Jesse

Leon

Memoir Author

Social Impact Consultant

Travels from: San Diego, CA

“Leon’s memoir is a powerful, raw chronicle of survival that morphs into a moving story about mentorship, strength, familial love, self-transformation, the power of education, and the importance of self-acceptance.” —NPR

Jesse Leon is a social impact consultant to foundations and investors on ways to address issues of substance abuse, addiction, affordable housing, and mental health. He is a native English and Spanish speaker and fluent in Portuguese. He is an alum of UC Berkeley and Harvard and based in San Diego.

Born to indigenous working-class Mexican immigrants in San Diego in the 1970s, Jesse Leon writes about his ruptured childhood in his memoir. I’m Not Broken is the heartbreaking and remarkable story of the journey Jesse takes to win back his life, leading him to the steps of Harvard University. From being the lone young person of color in Narcotics Anonymous meetings to coming to terms with his own sexual identity, to becoming an engaged mentor for incarcerated youth, Jesse finds the will to live with the love and support of his family, friends, and mentors. Recounting the extraordinary circumstances of his life, Jesse offers a powerful, raw testament to the possibilities of self-transformation and self-acceptance. Unforgettable, I’m Not Broken is an inspirational portrait of one young man’s indomitable strength and spirit to survive—against all possible odds.

Jesse is happy to present to both English and Spanish speaking audiences.

No estoy roto Una memoria

Vintage Espanol |

January 24, 2023

Memoir

“No estoy roto es un libro para sobrevivientes y para aquellos que tienen en sus vidas a alguien que esperan que se salve.” —Sandra Cisneros

“Esta memoria es el recuento de una vida llena de experiencias desgarradoras, pero también renovada gracias a una profunda fortaleza interior y a una determinación imparable por superarse”. —Darren Walker, Presidente de la Fundación Ford

Nacido en San Diego, en 1970, e hijo de inmigrantes mexicanos indígenas y de clase trabajadora, la infancia de Jesse León fue violentamente interrumpida. Un peligroso encuentro en una tienda local lo dejó guardando un oscuro y terrible secreto. En esta valiente memoria, León arroja luz sobre una juventud devastada por el abuso sexual, las drogas y la vida en la calle.

Su paso por Narcóticos Anónimos, su lucha por aceptar su orientación sexual y por entender que era un ser humano valioso a pesar de sus terribles experiencias, dieron resultado: León no solo se graduó en Harvard, sino que se convirtió en un servidor para la comunidad. En el camino a encontrar su voluntad de vivir, la ayuda de su familia, sus amigos y guías, fue un apoyo invaluable.

No estoy roto es una conmovedora historia de resiliencia, un poderoso e inspirador retrato de la fuerza y el espíritu indomables de un joven determinado a sobrevivir.

“No estoy roto es un poderoso recuerdo de que el espíritu humano puede ser realmente resistente cuando se alimenta de fe, amor y esperanza”. -Pedro Noguera, Decano de la Escuela Rossier de Educación

Addiction & Recovery, Disability & Mental Health, Friendship & Community, Latinx, Male Author, Memoir & Biography, Nonfiction, Overcoming Trauma

I’m Not Broken: A Memoir

Vintage |

August 23, 2022

Memoir

In this unflinching and inspiring memoir, Jesse Leon tells an extraordinary story of resilience and survival, shining a light on a childhood spent devastated by sex trafficking, street life, and substance abuse.

“A book for survivors and those who know someone they hope survives, bodhisattvas all.” —Sandra Cisneros, bestselling author of The House on Mango Street

Born to indigenous working-class Mexican immigrants in San Diego in the 1970s, Jesse Leon’s childhood was violently ruptured. A dangerous and harrowing encounter at a local gift shop when he was eleven years old left Jesse with a deadly secret. Hurt, alone, and scared for his life, Jesse numbed his pain by losing himself in the hyper-masculine culture of the streets and wherever else he could find it—in alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. Overlooked by state-sanctioned institutions and systems intended to help victims of abuse, neglected like many other low-income Latinos, Jesse spiraled into cycles of suicide and substance abuse.

I’m Not Broken is the heartbreaking and remarkable story of the journey Jesse takes to win back his life, leading him to the steps of Harvard University. From being the lone young person of color in Narcotics Anonymous meetings to coming to terms with his own sexual identity, to becoming an engaged mentor for incarcerated youth, Jesse finds the will to live with the love and support of his family, friends, and mentors. Recounting the extraordinary circumstances of his life, Jesse offers a powerful, raw testament to the possibilities of self-transformation and self-acceptance. Unforgettable, I’m Not Broken is an inspirational portrait of one young man’s indomitable strength and spirit to survive—against all possible odds.

Addiction & Recovery, Disability & Mental Health, Friendship & Community, Latinx, Male Author, Memoir & Biography, Nonfiction, Overcoming Trauma

The Jesse Leon Story –– Surviving to Thriving

Self-acceptance. Self-transformation. Overcoming adversity to move from merely surviving to thriving. Jesse Leon’s inspiring life story – a journey from seeming hopelessness to graduating from Harvard and a career improving the lives of others – shows audiences the way.

Finding Your Way in the Corporate World – Without Losing Yourself

Do we really want diversity in the workplace? Jesse recounts his experiences with inclusion, authenticity and belonging in corporate leadership roles, senior leadership roles in philanthropy, and corporate and nonprofit board rooms. As a person who has overcome serious trauma impacted by race, class, gender, and sexuality, he offers a powerful testament to the possibility of transforming the workplace to create atmospheres of acceptance.

Achieving Educational Equity Through Supporting Students in Need

Too many kids in need slip through the cracks. Jesse Leon was one of them. Yet, he was able to take his life back and his inspiring story offers lessons for educators on how to identify, intervene, and assist youth struggling with issues of identity, poverty, substance abuse, gangs, and sex trafficking.

Moving Forward Together (Guiding America Forward)

America’s divisions are stalling progress on important social issues. Jesse uses his powerful life story and experiences as a social impact consultation to show us a way to move forward together on vital issues such as racial, social and economic justice, homelessness and affordable housing, education, substance abuse, drug addiction, and sex trafficking.

Creating Opportunity for At-Risk Youth

A single mistake can change a life forever. Jesse Leon narrowly avoided prison because he lacked important life skills. He’s now a successful social impact coach, and Jesse’s story offers effective strategies for mentoring programs, high schools, and community colleges to create alternative pathways to prison for at-risk youth.

Different Worlds, Latino & LGBTQ

Coming to terms with sexual identity can be especially difficult for Latinos. Jesse recounts his personal journey of self-acceptance, which began with his self-hatred of blaming his sexual abuse on confusion about his identity. Touching on “machismo,” internalized homophobia and the cultural, classist, and often racist barriers existing in gay communities, Jesse talks about finding his place within the LGBTQ+ community spectrum.

How to Fix The Holes In Our Social Safety Net

For Jesse — as with many Latino and other people of color survivors of sex abuse and sex trafficking — the services offered by state sanctioned institutions and programs to help abuse victims were not sufficient. Building on his personal experiences — coupled with his expertise in public policy, philanthropy and his work in creating public-private partnerships — Jesse provides ideas for how government agencies can do better to help survivors move from living in trauma to being triumphant.

Real Estate Development and Social Impact –– Do Well and Do Good

Do well and do good at the same time. Build wealth and stronger communities. Drawing on experience developing over 5,000 units of mixed-income housing, social impact investor and philanthropy consultant Jesse Leon offers lessons for real estate developers and affordable housing advocates.

SuperBook IV

“Maria Ek Ewell, Director, Disabled Students Program & Services, Long Beach City College”
“We were honored to have author Jesse Leon as a keynote speaker at Long Beach City College’s Diversity Equity Inclusion Accessibility (DEIA) month. He is a true story teller. He was able to captivate, engage and inspire students, faculty and staff! Many students stayed behind to get their books personalized and to speak with him”

Hans Sarmiento, Producer at Univisión
“Having Jesse on our show was an amazing experience. We’re immensely grateful to him for sharing his story with us as part of a special segment we did about him, his journey, and his memoir. We received an excellent response from his segment on our show, Primer Impacto, with hundreds of favorable comments on our many social media platforms from people praising Jesse’s ability to deliver his message in a clear and sensitive manner to Univision’s millions of Hispanic viewers across the US.”

Primer Impacto, 2022
“Contar con Jesse Leon en nuestro programa fue una excelente experiencia. Tenemos una inmensa gratitud por su entrevista y plena colaboración con nosotros en el reportaje de Primer Impacto de Univision. Aprovecho para compartirte la excelente respuesta que su narración ha tenido entre nuestros televidentes. Hemos recibido en las diferentes plataformas de Univision cientos de comentarios favorables que resaltan su capacidad para transmitir su mensaje de manera clara y sensible a nuestros millones de televidentes hispanos en Estados Unidos.”

“I’m Not Broken is a book for survivors and those who know someone they hope survives, bodhisattvas all.” —Sandra Cisneros

“A book detailing Mr. Leon’s battles against unparalleled circumstances, from poverty to addiction to assault, can be at once a critical look at the ways in which we fail young people in our communities and also a story of how, by the grace of God, we find in our midst a man like Jesse Leon, making sacrifices so that others might not suffer.” —Tarell Alvin McCraney, Academy Award winner for Moonlight

“This emotionally unyielding memoir recounts a life lived with no shortage of harrowing experiences, but also a life renewed thanks to a profound inner strength and an unrelenting determination to overcome.” —Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation

“I’m Not Broken is a powerful reminder that the human spirit can truly be resilient when it’s fed by faith, love and hope.” —Pedro Noguera, Dean of the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education

“A raw and riveting testimonio of loss, hope, and liberation! Jesse Leon’s I’m Not Broken will claim its rightful place alongside seminal memoirs like Cherríe Moraga’s Native Country of the Heart, Reyna Grande’s The Distance Between Us, and Victor Villasenor’s Rain of Gold.” —Gilberto Q. Conchas, Wayne K. and Anita Woolfolk Hoy Endowed Professorship of Education, The Pennsylvania State University

“As Jesse Leon writes at the end of this powerful work, ‘bootstrapping’ doesn’t quite capture his life’s journey. To be sure, there is personal inspiration in Jesse’s story. But there is also deep understanding of family, community, ethnicity, and society in this book—all of which Jesse captures with perspective and insight that we all need.” —Professor Joseph Kalt, Co-Director, Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, Harvard University

“I’m Not Broken is a brave and inspiring story of triumph over adversity. Jesse Leon overcame many barriers on his route to graduate school. His story illustrates the value of perseverance towards educational attainment.” —Professor Christopher Avery, Roy E. Larsen Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School

“I’m Not Broken is an introspective, critical examination of one person’s resiliency and determination to achieve success. Jesse Leon shares his self-reflection on personal and familial struggles in the context of societal prejudice, discrimination, and lack of access to needed services. This book is a perfect read for a class on human behavior and the environment.” —Dr. David Pate, Chair and Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s Helen Bader School of Social Welfare

“I’m Not Broken should be a required reading for every future educator, social worker, counselor, or mental health worker. Jesse Leon reminds the reader of the depth and complexity of every human we meet and their potential to emerge from even the darkest of spaces. He offers his vulnerability, so that we, as a society, can look at ourselves and begin the work to find solutions and change.” —Jennie Luna, Ph.D., Associate Professor Chicana/o Studies at California State University Channel Islands

“A raw, emotional memoir filled with highs and lows. The inspirational ending gives readers hope when Leon uses his self-will and determination to change and accept the love from those around him.” —Library Journal, starred review

“Viscerally moving . . . A remarkable story of fortitude and personal transformation.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A staggering tale of survival . . . Leon’s story of resilience pulsates with verve and breathtaking grace. The result is a gripping portrait of perseverance that radiates with humanity.” —Publishers Weekly