Nona Jones, Global Ambassador for YouVersion, Bestselling Author, and Advocate for Faith-Based Leadership, Episode 263
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Nona Jones is a rare combination of preacher, business executive, author, and entrepreneur. She currently serves as Global Ambassador for YouVersion, publicly championing its family of 715M+ downloaded Bible Apps. Her corporate leadership experience includes serving as Chief Content & Partnerships Officer at YouVersion, Head of Global Faith Partnerships at Meta (formerly Facebook), and Chief External Affairs Officer for a multi-state school for at-risk girls. Nona is the bestselling author of Killing Comparison and Success from the Inside Out and her latest book, The Gift of Rejection, which was released in October 2024.
A graduate of the University of Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Communication and Master of Business Administration, Nona has also completed graduate studies at the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation. She has been profiled by ESSENCE Magazine as an “Under 40 Woman to Watch” and by Florida Trend Magazine as one of Florida’s “30-Something All Stars.” Nona and her husband, Pastor Tim, lead Open Door Church in Gainesville, FL, where they live with their two sons, Timothy, Jr. and Isaac, and their Goldendoodle, Shiloh.
In this episode, Nona discusses her inspiring journey to C-Suite leadership, why she walked away from her career at the peak of success, and how faith guided her every step. She reflects on her challenging childhood, her early struggles in school, and how a team of compassionate educators helped her thrive. Nona also shares insights into her current role as Global Ambassador for YouVersion, her passion for empowering young women, and her belief in the transformative power of education, leadership, and faith in shaping communities worldwide.
“We must build curiosity as leaders, committing to do the work to educate ourselves while trusting God to guide our path.” – Nona Jones
"I think as leaders, we should be leading people to a higher plane of thinking. And we can't do that when we're concerned about, you know, where our name sits on an org chart. We have to make sure that we're always thinking about other people." - Nona Jones
"I am a statistically improbable product of grace because I should have been in juvenile detention somewhere locked up for criminal behavior. But again, it was having those people at those various touch points who spoke into my potential." - Nona Jones
This Week on The Wow Factor:
How Nona overcame adversity in her youth and embraced mentorship
Her academic journey at the University of Florida and the pivotal moments that shaped her career
Nona’s work at Meta as Head of Global Faith Partnerships and her innovative leadership strategies
The life lessons she learned as Chief External Affairs Officer for Pace Center for Girls
Her passion for advocating for girls and young women who have experienced trauma
Insights into her bestselling books and upcoming release, The Gift of Rejection
The critical role faith plays in leadership and community-building
Nona Jones’ Words of Wisdom Leaders have a unique privilege to drive positive change in their communities, even amidst tension and unrest. Embrace challenges as opportunities to rise to higher levels of thinking and action.
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