins Soul Kitchen at 222 N. Detroit in downtown Tulsa.

Then we would tour Greenwood Rising Black Wallstreet History Center located at 23 N. Greenwood Ave.

Afterwards, I would take her to the Gathering Place at 2650 S John Williams Way.

We would visit the office of Just The Beginning located at 5330 E 31st St.
to show her where we meet with our participants, have classes, and events for the organization.

We would eat at Nola’s at 1334 E 15th St.

See the Lion King at the Performing Arts Center at 110 E 2nd St.

Have brunch at Roosevelt’s 1553 E 15th St.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My “Yes” came from trials and tribulations of being in a long-term relationship with a man addicted to crack cocaine and that opened me up to a world that I was closed minded to and never knew existed. I would have still been in that judgmental self-righteous bubble to this day. With my hurt and worries of not wanting my two beautiful daughters to go through what I went through I joined Transformation Church formally (formerly Greenwood Christian Center) and gave my life to Christ. There God healed and molded me and gave me the vision of Just The Beginning. Bishop Gary McIntosh and his wife Pastor Debbie McIntosh leadership uprooted all of my hurt and helped me to build my foundation in God. Their ministry set me on my path to transform and impact thousands of women’s lives around the world and still to this day Pastor Debbie McIntosh mentors me.

Website: www.justthebeginningok.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearejustthebeginning/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justthebeginningok.org/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrrFTfECNsL6IHOtpdbZP_w