About
About Jennifer Funlayo Grace Jennings
Industrialist. Author. Cultural Steward.
Jennifer Funlayo Grace Jennings is a visionary executive and strategist who operates at the intersection of industrial scale, economic empowerment, and cultural preservation. As the Founder and CEO of Funlayo Grace, Jennifer is currently spearheading a landmark $155M expansion, transitioning a legacy of manufacturing excellence from Newark, New Jersey, to a manufacturing strategy that stretches and empowers people nationally and globally.
A graduate of the Goldman Sachs Black in Business (BIB) program, Jennifer has spent nearly two decades building Funlayo Grace (est. 2008) into a premier MWBE-certified firm. Today, the company is a strategic partner in federal set-aside contracting, proving that domestic manufacturing is the ultimate engine for community and national sovereignty.
From Homelessness to Homeownership
Jennifer’s leadership is rooted in the "blueprint of the possible." Her literary work, most notably her newest book, Homelessness to Homeownership: How I Purchased Four Properties in One Year and How Can You do can do it too, serves as a masterclass in financial resilience. By documenting her journey from housing insecurity to real estate mastery, she provides actionable frameworks for the next generation of owners. Her 2026 national book tour—launching in late February—continues this mission of economic literacy across major urban centers, including Harlem, the Bronx, Newark, and Staten Island.
Stewardship and Legacy
Beyond the boardroom, Jennifer is a dedicated guardian of African American heritage. Through Rebecca’s Little Survivors Foundation (founded in 2017), she is currently under contract to acquire Geechee Kunda, a preeminent museum and cultural site dedicated to the preservation of Gullah Geechee history.
This commitment to stewardship is further informed by her academic and spiritual discipline. Jennifer is currently completing her degree in Theology at Jakes Divinity School / Vanguard University, a pursuit that provides the ethical North Star for her multi-state industrial operations and philanthropic initiatives.
The Vision
Whether navigating a $155M private equity raise with advisors at firms like Lazard or advocating for the preservation of historic cultural sites, Jennifer Funlayo Grace Jennings is building a diversified empire designed to outlast its founder. She remains focused on the "Triple Bottom Line": industrial innovation, intellectual property, and institutional legacy.
Jennifer’s Note:
"The Blueprint & The Belief"
FROM BUSHWICK TO BORDERLESS: The $155M Blueprint for American Industry
Jennifer Funlayo Grace Jennings
"I was born in Queens, the daughter of a Charleston matriarch of unshakable faith and a Nigerian immigrant—a lineage of global grit and ancestral vision. My journey didn't begin in a boardroom; it began in a church pew in Bushwick, Brooklyn. At five years old, I learned a 'vocabulary of the impossible', my mother had me memorize every book of the Bible and 50 Bible verses with flash cards—this deep faith sustained me from the streets of New York to the classrooms of Madrid, and through the fire of losing my mother at only nineteen.
In 2008, while others were retreating from the American economy, I was at the front lines, opening a manufacturing storefront in a quiet Southern industrial park. I was a pioneer in a frontier that the world had overlooked. I have navigated the seasons of relocation and the cycles of closing, but I never lost the vision. I remained a faithful steward of the work, knowing that the global climate would eventually meet my calling.
At 44, that moment has arrived.
Today, I am spearheading a $155M industrial expansion that bridges the gap between federal scale and cultural preservation. As I move to acquire and protect the sacred history of Geechee Kunda, I lead with the heart of a mother and the precision of a CEO. My love for Christ—sparked in Brooklyn and tempered in the South—is the North Star for every contract I sign and every foundation I lay.
We are not just acquiring real estate; we are reclaiming our inheritance. We are moving an entire generation from occupancy to ownership—not just in our properties, but in our promise to those who will outlive us."
Contact us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!