About Jessika

I was born to young parents in ‘86, Charlotte, NC. Growing up in two households, my interests were divergent and yet symbiotic. A technical theater kid who took pleasure in structure, construction, and management. A freckled-faced young woman who loved fields of grass and horses. A wild flower with a determination for something bigger.

I studied Production, Technology & Management at Carnegie Mellon University. My adviser from high school told me that I’d never get in. I received “The Big Fat Letter” and couldn’t breathe from excitement. I had, after-all, applied to seven universities (just in case). I never dreamed I’d get my top choice. But in hindsight, it’s no surprise - my spark always turns to fire.

At university, I excelled in Stage & Production Management. The conservatory program was extremely difficult, but my buoyant nature carried me through the toughest of assignments - Broadway directors who guested at the school with grandiose ideas and expected execution; young actors that wanted guidance, a steady hand, and a smile; design elements that seemed impossible but made whole by proper paperwork and labor assignments.

Upon graduation, the economy crashed (2008? anyone?). By night, I was a restaurant hostess. By day, I was a logistics planner for an industrial gas company. Routing drivers to fill gas orders wasn’t glamorous, but it was a continuation of my ability to grow where I was planted. I was soon promoted to Safety Administrator - a guru at DOT and OSHA standards, organizing driver paperwork and training, code enforcement.

After about a year, I moved to San Francisco with two bags, for love. I spent the next five years networking - a job at a cupcake shop turned into a Sales Assistant position for big titles like Traditional Home, Popular Science and Weight Watchers Magazine. All while moonlighting as a theater stage assistant and eventually manager, doing professional plays in Union Square. For my day career, I took a chance on a Community Manager job at a green media company. Through that opportunity, I realized that I missed the creativity of design and art.

I moved on to an Industrial Flash Memory Company - what?

While on the surface, uncreative, the freedom that I got in my position allowed for me to expand on long dormant skills - designing trade-show booths, social media management, developing white-papers and sales decks - I thrived. Though the content was technical and engineered, the design possibilities were endless. I dove deep into design blogs and training myself all the skills that I’d need to produce professional print materials, web design and trade-show experiences.

Fast forward to now. I work for a Quaker non-profit in the Germantown Neighborhood of Philadelphia. We run community gardens in our under-served neighborhood, implement reading buddy programs and libraries in schools, and host events year-round. I design and run the website, manage social media, and develop all print materials for our small organization. In my spare-time, I’m on the James Turrell Skyspace Committee at Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting.

It’s been a winding road, but it suits me. While I follow the breeze, I bloom where I’m planted.

A few facts:

Millenial Mom of three boys. Swissophile. Enthusiast of lesser-known wineries. Can’t live without my Nespresso machine. Black dogs forever.