Advocating and Spreading Mental Health Awareness

Jesse Lee Crumbley III, Ph.D. was born in Kankakee, Illinois, and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. His early life was marked by significant trauma, which contributed to undiagnosed and unaddressed mental health challenges throughout his adolescence and young adulthood. Navigating identity and association issues shaped by trauma, religious upbringing, sexuality, and his experience as a Black man, Jesse often felt isolated and without a safe space to process his reality.

In December 2017, he sought professional help for the first time—marking a pivotal turning point in his life. Since then, Dr. Crumbley has been committed to advocating for mental health awareness and the courage to confront personal truth, particularly within the Black and Queer communities. In 2019, he founded The Courage Culture, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals to address mental health and identity-related challenges through courage, community, and culturally responsive support.

Dr. Crumbley earned his Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Organizational Leadership from St. Ambrose University, a private Catholic institution. During his time there, he served as President of the Graduate Student Government Association and as a member of the Board of Trustees, working closely with Sister Joan Lescinski, the university’s first female president. In 2014, he was honored with the Graduate Student of the Year Award in recognition of his leadership and academic excellence.

On Juneteenth 2021, in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Crumbley successfully defended his dissertation and earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Organizational Behavior and Development from Northcentral University. His research, Millennial Leadership: A Phenomenological Assessment into the Preparedness of the Millennial Leader, reflects his commitment to understanding leadership in a changing world.

He is the Founder and Chief Executive Consultant of Forward Leading and Management Consulting, LLC, where he partners with organizations to advance leadership, strategy, and organizational development. He also hosts The Courage Culture Podcast, a platform centered on healing, growth, and courageous living.

Dr. Crumbley is the son of Jesse Lee Crumbley Jr. and Loretta Burns, and the proud father of Shaleeah Grace. A gifted musician trained in piano and voice, he is also an aspiring author. In his free time, he enjoys writing, creating music, cooking, conducting research, and spending time with his partner and daughter.