Dr. Jermaine Davis

Dr. Jermaine M. Davis is a Minnesota Hall of Fame speaker, award-winning professor, bestselling author, and founder of the Dump Your Slump Institute. Raised on the west side of Chicago in a single-parent home, Davis enrolled in college after the loss of six family members to violent deaths, determined to change the direction of his life. He became the first person in his family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor's degree in speech communication from Elmhurst College. Davis went on to earn a BA and an MA in speech communications, as well as a doctorate in organizational leadership. His personal transformation informs his work in keynote presentations, workshops, and classroom sessions focused on leadership development, organizational culture, and workplace communication.

Before his career as a speaker and educator, Davis worked in corporate America for IBM, Keebler Cookies, and Frito-Lay in sales and marketing, leadership development, and employee engagement. After starting, growing, and selling his snack company, Snack Attack Vending of Minnesota, he became a professor and full-time professional speaker. As a professor of communication studies at Century College and a professor of organizational leadership at St. Catherine University in Minnesota, Davis brings research-based insights and an audience-centered approach to his work. He is also a graduate of Cornell University's CCDP Diversity Program, a designation held by fewer than 300 people in the United States.

Davis is the author and co-author of 10 books, including "Get Up Off Your Butt and Do It NOW," "Leading with Greatness," the "Women's Quote Journal Series," and "Be Diversity Competent." He produced the documentary "Breaking The Cycle," a film dedicated to helping individuals overcome negative beliefs and behaviors. His approach blends humor, storytelling, and research-based frameworks to make complex ideas accessible and actionable in the fields of leadership, diversity, and team building.

Organizations such as 3M, Allianz, Best Buy, Sam's Club, Prudential, Wells Fargo, West Point Military Academy, John Deere, Medtronic, Land O' Lakes, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car have sought Davis's expertise in employee engagement, leadership development, communication strategies, and overcoming workplace burnout. Utilizing his 3 C's Framework—Communication, Cooperation, and Collaboration—and the Dump Your Slump Model, Davis draws on professional experience, academic research, and personal journey to provide practical tools for organizational success. He equips teams and leaders to communicate, cooperate, and collaborate effectively, supporting thriving workplaces in both corporate and academic settings.