In my year as media director at The Rules, I worked closely with Jess and can attest to her vision, leadership skills and, perhaps most importantly in these times, her humanity. Jess is deeply motivated to understand why people, movements, organisations are the way they are, which makes her a great listener and an adept problem solver because her starting point is always your reality and not what she has theorised for herself. She is a skillful facilitator, an accomplished academic and a committed collaborator. I was ever grateful to have her on my side as we worked to tell new stories about the seemingly intractable global challenges we face and find ways to imagine radically different futures.

Jess simply gets it. Before plunging in with resources and recommendations, strategies and suggestions, she takes the time to listen, deeply, to the soul of an organization—to feel its pulse, to catch its rhythm, to see its vision. I feel she empowered our community because she first acknowledged our power. She knew how to counsel us because she first understood who we were. And for that I am endlessly grateful.

Beyond her unique ability to thrive in complex and pressure-filled situations, it's [Jess’s] ability to combine empathy and level-headed decisiveness that makes her one of the most capable colleagues I've had. Her leadership style is one of transparency, mentorship and palpable integrity. ... Jess isn't just a "team player:" she has a knack for envisioning the right combination of skills, personalities, and working styles needed to make lasting impact. ...[She] builds deep connection with a personal touch in a way that transforms what it means to be a part of a team.

Jess helped us through a particularly complex time in the organisation's development. I knew Jess as a friend before I knew her as a professional and found myself in awe of how she manages to package the aspects of her personality she is renowned for to her friends, namely poise, patience, optimism and diligence, in a tense commercial environment. Jess manages to create islands of diplomacy through personality, intellect and a quiet fierceness. Jess is roundly respected by all who know her. She is intelligent, thoughtful and insightful. In my personal and professional dealings with Jess I have found her to be both remarkably consistent and consistently remarkable.

Jess is one of the most inspiring and dedicated people I know... She has shown a remarkable degree of precision and composure... and a remarkable penchant for creating an atmosphere of inclusivity. That’s what I love about working with Jess and what I think is very unique about her approach to this kind of work. She knows how to lead without making others feel like followers. She is constantly envisioning better systems, structures, and ways of improving the lived experiences of others. In short she truly is trying to make another world possible.

Jess worked with us in a senior advisory role [for the organization Sandbox] at a time when we went through an intense transition that saw changes in both leadership and governance structures. Jess was tasked to bring all relevant stakeholders together to create a shared, agreeable narrative, both as a way towards conflict resolution, as well as to capture our hopes, dreams, and history. Jess did an outstanding job ...her extremely eloquent and empathic approach got all relevant parties to trust her and to become more open to compromise in the process.

Jess is an absolute pleasure to work with as a collaborator, colleague and manager. Her approach is supportive, solutions-oriented and empathetic. One of my favorite parts of approaching Jess with challenges I was facing when she was our Executive Director at One World Youth Project, was the relief I felt when leaving our conversations with a new sense of confidence and clarity on achievable next steps towards addressing larger challenges and achieving our biggest goals.