The Business Quiz: Leann Jacobson

Leann Jacobson

President

Technology Association of Iowa

Des Moines

Did you start out in this line of work?  What did you think you'd be doing when you “grew up”?

I began my career at AT&T and eventually decided to open my own public-policy practice representing multiple clients, such as the Middleton Children's Right Center and the Iowa Council of Foundations. The Technology Association of Iowa was a client that turned into a full-time leadership position with the organization.

It is a very exciting time to be in the Iowa tech scene and the people involved are absolutely outstanding.

Did you have a mentor?

I had a boss early on, a female executive, who took a risk on me and gave me big projects that each came with the opportunity for big success or failure. Luck was on my side and the successes were highly visible.

She taught me the importance of reaching out to young women and helping them acquire the skills and opportunities necessary for leadership.

Did you have a job while you were in school?

I worked full time at AT&T as an account executive while going to business school full time and raising two small children.

There's a lesson to be learned somewhere in there.

What was the last book you read?

“The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest,” by Dan Buettner. It's a great mix of anthropological story telling and anecdotal advice about how to live well. It also reaffirmed my love for red wine.

Where is your favorite place to get away?

I am a town and a country mouse - big cities, like New York and Minneapolis, totally energize me. But I also appreciate a simpler, peaceful life style at my second home in Spencer, Iowa.