About
Jen Elledge (Barber), MPH, is a sought-after speaker, sexual health educator, and founder of The Talk Institute. For more than 20 years, she has helped thousands of parents and young people navigate conversations about puberty, relationships, sexuality, and growing up with honesty, confidence, and connection. 
Throughout her career, Jen has taught at universities, developed teen programming for community clinics, and worked with a wide range of populations including underserved youth, autistic and special needs communities, abused and neglected children, sexual assault survivors, and students from elementary school through college. These experiences shaped her compassionate, real-world approach to helping families communicate about some of life’s most sensitive topics.
Known for her warmth, humor, and engaging teaching style, Jen creates spaces where parents and children can have open, meaningful conversations together. Her courses combine factual, age-appropriate education with interactive activities that help families strengthen trust, connection, and communication. At the heart of her work is a simple belief: kids do better when they see their parents as approachable and safe to talk to.
Driven by a lifelong passion for adolescent health and family connection, Jen founded The Talk Institute to help parents feel more prepared and less alone when navigating difficult conversations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in public health, and has studied sex education internationally in the Netherlands, Germany, and France, exploring evidence-based approaches connected to healthier outcomes for youth and families.
Jen’s programs are designed to do more than educate — they help create lasting connection between parents and children while giving families practical tools and shared experiences they carry with them for years to come.
