Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: My Journey to Red Hills Consulting Group

In a high-rise conference room, I realized that despite my seat at the table, my voice still felt unheard. That moment changed the trajectory of my career…

My career has taken me from Fortune 50 boardrooms to supporting grassroots nonprofits in rural East Africa. Along the way, I’ve navigated corporate cultures, led high-stakes transformation projects, and built a consulting practice grounded in equity, purpose, and measurable impact. This is the story of how lived experience — as a Black woman in predominantly white spaces, as a strategist, and as a changemaker — shaped my vision for Red Hills Consulting Group.

Early Foundations

At Howard University, I pursued a degree in Accounting because it seemed like the practical thing to do. In my Caribbean family, business degrees were a respected path — stable, honorable, and certain to lead to employment right out of school. As the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, I wanted to make my family proud and follow a path that was proven.

I envisioned myself earning a CPA and joining an accounting firm for a long, steady career. But the reality was different — while I gained valuable, hands-on experience at an accounting firm, I quickly realized I didn’t love the work. I wasn’t energized by the exam prep or the prospect of spending my career focused solely on accounting details. My heart was elsewhere, even if I didn’t yet know where “elsewhere” was.

Shifting Toward Strategy

So, I pivoted — moving into other roles in accounting and finance before deciding to return to school for my MBA. That decision changed everything. It opened doors to financial planning and analysis roles, where I could connect numbers to strategy and make decisions that moved the business forward.

One of the most pivotal career moments came at the National Black MBA Association conference, where I was recruited by Johnson & Johnson through their MBA diversity hiring program. The opportunity required me to relocate from Maryland to New Jersey — a leap that brought me into the world of a Fortune 50 company. At J&J, I took on a Senior Financial Analyst role in Marketing Finance, supporting the company’s largest pharmaceutical operating company — a $7.7B business. My work spanned strategic planning, forecasting, and business case development, including financial analysis for the anticipated launch of a product projected to reach $650M in peak sales. Beyond sharpening my finance expertise, I learned to navigate the complexities of a large, global organization. More importantly, I saw firsthand how numbers could drive business strategy and market impact — a turning point in how I approached my career. That experience not only broadened my professional horizons but also affirmed that being intentional about opportunities could lead to game-changing outcomes.

Navigating Corporate Consulting

But as I climbed the corporate ladder, I also faced challenges that many Black women in predominantly white corporate spaces know well — the lack of mentors and sponsors, being passed over for promotions despite stronger qualifications, and navigating microaggressions while maintaining professionalism.

That became even more evident when I entered the world of management consulting, where success required not just expertise, but also access to the right networks and unspoken circles. As a Black woman, breaking into those spaces took more than skill — it demanded persistence, adaptability, and strategic relationship-building.

It was this blend of technical expertise and intentional relationship-building that defined some of my most meaningful consulting engagements — including one that stands out vividly.

One engagement that crystallized my consulting philosophy was a rapid, three-week turnaround for a global luxury brand’s Finance function. Inefficiencies were slowing decisions and obscuring performance insights, and time was critical. In less than a month, I worked closely with leaders to uncover the root causes, cut through bottlenecks, and deliver targeted recommendations that could be put into action immediately. The result: leaner processes, sharper reporting, and a shift toward best practices — all without disrupting daily operations. It reinforced a core belief I carry into every project: the right insights, at the right moment, can spark transformation without delay.

I worked primarily across Strategy & Operations, Transformation, and the CFO Advisory practice. I learned from brilliant minds and global organizations, traveled extensively, and built a consulting skill set that would serve me for the rest of my career. The perks were real — the airline miles, the hotel points — but so were the pressures. The culture could be competitive and, at times, isolating. Eventually, I began to feel something was missing: I needed more purpose, more meaning, more passion in my work.

A Seed Is Planted

That search for meaning led me to volunteer with Taproot Foundation more than a decade ago. I was inspired by their mission to connect skilled professionals with nonprofits and small businesses, helping them solve complex challenges. It was my first taste of applying my expertise in a purely mission-driven way — and it planted a seed that would shape the future of my career.

The Leap to Independence

A few years later, after the long hours, constant travel, and limited promotional opportunities had taken their toll. I was ready for a change — and the timing was right. I was tapped by an organization that deploys on-demand talent for their most important client projects. The role offered the chance to work independently while applying everything I’d learned at major companies. It was the right opportunity at the right moment, and I felt prepared for it.

That’s when I created Red Hills Consulting Group — initially as a business entity for independent engagements — and began leading and supporting enterprise-wide business transformation programs across Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits. I named it Red Hills Consulting Group — inspired by my Jamaican roots and my vision of blending strategic clarity, operational excellence, and social impact. At the time, I saw it as a business vehicle, not yet a calling.

Around this time, I also earned my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification — a deliberate step to deepen my expertise, strengthen client confidence, and ensure my practice met the highest standards of delivery.

Aligning Work with Values

I continued to build my resume in corporate and consulting roles. However, when a major client unexpectedly ended my contract despite strong performance and awards, it reinforced the importance of keeping my consulting practice active. I quickly secured new engagements, but I also recognized that I wanted my work to be better aligned with my values.

That realization became undeniable after a senior leadership role at a large multinational corporation brought more of the same challenges I had seen before. When that role ended, it was difficult in the moment — but ultimately one of the best things that could have happened to me.

I took time to reset, reflect, and get intentional. I knew I wanted to work with mission-driven organizations committed to social impact, corporate social responsibility, and advancing equity, access, and opportunity. I wanted my work to empower women, people of color, and communities that had been overlooked. And I wanted to build something on my own terms.

Turning Point: Mission-Driven Focus

Across my career — from Fortune 500 companies to philanthropic organizations — I’ve helped leaders drive transformation, operational excellence, and measurable results. Yet, even as I thrived in corporate and cross-sector work, something was still missing — a deeper sense of purpose.

That shift came into focus after a transformational journey to Tanzania and Zanzibar Island — an experience that broadened my worldview and brought clarity to my purpose. The timing was serendipitous: soon after returning, I had the opportunity to support Tanzania Development Support (TDS) through another Taproot service grant, helping to craft a fundraising strategy that would fuel their mission. In 2023, I joined the TDS Board of Directors, where I now lead the Evaluation Committee, assessing and measuring progress toward expanding educational access in rural East Africa. Doing this work — seeing the direct link between strategy, resources, and life-changing outcomes — has been transformative. It confirmed that mission-driven consulting isn’t just my passion; it’s where I can create the most meaningful impact.

The Red Hills Vision

That’s when Red Hills Consulting Group moved from the background to the forefront. I shifted my energy toward growing the firm, while still applying for selective roles that aligned with my mission. In June 2025, I launched the Red Hills website — a visible commitment to this next chapter.

Today, Red Hills partners with mission-driven nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, and forward-thinking corporations. Our work bridges the gap between vision and execution — helping organizations achieve operational excellence without losing sight of their values.

The real fulfillment for me now comes in building bridges:

• Equipping nonprofits to scale their programs without losing their soul
• Guiding corporate teams to embed equity into transformation efforts
• Creating partnerships that connect resources to the communities that need them most

Looking ahead, my vision is clear: to grow Red Hills into a trusted ally for organizations doing the hard, necessary work of creating a more equitable world. My journey has taught me that breaking barriers is only part of the work — the real fulfillment comes in building bridges strong enough for many to cross, sturdy enough to last. Bridges for the next leader, the next woman of color, the next mission-driven organization, so they can go even further.

How has your lived experience shaped your career path?

Follow me at www.redhillsconsultinggroup.com for ongoing insights.

About Renée
Renée Jones is the Founder and Principal Consultant at Red Hills Consulting Group, where she leads strategic, operational, and transformational initiatives for Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations. With more than 20 years of experience leading complex initiatives, Renée helps organizations turn bold ideas into lasting impact. Outside of work, she mentors emerging leaders and champions social-impact innovation.