Yessenia Johnson and her husband, Shami, founded Sher Contracting with a mission to level the playing field for women in construction. With more than a decade of industry experience, she understood firsthand the challenges women face in a traditionally male-dominated field. Her vision was to build a people-first company where women feel safe, heard, respected, and empowered to succeed. To bring that vision to life, she has prioritized women in leadership and safety roles, ensured appropriate workplace facilities, and established clear pathways for training, and career advancement.
Sher Contracting provides dependable construction support and skilled labor for projects across the country. As the business grew, staffing became an increasingly important part of its operations, prompting Yessenia to establish Sher Staffing as a dedicated staffing company. This strategic approach allows Sher Contracting to focus on construction support and project management while Sher Staffing expands its workforce solutions. Under Yessenia’s leadership, both businesses have grown into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. She attributes this success to their commitment to building lasting trust with clients, employees, and the communities they serve.
Yessenia and Shami first connected with the Indy Chamber to become more engaged in the Indianapolis business community. They became active in the Hispanic Business Council (HBC) network and eventually participated in Enclave, a program offered by HBC in partnership with Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Through Enclave, Yessenia connected with her business coach and the Central Indiana Women’s Business Center (CIWBC). Yessenia describes the program as the “most impactful” in her business journey, challenging her to think more intentionally about leadership, strategy, scalability, and the infrastructure needed to sustain continued growth. The experience also provided valuable opportunities to learn from and engage with fellow entrepreneurs and established business leaders across Central Indiana.
Today, Sher Contracting and Sher Staffing are thriving businesses with a growing national presence. Despite this growth, Yessenia remains committed to strengthening the companies’ relationships and impact here in Indiana. Their next chapter focuses on bringing the experience, expertise, and infrastructure developed through national operations back to local communities. For Sher Staffing, this means expanding throughout Indianapolis and surrounding Indiana communities while building stronger partnerships with local businesses and organizations that share a commitment to workforce development. Ultimately, Yessenia’s vision is to ensure that the companies’ continued growth creates meaningful opportunities not only for the businesses themselves, but also for their employees, partners, and the communities they serve.
