Dr. Portia Jackson Preston

Dr. Portia Jackson Preston is an Assistant Professor of Public Health at California State University, Fullerton, where her research focuses on inclusive and sustainable approaches to wellness and performance. Her studies particularly emphasize multilevel approaches to self-care, examining stressors such as racism as significant drivers of health inequity. She has published several papers on secondary traumatic stress and burnout among professionals, as well as stress and self-care among Black women.

Dr. Jackson Preston is the founder of Active Steps Coaching and previously founded Empowered to Exhale. These initiatives provide executive coaching and consulting on inclusive wellness for individuals and organizations. She has worked with notable entities such as Deloitte Consulting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Susan G. Komen Orange County. Dr. Jackson Preston has delivered speeches and workshops on topics including workplace well-being, education, and healthcare, and has been a featured speaker at TEDxUCIrvine, TEDxCrenshaw, and delivered a TEDx talk titled "The Missing Ingredient in Self Care."

Passionate about creating personalized self-care plans and cultivating a culture that emphasizes self-care within organizations for sustainable performance, Dr. Jackson Preston integrates her extensive training in Mindful Self-Compassion, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and emotional competence through Equilibrium Dynamics into her engagements. She has been recognized for her unique ability to engage audiences with her authentic delivery and for weaving personal wellness into broader discussions. Dr. Jackson Preston holds a bachelor's degree from Stanford University, a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan, and a Doctorate of Public Health from UCLA.