ABOUT YOJO
Welcome to our Neighborhood!
WHO WE ARE
YoJo is self-care & wellness made easy. We are a friendly community of people looking to lighten your emotional load & heal burnout with online classes and content. We are here for companies who want to lighten the load for their employees and create more empathetic leaders and a better culture. We are here for individuals looking to heal with an online community.
WHAT WE DO
We lead corporate workshops on topics related to Burnout Management, DEIB, and Professional Development. And we also offer app memberships as a benefit companies can offer to their employees or individual memberships that people can purchase for themselves.
HOW WE DO IT
Our approach: Life is hard, and self-care shouldn’t be.
We offer the warmth of a mom & pop shop with our down-to-earth instructors, the care we bring our HR clients and the touches we bring into each feature of our app. For our HR clients, we create white glove experience so all the hard work is done for you & you can rest easy knowing your employees are getting only the best. For our app community YoJo will feel like a second home or that cozy neighborhood spot where you can relax your shoulders and take a deep breath.
YoJo's mission is to make wellness resources more accessible and inclusive, providing tools to prevent burnout and support mental health.
In 2006, Jessa Messina, the founder and CEO of YoJo, embarked on a mission to make yoga and wellness accessible to everyone. Her first classes started at FSU for fellow college students and then to the FSU football team. The birth of YoJo came a few years later at the Tribeca Equinox gym for men seeking a comfortable space to practice yoga. The members of the class jokingly referred to themselves as the “Average Jo’s” coining the name, "Yoga for the Average Joe" – YoJo. The next YoJo experience was designed for the the LGBTQ community. Seeing the lack of wellness catering to the experience of the Queer experience, Jessa partnered with the Landmark Stonewall Inn for specialized LGBTQ yoga classes. And not long after, YoJo expanded to become a corporate perk, offering employees free access to yoga and wellness programs.
Over the past decade, YoJo has become a comprehensive wellness solution, bringing live workshops and classes to companies worldwide, including NBC, Urban Outfitters, TIME Magazine, and Seamless/Grubhub. YoJo’s services are designed to alleviate stress, reduce burnout, and improve resilience and retention among employees.
YoJo's mission is to make wellness resources more accessible and inclusive, providing tools to prevent burnout and support mental health through classes and workshops crafted with the modern-day employee in mind. Our innovative approach paves the way for a future where everyone can embrace the transformative benefits of yoga and wellness, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Over the past decade, YoJo has become a comprehensive wellness solution, serving companies worldwide.
Meet Jessa
Jessa Messina | she/her
Founder, YoJo
With a passion for making yoga accessible, Jessa has been teaching yoga and meditation since 2006. Initially instructing at Florida State University's Leach Center and for the football team, she later moved to NYC, earning Trainer of the Year at Tribeca Equinox in 2011. There, she created innovative programs like yoga for men. Driven to share yoga's benefits with those uncomfortable in studios, she shifted focus to building trauma-informed mindfulness practices.
Certified in Hatha and Kundalini yoga, Jessa’s approach is shaped by studying under Guru Dharam, Tias Little, Seane Corn, and others, as well as healing from an autoimmune disease and major head trauma. Her goal is to provide a gentle, inspirational space for those experiencing trauma symptoms or seeking more ease in life. Yoga should be a solace, not a source of anxiety.
Currently residing in Brooklyn, her dogs and cats often make guest appearances during her Zoom sessions, adding an extra dose of comfort and joy.
Meet The YoJo Team
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TeacherTeresa is a musician, yoga practitioner, and teacher in both disciplines. Yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation have informed and deepened her singing and songwriting practices, and for her, breath, yoga, and music are pillars of self-care and community care. Teresa resides in the DC area with her husband, two children, blue heeler mix Tupelo, chihuahua Paolo, and box turtle Ophelia.
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Clinical PsychologistJamie earned their Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The New School. They have a BBA in Finance from Notre Dame and 6 years in financial services. Jamie conducts neuropsych evals to diagnose ADHD in kids, teens, adults. Their expertise lies in neurodevelopmental conditions.
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Brand Designer
Loryn is a freelance graphic designer, working with several non- and for-profit companies to elevate their brand. She knows that good design is transformative and believes it can make the world more beautiful, accessible, & welcoming. You'll find her working from her apartment in Philadelphia with her dog, Daisy.
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Sound Editor
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Social Media and Marketing Intern
Jadyn brings a blend of creativity and enthusiasm to the team. As our resident Gen Z and an art major, Jadyn enjoys crafting engaging content that resonates with our audience. She collaborates with the rest of the YoJo team to help keep our digital presence vibrant and connected.
Partnerships
