Crossing cultures is not only an outer adventure, but an inner journey. When working and living across cultures, we encounter the unknown.

Highlights of our Background

2009

Started coaching and tutoring international students and J2 and H4 international spouses.

2012

Registered as Authentic Journeys Consultancy Private Limited in Kerala, India, Office in Infopark, Kochi.

2018

Registered in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA as Authentic Journeys LLC.

Our Story

Many of us may have a rude awakening when we realize that our adult assumptions of professionalism do vary across cultures and the idea of a global work culture is a myth. In such cases, we may feel the need to change certain things to fit in or be successful. Such situations can make us feel at odds with ourselves. We may feel estranged or even question our identity and values..

This is where Jennifer Kumar (Founder and Managing Director of Authentic Journeys, pictured on this page) steps in as a coach to help you understand the essential skills and behaviors necessary to be successful when working across cultures.

Qualifications

—  PCC - Professional Coach Certification from the International Coach Federation (ICF) - Awarded August 2020
—  Over 750 one-on-one coaching hours
—  Over 1,500 training hours with 3,500 individuals
—  Master's Degree in Social Work, Madras Christian College, India
—  Bachelor's of Arts in Communication, SUNY Buffalo, USA

Media Interactions

Jennifer Kumar (Managing Director of Authentic Journeys) has been featured in various English and Malayalam media in Kerala (India).
Click on the links to read the media interactions.

Cannot Drive Cars

Cloud Devcon

Onam With an American Touch

Malayali by Choice

Cultured and Cosmopolitan

An American in Kakkanad

An Interview with Jennifer

I wanted to experience the Lifestyle

Articles by Jennifer

Over the years, Jennifer Kumar has penned a number of insightful articles for various publications
Click on the links to read the articles.

Issues of Hiring NRIs

Articles By Jennifer Kumar (TOI Contributor)

Retain Identity in a New Culture

Expert Panelists

Annelise Piers

M.N. Krish

Chris Sufi

Preethi Kannath

Cristina Canas Delgado

Luis Gonzáles

Anandi Merchant

Know more about our Expert Panelists here.

Our Clients

Our Agile Coaching Process

According to the MIT Sloan Executive Education Blog, "Soft skills, commonly defined as non-technical skills, enable individuals to interact effectively and cooperatively with others." The authors also stress that "smarter technology requires softer skills."

In a crowded global marketplace, industry professionals who are equipped with the right soft skills turn out to also be top performers with an eye on innovation, helping you stay one step ahead of the competition. By going through our process, we have seen individuals and teams acquire and adopt a wide range of soft skills around collaboration, persuasion, analytical thinking, problem solving, foresight, time management, decision making, business acumen, cultural competence, and leadership skills.

As we specialize in coaching highly-skilled software professionals, our coaching processes have been modelled around the Agile methodology. Our coaching iterations follow the Scrum ceremonies – planning, daily stand-up, reviews, and retrospectives.

Learn more about this process here.

Cultural Agility & Leadership for Global Teams

Take your US-India business relationships to the next level when working with us!

"Jennifer is an excellent trainer and is capable of helping you in getting great results professionally. She does not train but cultivates the training as a habit for the trainee. Her sessions are enjoyable as well and helps us in building our personality traits to the next level."

Ganessan Anebou

Ganessan Anebou

"Our team took sessions on the cultural aspect of dealing, talking, emailing with Americans. The methodical way of going about the training programme has helped the team to connect better when they reach out to US Citizens."

Mohan Kannan

"Jennifer makes her mentee absolutely comfortable with her. She has the ability to understand the perspectives of a range of people. She is to the point and takes great effort to help her mentee. I would strongly recommend her for any cross-cultural and personal development mentoring programs."

Arun Gunasekaran

Arun Gunasekaran

"What I find most endearing in Jen is a curiosity to know different cultures and how she assimilates information to help people adjust to the life in US. She has experience, exposure and tons of friends from cultures worldwide. She is a great friend who listens patiently, takes time and effort in getting to know you and your needs."

Sajitha Veettilakath

Sajitha Veettilakath